Annual ‘Growing Community Award’

GardenShare initiated its Growing Community Award in 2003 to recognize individuals and organizations whose efforts help build community food security in the North Country.

2007
GardenShare presented its 2007 Growing Community Award to the Food Bank of Central New York, a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education, and advocacy. The Food Bank serves eleven counties in central and northern New York by supplying food to 575 food assistance programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, childcare agencies, and senior centers. The food distributed provides over 20,000 meals every day. Just as important is the Food Bank's advocacy in support of legislation and public policies that address hunger and poverty. The Food Bank's "Advocacy 101" materials and email "Advocacy Alerts" are valuable resources to help end hunger. Find them (and more) online at www.foodbankcny.org.

2006
In 2006, GardenShare presented Growing Community Awards to the North Country Grown Cooperative and to Betsy Hodge.

North Country Grown Cooperative markets locally grown food to area universities and other institutions. A dozen farmers own and operate the cooperative, which grew out of the Farm-to-School Support Project in 2003. Betsy Hodge, Ag Awareness Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, has devoted years to helping young people understand and appreciate local agriculture. As coordinator of family, community, and animal programs at the Extension Learning Farm in Canton, she has been a resource to teachers throughout the county, offering hands-on experiences with agriculture and food systems.

The recipient of GardenShare's 2005 Growing Community Award is Seedcorn, a nonprofit community organization based in Potsdam, NY. The award was presented on September 27, 2005, at GardenShare’s ‘Local Harvest’ Dinner.

In announcing the award, GardenShare cited Seedcorn’s “long history of serving emerging grassroots groups and community projects that work to strengthen food security in the St. Lawrence River Valley.” Seedcorn is a nonprofit educational organization that provides start-up services to new groups focusing on social justice, community building, local self-reliance, and a sustainable environment. It also maintains a resource library available to the public in its Potsdam office at 6 Elm Street.

Since its formation in 1991, Seedcorn has provided start-up services to a number of food-related projects, including a community garden and a farmers’ market in Potsdam, the North Country Garden School, the Farm-to-School Support Project, and GardenShare itself. In addition, Seedcorn’s Farm, Food, and Land Program has sought to revitalize the agricultural base of the region by encouraging crop diversity, cooperation among farmers, and sustainable agricultural production.

For more information about Seedcorn and its activities, visit www.seedcorn.org or write to Seedcorn, PO Box 5055, Potsdam, NY 13676.

GardenShare presented its 2004 Growing Community Award to the Canton Farmers’ Market during festivities on August 20 celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the market.

In presenting the award, GardenShare cited the market’s “exemplary service to local farmers and its contribution to building community food security in the North Country by offering fresh and nutritious locally grown food to area residents for thirty years.”

“For three decades the Canton Farmers’ Market has made local fruits and vegetables available to the people of St. Lawrence County,” said GardenShare board president Katherine Asher. “This is an important contribution to the health of our citizens, our communities, and our environment.”

GardenShare points out that the average distance food travels in the United States from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. This long-distance food loses flavor, wastes fuel, and is exposed to multiple safety risks along the way. In contrast, the Canton Farmers’ Market offers food at its freshest and tastiest, grown by area farmers who help keep the food dollar circulating in the local economy.

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The 2003 Growing Community Award was presented to George Arnold and Barbara Page, who, along with their staffs, have been instrumental in introducing locally grown food into the cafeterias of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam .

Mr. Arnold is director of PACES Dining Services at SUNY Potsdam, and Ms. Page is manager of the Bowman Hall Dining Facility.

The award was presented by Dr. Heather Sullivan-Catlin, vice president of the GardenShare board of directors, at a November 5 "hunger banquet" organized by SUNY students to draw attention to global hunger and food issues.

In her presentation, Dr. Sullivan-Catlin noted the long-standing commitment of Mr. Arnold and Ms. Page to the health of students and their support for local farmers. "Their vision for purchasing fresh and nutritious locally grown food at a fair market price resulted in the establishment this year of the Farm-to-School Support Project," said Dr. Sullivan-Catlin.