The Rotary Club of Potsdam is working with GardenShare and the Potsdam Neighborhood Center to reduce food insecurity in our community via exposure to the local farmers market. The Potsdam Rotary has purchased $1,000 worth of $20 Potsdam Farmers Market vouchers from GardenShare and is distributing them to those in need via the Potsdam Neighborhood Center.
“Our hope is that once a family tries the farmers market and likes it, that they will return on their own more often, leading to better access to healthier food,” says Potsdam Rotary President Duane Pelkey. “People living with poverty may not be aware of our farmers markets. Or they may not use farmers markets for healthy food because they think they may not be able to afford it. We hope that our vouchers will get them to give the market a try.”
Pelkey says that an additional benefit of the project is supporting local farmers so that they are able to make a living that supports their families and contribute to a robust local economy.
The project is supported in part by a matching grant from Rotary District 7040 to address the Rotary areas of focus of disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, and economic and community development.
GardenShare is a local non-profit organization that promotes a local food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents. The Potsdam Neighborhood Center is part of the St. Lawrence County Community Development Program, a private, not-for-profit agency that serves St. Lawrence County, and can be reached at 315-265-3920.
Left to right: President Duane Pelkey and Potsdam Neighborhood Center Director Kristal Hayes.