BY RYAN KRUGMAN
GardenShare

As the vibrant colors of spring transition to the bountiful flavors of summer, get ready to welcome new fruits and vegetables to your local farmers market! GardenShare and local farmers will be welcoming summer produce at the opening of the summer farmers markets in Gouverneur on June 22, Canton on June 23, and Potsdam on the 24th.

At each opening day event there will be kid friendly entertainment events, including sidewalk chalk drawing and a story walk of “The Old Truck,” by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphery, highlighting the importance of diversity and determination in our agricultural industry.

Educational aspects will be run by GardenShare’s summer intern through No Kid Hungry, Claire Murphy. Claire will help customers explore the use and benefits of SNAP/EBT tokens at farmers markets and the importance of “Eating With The Seasons” by calling attention to various summertime produce, flavors, and recipes.

As always at the farmers markets, there will be produce and craft vendors. Some fresh summer produce to look out for on opening day includes carrots, peas, and strawberries. There will also be meat, eggs, and baked goods. Craft vendors include soaps, quilts, and more. As always, day vendors or non-profits interested in having a table at any of the markets are welcome to reach out to GardenShare at farmersmarkets@gardenshare.org.

We encourage everyone to come out to the opening of the summer farmers markets to support local producers and participate in our free family friendly activities! Help us instill the love of shopping at farmers markets to our future generations.

Follow Canton, Gouverneur, and Potsdam’s farmers market Facebook pages to stay updated on the opening of summer farmers market events. To learn more about where to shop locally for food and about food incentive options please visit GardenShare.org.