A State-wide Food Drive in Celebration of
Community Support for Local Farmers Markets
The Farmers Market Federation of NY has not promoted a statewide event in the past for National Farmers Market Week, but this exceptional year we feel it is important to do so. Give Back NY is a show of appreciation for our local communities for the tremendous support of farmers markets and local food since the COVID Pandemic began. We are inviting farmers markets to connect with the local emergency food programs/food pantries serving their region and assist with a food drive to take place at the market during Farmers Market Week, August 2-8.
WHAT: A week-long celebration of farmers markets that will emphasize food donations to local food pantries as a means of sharing the bounty! We hope to encourage consumers and farmers to offer donations to their neighborhood food program that serves the community on their visit to the farmers market during that week.
HOW: The Federation has put together a toolkit to help both food pantries and farmers markets prepare for and implement Give Back NY, including guidelines for communications, strategies for working cooperatively to benefit local food pantries, as well as communications and posts for building consumer awareness for the week-long celebration. To assist Farmers Market Managers with preparing for the event, the toolkit contains lists of emergency food programs in their area that Managers can contact for participating in the food drive and having a presence at the market that week. For food pantries, the toolkit contains details on participating in a farmers market and suggestions for communicating with the market, as well as their clientele. The toolkit will also contain signage and social media template material for both the farmers market and food pantry to use for promoting the weeklong Give Back NY celebration.
GOALS: to help alleviate hunger in our communities, inspire awareness in each community of local pantries and the work they do, and help develop a lasting partnership between markets, farmers and food programs that serve local families. Ultimately, we hope that Give Back NY will help launch a “give back” that keeps on giving.
Below you will find a toolkit to help you implement Give Back NY in your farmers market. We have contacted New York Food Banks who are enthusiastically promoting the Give Back project and informing the food programs in their service areas. Now it is up to you to reach out to those programs in your community and invite them to participate in your market during Farmers Market Week.
The guidance provided will help you work through your part in this celebratory event. You will find a spreadsheet of emergency food programs /pantries with their addresses and contacts from which you can identify those in your market area to partner with. In addition, the toolkit provides a series of social media posts, signage and a press release to help you promote Farmers Market Week and Give Back NY to your community and customers.
We wish you all a successful and safe farmers market season and a very Happy Farmers Market Week!
Toolkit
FILES
Press Release
Guidance for Farmers Markets
Guidance for Food Pantries and Emergency Feeding Programs
Listings of Food Pantries and Emergency Feeding Programs
Listings of Farmers Markets
Communication Pieces:
Social Media Graphics Kit
Flyers