Your Market Creations: We Love Them!

by Bethany Dixon | Apr 19, 2017 | News

We asked for your market creations — and you gave them to us! Seeing all these together makes it clear how much of a difference the Schenectady Greenmarket makes. You are the reason we do this. Thank you for supporting our local farmers and businesses. Keep being awesome!

Here are all of the submissions for the #mymarketcreation contest (click to enlarge).

A Special Message for a Special Person

by Bethany Dixon | Feb 26, 2017 | News

If you’ve been a regular to our Sunday markets you’ve probably seen this lovely face walking around in her orange apron. Her name–if you don’t know it already–is Jennifer Jennings. She was our full-time market manager… the one who kept us all in check and made sure the market ran smoothly each week.

This week was her last market. Well, she officially left us for greener pastures in December–but has graciously stayed on to help us in the transition. We are forever thankful to her for that!

But we’d also like to take a moment to thank her for all she’s done for us.

Jennifer was a huge step for us as an organization. She was our first paid full-time employee. She dealt with our mistakes, and helped to keep us (the board, the vendors) in line. She also brought us to the next level, constantly emphasizing our role as an educational organization in the community and bringing her extensive knowledge of food and farms along with her. Under her guidance and urging we formed a set of compliance documents for inspections. She pushed to organize a farm tour and helped us create our Local Harvest Dinner event. She found and applied for grants, and did many, many other things that I won’t list. She was our superwoman. We will miss her.

Jen, thank you for all you’ve done for us. We weren’t always easy to work with, but you managed to stick with us for years and push us to be better. Good luck in all your future endeavors!

Schenectady Greenmarket Donates Over 3,000 Meals

by Bethany Dixon | Dec 13, 2016 | News

Before our last market of the year on Sunday, Schenectady Greenmarket would like to pause and thank our vendors and customers for another successful year. As a community-run and community-oriented organization, we like to give back to the community as much as possible. This year, we’re happy to announce the end of another bountiful growing season and the generous donation by our vendors of over 3700 lbs. of fresh, local and nutritious food to City Mission of Schenectady.

Since the beginning of Schenectady Greenmarket in 2008, farm vendors have donated excess produce to help fight food insecurity in Schenectady. Starting in 2014, the market began working with its partners MVP Health Care, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, City Mission of Schenectady and the Schenectady Ambassadors to bring unsold food to the City Mission. The partnership has been fruitful, with over 11,800 lbs. of food or roughly 9800 meals donated in the last two years. This year alone, from June through October, the market donated over 3100 meals to its neighbors in need.

“The market is once again amazed by the support of our vendors and the success of the donation program,” said Jennifer Jennings, Market Manager for Schenectady Greenmarket. “We have been able to provide thousands of meals to our neighbors in downtown Schenectady in a short period of time. This important milestone would not be possible without the generosity of our vendors and the partnerships we have built with MVP Health Care, City Mission, the Ambassadors and the Regional Food Bank.”

What People Are Saying

City Mission of Schenectady

“City Mission of Schenectady relies heavily upon the generosity of its partners to achieve our goal of feeding the hungry in the community.  Our partnership with the Schenectady Greenmarket has been instrumental in our efforts to provide fresh fruits and vegetables of high quality to the community,” said Chris Silipigno, Associate Executive Director of Business and Donor Development.  “We are so grateful for the Schenectady Greenmarket’s willingness to come together to fight food insecurity… and build community in the process.”

MVP Health Care

“Schenectady Greenmarket plays a significant role in combating food insecurity in Schenectady, and the community has benefited greatly as a result of the collaboration of farmers, vendors and community organizations working together to get nutritious food to those in need.  We’re proud to be part of an effort that helps provide thousands of meals annually to feed people who might not otherwise have access to fresh and healthy food.  The program is perfectly aligned with our vision of creating the healthiest communities possible,” said Denise Gonick, MVP Health Care President and CEO, “and we look forward to continuing our support.”

Regional Food Bank

“The Regional Food Bank would like to thank the Schenectady Greenmarket, along with its farmers and vendors, for partnering with the Food Bank and the City Mission of Schenectady to recover fresh and nutritious food at the market each week,” said Khali Coulter, Food Industry Relations Coordinator for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. “This year alone, their generosity has made it possible to provide nearly 3,100 meals to those in need.”

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said, “A gem in our community, the Schenectady Greenmarket taps into the area’s diverse agricultural landscape to connect people with the fresh, homegrown, local foods and products they want, adding something unique and special to our beautiful downtown area. The market is also a great community partner that gives back, and this year’s donation of meals to the City Mission will once again make a big difference for our families.”