For my final two markets I tabled at the Owego Farmers Market and the Freeville Farmers Market.
Over the course of the summer, it has been made evident to me that farmers markets are public health solutions. I’ve seen, across seven different market settings, how they act as powerful catalysts for change, facilitating agricultural enrichment, community prosperity, and health across all ages. Perhaps most closely aligned to my passions and other roles this summer, they promote plant-based food systems.
I’ve been simultaneously working to educate youth on food system reform, and this internship has highlighted how farmers markets are part of the solutions we seek. Our current food
system, namely factory farms, degrade the land and water, undermine the health of populations, enact cruel practices against non-human animals, and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Farmers markets are a direct antithesis to these implications of our broken system. The work I see being done at these markets gives me hope for the future.
At the Freeville market, I watched as children joyously tried fruits and veggies from vendors, expanding their taste buds and confidence when trying new foods. Exposing youth to healthy eating habits, namely diets rich in fruits and vegetables, counteracts childhood obesity, diabetes, and empower
youth to be leaders in their future. Engaging them in activities to improve their knowledge of the crucial vitamins and minerals in produce was always fun!
This theme is present in all ages, as elders at the Owego market shared with me the importance of buying produce to maintain their health. As we know, the promotion of local produce consumption extends past physical health benefits. Eating locally grown fruits and vegetables benefits the mind, and as made prevalent to me during this internship, benefits the cultural and social ties between consumers. I’ve heard countless stories and recipes passed down many generations while tabling for FMNP. Food brings people together, and these systems promote humane, equitable farming practices.
I am incredibly grateful for this internship experience and everyone who made it possible. My mentors, Alisha Gaines and Jaime Welch, are consistently supportive and wise, and I appreciate the time of Aly Trombitas and Becky McCormick from CCE. I also cherish the hospitality and generosity of every farmer and market manager who hosted my efforts at their market. I leave with a deepened understanding, appreciation and connection with the upstate communities and land.
“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants