Enthusiasm High For Proposed Schoharie County Farmers' Market

By Chris English

SCHOHARIE COUNTY — Plans for a Schoharie County Farmers' Market are progressing and will hopefully result in the market opening in May or June of 2026, County Agricultural Development Specialist Caroline Myran said in a recent telephone interview.

Myran said results from four listening sessions held at various locations around the county in July reinforced a previous survey that indicated strong support for the market. The listening sessions were attended by a total of about 40 people, a mix of farmers and other community members, she added.

"The next step will be for our working group to move forward with creating the board or committee that would be the managing entity for the market and make decisions, including finalizing where it would be," Myran noted.

It's looking right now as if the probable initial location would be in either Cobleskill or Schoharie, and a decision would be made once the market is up and running on whether to make it a permanent fixture. Myran reiterated the board or committee would make the final decision on location.

"We want to get it started and make sure the market is successful and sustainable before building something that is permanent," Myran said.

The county Board of Supervisors recently voted to apply for a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, and are hoping to hear whether the grant is awarded by the end of the month, she added.

If it comes through, the grant would be $50,000. Together with some matches, including in-kind, there would be a total of about $73,000, Myran explained. She continued that she and other county officials will continue looking for grants and other funding sources to pay for various aspects of the market, including for construction of a permanent structure if a decision is made to make the market permanent.

The money from the USDA if it comes would be used to pay a part-time Farmers' Market manager for two years, site evaluation, the manager's professional development, and marketing and advertising, Myran stated.

"I've done research that shows markets with a paid manager make four times more for vendors than markets without one," she said.

The market would likely be once a week _ possibly Friday or Sunday _ from May or June through the growing season ending in early October, Myran said. She added, however, that the board or committee would make final decisions on all those kind of details.

She pointed out that agriculture in Schoharie County and the surrounding area is largely small farms, whose owners often don't have access to the larger marketplace or the ability to open their own farmstands.

The survey which ended April 1 and the subsequent listening sessions gathered information on what people wanted from a county Farmers' Market, including desired products and amenities and many other items. The survey drew a total of 455 responses, including 102 from farmers and 353 from potential customers.

In comments emailed to this newspaper, Myran laid out the hopes and vision for the Farmers' Market based on the data gathered from the community.

"The Schoharie County Farmers' Market is envisioned as a destination public market in Schoharie County _ a dynamic, open-air hub that supports small farmers, food producers and local entrepreneurs," she wrote. "The Schoharie Public Market will be accessible by sidewalks and public transportation. The market will serve as both a vibrant community gathering space and a powerful engine for rural economic development.

"With a focus on equity and access, the market will offer affordable vendor space and accept SNAP/EBT benefits in addition to the other Farmers Market Nutrition Program fresh connect coupons for seniors and veterans, fostering small business growth and improving food access across the community. The public market will play a critical role in investing in the next generation of farmers and food entrepreneurs. Through direct-to-consumer sales opportunities, affordable vendor space and partnerships with educational institutions, the market will create an essential on-ramp for beginning producers."

Myran continued: "A Farmers' Market not only serves farmers and vendors with a new market opportunity, it can become a hub for community gathering, agricultural events and farm/food related educational programming, reinforcing pride in regional identity and shared investment in a resilient local food system. It also offers important social benefits for all ages, especially in this post-Covid world, where in-person connection is really needed for our older residents.

"We also see the market having the power to bring new energy to the local economy by attracting foot traffic to downtown villages, supporting microenterprise development, and enhancing visibility for area farmers, artisans and producers. The market will provide the opportunity to position Schoharie County as a gateway to the Mohawk Valley region by introducing visitors and tourists to the region's agricultural richness _ creating a welcoming entry point for a branded destination for regional agritourism."