Full Germination: Schoharie County Farmers Market to Launch at Cobleskill Fairgrounds Memorial Day
Hey Albany…Schoharie County Farmers Market promises 20 Sundays of fresh veggies, homegrown meats, and artisan goods to help kick off the summer season when it opens Memorial Day at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.
Schoharie County Farmers Market vendor applications are now available online.
Honey and cream sweet corn: 84 days to maturity.
Arkansas Traveler (a tomato; what a great name): 80 days.
Purple Pod Pole Beans: 70 days.
The Schoharie County Farmer’s Market? It depends how you’re counting.
But count on this:
20 Sundays of fresh vegetables, value-added products, prepared foods, and artisan goods when it opens for a Memorial Day through October run inside the Cobleskill Fairgrounds’ Hall of Agriculture.
And if it’s a success, maybe a whole lot more to come..
Honey and maple producer Dean Haskin is helping guide market efforts as a board member.
County Ag Specialist Caroline Myran takes notes at a listening session, one of four used to gather farmer input.
Since the idea of a county-wide farmers market first took root in 2025, a dozen or so growers, farmers, marketers, foragers and, how could they be so lucky? a CPA, have been working to answer questions like where, when, and what.
They knew they needed to do it right and so partners: the County Office of Agricultural Development, Health Department, Cooperative Extension, and SUNY Cobleskill followed up a survey (455 responses from would-be farmers and customers from as far away as the Capital District and the Southern Tier) with four listening sessions, then a call for board members and then in January, after they were seated, a Mission and Vision Statement.
The response to all of it’s been enthusiastic and even a little overwhelming, said County Ag’s Caroline Myran–especially when it came to the board.
“They found us.” No arm-twisting required.
SCCAP Director Jeannette Spauding—also a farmer and board member—speaks to the need for food equity. Non-farmer board members include reps from County Ag, CCE, Public Health, and SUNY Cobleskill.
(Just interviews, there were so many.) “We wanted diverse expertise and we got it. We really covered all the bases and as a non-profit, we know that’s what we need to succeed.”
They include:
Jenni Gallaway (secretary), marketer, Cisive.
Naomi Pickett (chair), owner, Rooted Access LLC.
James Dempsey, (treasurer) farmer, Acres Wild Farm.
Dean Haskin, owner, Mickle Hollow LLC.
David Reardon, owner, Hidden Pond Gardens.
John Lawson (vice chair), local forager for Whole Foods.
Tanya Moyer, farmer, Mulligan Creek Acres.
Becky Leggieri, consultant and volunteer.
Jeannette Spaulding, farmer and Executive Director of SCCAP.
Their mission?
Well, they wrote it: To strengthen our local food system and celebrate agriculture as a cornerstone of our county’s identity and economy.
And the vision? A large-scale, destination farmers market supporting local farmers and artisans, a welcoming place that keeps food dollars local while connecting producers and the people they feed.
Ambitious, but only because it’s something that’s been being talked about for decades.
Myran: “We’re treating it like a start-up business.” With a business plan.
Haskin, a Warnerville beekeeper and maple producer, who’s gotten “very, very picky” about the markets and events he participates in (“Otherwise, I’m just wasting my time”) has been all-in with that since the beginning.
“It’s got to be profitable, well-planned, and well-thought out.”
All points, Myran said, they considered when strategizing for the market.
Though they were this close to a Schoharie location, they didn’t want to compete with nearby markets–and also why they chose Sundays instead of Saturdays; there are other markets then.
For this, the first season, they’ll be in the Fairgrounds’ Hall of Ag–though if an application for a Mohawk Valley/NY Achieve Grant bears fruit (or vegetables or whatever) they could end up with their own building at the Fairgrounds–something that would allow a four-season market.
Not to get ahead of themselves…
Mryan: “We’re starting small,” with another survey planned after the final market to see how well they did.
For this, Year #1, the market will be open 10am-1pm, Sundays, Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Produce will need to be grown on-farm, within a 50-mile radius of Schoharie County with first priority given to local farmers. There are some exceptions; for example, peaches, which don’t grow well here, can be brought in from contiguous states like Pennsylvania.
Artisan goods will be held to the same high standards, Myran said. “You can sell your potholders, but you’ll need to be shearing your sheep for the wool.”
Accessibility will be key–another reason they chose the Fairgrounds, where there’s plenty of parking. And even though the County’s Public Transportation buses don’t run on the weekends, they’re hoping to be able to find drivers to change that.
“There’s a big picture here,” said Public Health Director Nicole Blanchard last summer. “We want to support farmers and reduce the number of food desserts. But there are other things we can do too. We have a long history of taking care of ourselves and each other…” Those other things could include accepting SNAP/EBT, Fresh Connect, and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits.
Also part of that big picture: the anticipated economic payoff the market could mean:
Opportunities for growers.
Affordable, accessible food..
And helping Schoharie County and Cobleskill–after all, we’re just 45 minutes from Albany–become an agritourism destination.
For more info (and an application) go to SchoharieCountyFarmersMarket.com/.
For help on starting or growing any kind of local business, ag included, go to SEECNY.org
