Otsego 2000 awarded $49K grant for Cooperstown Farmers’ Market
[Cooperstown, NY August 25, 2025] The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, a program of Otsego 2000, was awarded $49,339 in the latest round of the New York State Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program.
“This grant will enable us to invest in the continued success of the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market,” said Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000, which founded the Farmers’ Market in 1991. “We will be able to raise both overall visitation and the use of SNAP and other food access initiatives at the Farmers’ Market.
“It’s a great opportunity to spruce up the 34-year old market and make it even more inviting for our wonderful customers for years to come,” said Alex Webster, Otsego 2000’s farmers’ market manager. He said facility and design upgrades include farm-themed murals.
“We are an important third space in the community, where people can relax and connect,” said Pope. “All of our vendors are within 50 miles of Cooperstown, and grow, raise, create and make all the food and goods they offer. The Market plays a key role in the local economy while providing people with healthy local food.” She said that the grant will be implemented by the Otsego 2000 team which in addition to her and Webster, includes Jennifer Armstrong, finance and operations manager; and Peg Odell, program and communications manager.
The Market links local farmers, makers and artisans with people looking for fresh local food and locally made goods. The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market’s indoor space enables it to operate year-round, with 51 Saturday Markets, 13 Summer Tuesday Markets, and a Holiday Evening Market in December. The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is open year-round on Saturdays, 9 am to 2 pm and also on Summer Tuesdays through September 30, from 12 pm to 4 pm.
The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market welcomes customers shopping with SNAP, and through two matching programs, from the Cooperstown Lions Club and Double Up Food Bucks, a $20 SNAP spend results in $60 worth of local food. The Market also partners with the Cooperstown Food Pantry to provide their clients with fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers.
The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market has a roster of 45 farmers, artisans, makers, bakers, chefs, and growers and include: Alex’s World Picnic, Andy’s Edible Gardens, Arabeth Farm, Ariginal Art, ARK Floral, Art Farm Flowers, Baskets by SusanDee, Bison Island Ranch, Black Willow Pond Farm, Byebrook Farm, Chatty Wren Coffee Roasters, Chloe’s Bakeshop, Cooperstown Maple Works, Crystal’s Customs, Empire Natural Foods, Gaia’s Breath Farm, Girasole Farm, Healing Crystals, Heller’s Farm, Horned Dorset Inn, Italian Cookie Home, L’ouvriere Candle Studio, Laura’s Chocolates, Leatherstocking Exotics, Lost Valley Farmhouse, Middlefield Orchard, Mill Hollow Maple, Mimikis Fibers, MKO Creations, Mountain View Dairy, Nectar Hills Farm, Pail Shop Vineyards, Painted Goat Farm, RevSpirits, Rock Hill Farm, Sasha Glinski Studio, SkinBiome, Straight from the Hive, Tech Tamer Woodworks, Terracotta Republic, Traveling Herb Farmer, Weinert’s Elk Creek Farm, Wild Pines Pumpkin Patch and Gardens, Wildwoods Woodturning, and Windfall Designs.
For more information, see www.cooperstownfarmersmarket.org.
The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market is one of 25 across New York State to receive funding.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said, “This program ensures our markets reach more consumers in new, innovative ways, build greater bonds between farmers and their customers, and get more local New York foods onto tables across the state, especially in our underserved communities through critical services like SNAP. I congratulate all the awardees of this program and look forward to seeing all the great work they will do with this funding in the years to come.”
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The growth in the use of SNAP at farmers’ markets under Governor Hochul’s leadership has benefited low-income families, farmers, and communities across the state. These grants will strengthen local farmers’ markets, preserving and expanding access to fresh, affordable, New York-grown food while helping to address hunger and food insecurity. We are grateful for Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to building a resilient food supply chain while focusing on the needs of SNAP recipients who count on this assistance to put healthy food on the table for themselves and their families.”
Farmers’ Market Federation of New York Executive Director Jack Riffle said, “Congratulations to the recipients of the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program! New York continues to show its commitment to strengthening local food systems by investing in farmers' markets around the State. Investments like this have meaningful impacts beyond the organizations receiving funding. So hooray to the organizations receiving this support—your projects will help the bottom line for your vendors and improve the quality of life in your communities. I look forward to seeing how the funded projects might offer inspiration to other markets around the State.”
Otsego 2000 is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1981 to ensure the Otsego Lake region remains a masterpiece of nature by protecting and supporting its environmental, scenic, cultural, historic, and agricultural resources and its economic well-being. Otsego 2000 accomplishes its mission through programs like the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Otsego Outdoors, Glimmerglass Film Days, historic preservation initiatives, and environmental stewardship.