Project Grant 23FMPPNY1157

THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET IS A YEAR-ROUND PRODUCE MARKET ESTABLISHED IN 2011 IN UTICA, NEW YORK. IT WAS CREATED AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE WITH THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING THE FIRST YEAR-ROUND PRODUCE MARKET IN A COMMUNITY CLASSIFIED AS A FOOD DESERT BY THE USDA. THE MARKET IS THE PREMIER FARMERS MARKET IN ONEIDA COUNTY AND IS HELD AT A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY THAT IS PART OF THE BOHLERT TRANSPORTATION CENTER AT UNION STATION. THE MISSION OF THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET IS TO DRAW ON THE MOHAWK VALLEY REGION S HISTORIC, CULTURAL, AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE VENDORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND BUSINESSES CAN SELL, SHOP AND SUPPORT LOCALLY. THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET ARE TO PROVIDE A VENUE FOR FARMERS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS, TO CREATE ACCESS TO FRESH, HEALTHY, AND LOCALLY GROWN FOODS FOR CONSUMERS, TO PROVIDE HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY, TO SERVE AS A CATALYST OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO SURROUNDING BUSINESSES AND VENUES, AND TO CREATE AND ENHANCE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, POSITIONING THE MARKET AS A GATHERING PLACE THAT FOSTERS COMMUNITY PRIDE AND SPIRIT.THE MARKET AVERAGES 28 VENDORS EACH WEEK, AND THE LIST OF VENDORS ROTATED BETWEEN 73 DIFFERENT FARMS, AG BUSINESSES, AND VALUE-ADDED PRODUCERS IN 2022. THESE VENDORS GAIN ACCESS TO 444 CUSTOMERS ON AVERAGE DURING THE SUMMER MARKET AND 356 CUSTOMERS PER MARKET DURING THE WINTER. ADDITIONALLY, THE MARKET PARTNERS WITH THE CENTER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE REFUGEE CENTER, TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO DRAW REFUGEES INTO THE MARKET AS CONSUMERS AND AS VENDORS. THE CENTER HAS HELPED OVER 16,500 REFUGEES RESETTLE IN UTICA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET HAS HELPED TO POSITION IT AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR A DEPRESSED AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT SECTION OF UTICA S HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA OF BAGG S SQUARE. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND SUPPORT, THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET WILL CONTINUE TO GROW TO THE BENEFIT OF THE REGION S LOCAL FOOD PRODUCERS, ARTISANS, IMMIGRANTS, SENIORS, AND COMMUNITY CITIZENS.THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET IS A PROGRAM OF CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF ONEIDA COUNTY, WHOSE MISSION IS TO PUT KNOWLEDGE TO WORK IN PURSUIT OF ECONOMIC VITALITY, ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. CCEOC BRINGS LOCAL EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS TOGETHER, HELPING NEW YORK STATE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THRIVE IN OUR RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. CCEOC PARTNERS WITH THE MARKET TO OVERSEE THE OPERATION AND GROWTH OF THE MARKET, TO PROMOTE THE MARKET TO THIS DIVERSE AND MULTI-CULTURAL COMMUNITY, AND TO ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIPS LENDING TO ITS SUSTAINABILITY. THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF HOW A FARMERS MARKET CAN SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO FRESH, HEALTHY, AND LOCALLY GROWN FOODS, THE MARKET CREATES HEALTH AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE MARKET PROVIDES A GATHERING PLACE THAT FOSTERS COMMUNITY PRIDE AND SPIRIT. THROUGH ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CENTER AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THE MARKET HELPS TO CREATE A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT BENEFITS ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.THE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM GRANT WILL ALLOW THE ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET TO CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR REFUGEE AG BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BY CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TRAINING ALONG WITH MULTI LANGUAGE MATERIALS AND SIGNAGE. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE MARKET TO EXPAND THEIR E-COMMERCE PLATFORM TO INCLUDE MORE FARMS AND AG PRODUCERS THAT ARE VENDORS AT THE MARKET AND THAT ARE INTERESTED IN SELLING ONLINE EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT VENDORS OF THE MARKET.