Otsego 2000 is offering a free Historic Window Restoration and Repair Workshop during the OCCA Earth Festival at Milford Central School on Saturday, April 20. Featuring James Richardson of Richardson Window Works, this hands-on workshop will be held from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

“Otsego 2000 Presents” is a dynamic video discussion series hosted by Chris Carr and made possible through a Creatives Rebuild NY Teaching Artist collaboration.

Otsego 2000 works to make sure we thrive

The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is seeking vendors for the May 2024-April 2025 season.

Otsego 2000 is hosting a community fundraiser for the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market on February 4. A dozen chefs will be making gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, and dessert. The event, held during Cooperstown Winter Carnival, sold out in 2023, so get your tickets today.

The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, a program of Otsego 2000, will have a special Holiday Market on Tuesday, December 19 from 3 pm – 7 pm. In addition, many Cooperstown retailers will have extended hours that evening to accommodate holiday shoppers.

Vendors featured at the December 19 Farmers’ Market include: Black Willow Pond Farm, Wildwood Woodturning, Girasole Farm, Straight from the Hive, Mountain View Dairy, Sasha Glinski Studio, ARK Floral, Laura’s Chocolates, Tech Tamer Woodworks, Nectar Hills Farm, Empire Natural Foods, Crystal’s Customs, Mimikis Wooly Bears, Dutchayr Fibers, Arabeth Farm, Elk Creek Farm, Traveling Herb Farmer, Chatty Wren Coffee Roasters, Mill Hollow Maple, Middlefield Orchard, Rock Hill Farm, Terracotta Republic, and Origins Café. Dave and Pam Tisch will perform on the Market Stage. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make an appearance after 5 pm, after receiving guests at their cottage in Pioneer Park from 3pm-5pm. The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, which is located at 101 Main Street in Pioneer Alley in Cooperstown, also is open every Saturday in December, 9 am – 2 pm.

Local Foods Local Spirits is back! Join us Sunday, October 15 for this popular Otsego 2000 fundraiser showcases the bounty of the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market and the talent of area chefs. Enjoy sweet and savory tapas-style tasting bites, music from Fast Friends, local beer, wine, cider and spirits. All proceeds benefit the year-round Cooperstown Farmers’ Market.

Peaches now available at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, which is open twice a week, year-round on Saturdays, plus Summer Tuesdays, July 4 - September 26.

The Otsego 2000 Historic Preservation Series begins June 14 with a talk “All the Colors of the Rainbow: Deciphering Historic Paint Colors” by Dr. Cindy Falk. Free, light refreshments will be served. Register in advance online or by calling 607/547-8881.

To mark National Historic Preservation Month, Otsego 2000 will host the “Ask an Old House Expert” resource table at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 13 from 10 am to noon. Bring your photos and Dr. Cindy Falk, a professor of material culture at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, will answer questions, ranging from the style of architecture and historical context to resources for more information. As an adviser to Otsego 2000, Dr. Falk has led numerous walks about local architecture and history, and more are planned for this summer.

Beginning May 6, the year-round Cooperstown Farmers’ Market will open an hour earlier, 9 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. These expanded hours will continue through December. The Market’s 40 farmers, food producers and artisans are located within 50 miles of Cooperstown. New to the Saturday Market are Uncommon Kin Cidery, which makes heritage hard ciders with heirloom apple varietals, and WW Guiding Services, which creates hand-tied flies for fly fishing.

The Market also will feature live music performances, starting with singer/songwriter Louis "Blue Water" Watterson, who will perform on the Market stage 10 am – noon on May 6.

Even more compelling, in our opinion, than the impact on the landscape is the issue of justice. New York State has instituted policy and passed well-intentioned legislation to expand the production of solar and wind energy. But the implementation of this policy has been expeditious rather than thoughtful. The decisions as to where to site these projects have been left to a newly created Office of Renewable Energy Siting, which in turn has employed developers to “help” them with the process. While lip service has been paid to involving the communities which will be impacted by the development, this involvement comes late in the process and the communities have no power to veto the decision of ORES.

The concept of “home rule” has been suspended for renewable energy development projects. Protect Columbia has argued that viable farmland will be taken out of service, food production will be threatened, wildlife habitat will be constricted, property values will diminish, and the tourism industry and economic viability of the region will be threatened. These are not NIMBY arguments. But in the end, they could be completely rejected in favor of the developers. This is not justice.

Applications are now being accepted for vendors interested in becoming a part of the year-round Cooperstown Farmers’ Market.

As Lee Ann and Rick Myers of Oneonta completed the Otsego Outdoors Fall Octet Challenge, it marked the 5000th trek Octet participants have completed. A collaborative program of Otsego 2000, the Otsego Land Trust and Otsego County Conservation Association, Otsego Outdoors connects residents and visitors with year-round recreational opportunities in and near Otsego County.

“As a result of our participation in the Fall Octet, we have added some hikes to our family favorites for sure - Texas School House State Forest and Forest of the Dozen Dads are among them. Otsego County and New York State have so much to offer,” said Rick Myers, who said he and his wife Lee Ann were accompanied on several hikes with their children and grandchildren. “It’s a wonderful way to spend quality family time together.”

Join in the Hardy Locavore Challenge and support local farmers, artisans and makers.

Take part in the new Winter Octet Challenge from Otsego Outdoors and earn a patch.