Today, October 12 is National Farmers Day. Today we celebrate the hard work that goes into growing and raising the food we eat. The Syracuse-Onondaga area is blessed with a variety of agricultural operations, and SOFSA is proud to work with farmers to accomplish our shared vision of a better food system for all. This National Farmers Day, we wanted to highlight some farms around the area that we haven’t highlighted before.
Farmer Brown’s Market Garden LLC in East Syracuse is run by Kyle and his wife Bekah. While in college, Kyle and Bekah planned how they could create a successful farm business together. After graduating, they spent time farming in New Zealand and in the Capital Region of New York, before starting their operation in East Syracuse. The pair, “love spending our time outside enjoying God’s beauty through what we grow and who we share it with.” They grow a diversity of vegetables on their 1/2 acre, no-till farm. Their customers especially like their lettuce heads, salad mix, and heirloom tomatoes. They can be found at the CNY Regional Market every Saturday in F Shed (Stall 22) from 7am-2pm, and occasionally on Thursdays in A Shed from 7am-2pm. They also sell at the Syracuse Downtown Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays from 8am-2pm. To learn more and keep up with them, check out their website (farmerbrownsmarketgarden.com), Instagram (@farmerbrownsmarketgarden), or Facebook (“Farmer Browns Market Garden”)
Doce Lume Farm in Skaneateles is run by Janice. They grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, and native plants. They’re supportive of food system change and want to help develop the CNY food system. They can be found through their direct-to-consumer CSA program (growingforskan.com/f-a-q), and are looking for new CSA members or for value-added producers. To learn more and keep up with them, check out their website (docelumefarm.com), Instagram (@docelumefarm), or Facebook (facebook.com/docelumefarm).
Wake Robin Farm in Jordan is run by Bruce and his wife Meg. Bruce grew up farming and Meg got hooked on agriculture during her time at Cornell. Together, they grow wheat, which they make into a variety of home-made baked goods, and cut flowers. They can be found at the CNY Regional Market on Saturdays, or at their farm on Friday afternoons. To learn more and keep up with them, check out their website (wakerobinfarm.org), Instagram (@wakerobinfarm), or Facebook (facebook.com/wakerobinfarmNY).
Stones Throw Farm is just outside the village of South Onondaga, a “Stones Throw ” from most communities in CNY and is run by Brian and his wife Megan. Brian has always had a lifelong interest in food and farming, and this passion led him to take over his folks yard with gardens during high school and college. After graduation, he worked for about five years with the start up and foundational phases of the Urban Delights: Youth Farmstand Project. He was inspired by and motivated by the multitude of impacts and opportunities with programs such as Urban Delights that address aspects of food security, youth development, and community development. He had always dreamed of starting a small farm and in 2004, they set out on that venture with a small piece of purchased land in South Onondaga. Their farm has grown “organically” and incrementally since that time. They have always been motivated by a direct and meaningful connection with their community and have been operating nearly year-round CSA programs since 2007, growing a vast array of mixed vegetables, herbs and flowers. Additionally, they steward honey bee colonies, which produce all natural artisanal honey and they tend a flock of laying hens that are raised on their farm’s fresh diverse forages and locally grown certified organic grain. These products can be found through their CSA Programs (www.stonesthrowfarm.biz/ourcsa) where folks come to the farm and pick up their vegetables in a “market style” CSA, and occasionally through small scale wholesale and direct retail sales in and around their honey and other specialty products. To learn more and keep up with them, check out their website (stonesthrowfarm.biz), Instagram (@stonesthrowfarm), or Facebook (facebook.com/stonesthrowfarmcny).
If you (or someone you know) farm and you’re interested in growing a better food system in Onondaga County together, we’d love to get in touch! Email, Alex, our Food Systems Project Coordinator at alexander@syrfoodalliance.org or by text/call 315-552-0470.