ABOUT US
The mission of Cedarmore Farmer’s Market is to increase the availability and consumption of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables. We strive to build a marketplace that fosters social gathering, community building and promote healthy food choices.
In addition, we seek to narrow the information and opportunity gap that exists. Our goal is to level the playing field by providing entrepreneurial and “Work Readiness” training while employing youth residing in under-resourced communities.
To achieve our mission, Cedarmore Farmers’ Market engages in 3 youth-led initiatives: The Farmers Markets, the Seed-to-Table Community Garden and a Mobile Market for seniors. These programs help to fill an important void in the availability of fresh, healthy food options for the residents of Freeport and the neighboring communities. Community bonds are strengthened through the community garden and provide a hands-on experience for school-age children teaching them about agriculture as well as healthy eating. Inter-generational exchange and understanding are promoted with the Senior Mobile Market Program.
Cedarmore Farmers’ Market participates in the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and accept EBT (food stamps to help serve low income families in the community.
Launched in 2012, Cedarmore Farmers’ Market is modeled after the success of the youth market program of Grow NYC and operated in partnership with Sustainable Long Island. The uniqueness of our program is the intersection of the Farmers’ Market with the Young Entrepreneurs’ Training Program where local high school students learn real life workforce and entrepreneurial skills while also earning an hourly wage.
The Cedarmore Difference
The Freeport Farmers Market is the only youth-staffed market that provides job opportunity and entrepreneurial training to youth at a three-week full-day program. While in training program youth will create/modify a business plan for the market and build their business (the market) based on their business plan throughout the seventeen weeks of operation. The training program also teaches the staff financial literacy.
Cedarmore Farmers’ Market is the only youth-staffed market that also has a “Seed to Table” garden program that provides elementary and secondary school students, hands-on training in agriculture.
The Freeport Farmers Market’s out of the box thinking developed and implemented the first youth-staffed Mobile Market for seniors. This intergenerational program reaches those senior who are less mobile and physically unable to get to a market location -- taking the market to where it's needed most in the community.
Farmers Market
Cedermore Farmers’ Market is located on the boarder of Freeport and Baldwin, at the Baldwin LIRR Train Station, on Sunrise Highway, between Milburn Avenue and Brookside Avenue. Cedarmore also operates a Liberty Avenue Market in Freeport New York. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Cedarmore will NOT operate their Liberty Avenue location in 2020.
GOALS
The “Seed to Table Community Garden
The “Seed to Table” Community Garden invite youth ages 8 – 18 to participate.
This outdoor learning laboratory is interactive and fun. As students grow and harvest their produce they learn about nutrition, health, the environment and get exercise. Students also learn about business principles and skills.
GOALS
Mobile Market
In 2014, the Cedarmore Corporation piloted a “Mobile Market” program where the Farmers Market staff host an event at low income senior housing complexes. At the event we sell produce at a very reasonable price, have an age appropriate “Let’s Move” segment, offer health and nutrition related information and cooking demonstrations (done by Cornell Cooperative of Nassau County). Nassau County Office for the Aging administers the FMNP checks at the event to anyone who qualifies.
The New York State Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides checks to low-income, nutritionally at-risk families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Senior Nutrition Programs. The checks are redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers' markets. The purpose of the program is to promote improved nutrition through increased consumption of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Cedarmore Corporation is a community based 501(c) 3 organization, founded in by Bishop Frank O. White in 1996, that provides comprehensive programs and services to underserved youth and their families. Cedarmore's mission is to form a cooperative of quality programs to improve the educational, social and emotional development of youth representing a diverse population of families from Nassau and Suffolk counties. The organization strives to educate, engage and, empower others in order to sustain our neighborhoods to make them a safer and healthier place to live and thrive.
Programs include After-school Enrichment, Ready, Set, kNOw, Big Brothers Basketball /Readers Become Leaders, Young Entrepreneurs Training Program, the Freeport Farmers Market, now known as the Cedarmore Farmers’ Market and The “Seed to Table” Community Garden. We also host The Youth Empowerment Series: Girlz Talk and Boyz N2 Men.