Morelle News Header
Expanding Access to the Rochester Public Market
NYS Dept of Ag & Markets Announces Major Investments in Regional Farmers' Markets

Rochester Mayor and Lieutenant Governor-elect Robert J. Duffy and I hosted New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker to unveil major new funding for our area's agricultural institutions, including $2 million for the Rochester Public Market.

 

Today's announcement stems from a reform measure brokered within this year's state budget by the Legislature, the Department of Agriculture and Markets (Ag & Markets) and the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority (GVRMA) in Henrietta. The GVRMA avoided abolishment by agreeing to make changes to its management structure and allow redistribution of its considerable fund surpluses.

 

Of the $3 million made available for the Rochester region, $2 million has been dedicated to the Public Market and $250,000 to expand a winter farm market in the Town of Brighton that is operated in conjunction with the South Wedge Farmers' Market. The remaining $750,000 of the original funding will be distributed to farm market projects throughout the nine-county GVRMA District.

 

The compromise we reached last spring not only preserved the Regional Market and the thousands of jobs that depend on it, it also created new opportunities to grow and strengthen the organization that supports our area's growers. Today we're seeing the first fruits of that effort, but certainly not the last. I want to thank the management team at the Regional Market and Commissioner Hooker for their great dedication in making this possible.

 

The Rochester Public Market is so popular it was recently named America's Favorite Market and this funding will allow it to expand parking and pedestrian access with infrastructure improvements that will also directly benefit the surrounding neighborhoods.  

 

At a recent GVRMA quarterly board meeting, several other organizations were identified as eligible recipients for the next round of funding, including the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, Cornell's New York State Experiment Station in Geneva, area Cornell Cooperative Extensions and the Urban Agricultural Initiative in Rochester.

 

In light of the state's fiscal condition and the hard economic times facing farmers and all of upstate New York, this is a rare opportunity to maintain and strengthen a broad variety of agencies for the benefit of our entire region.

 

This compromise should be used as a model of collaboration among various levels of government to reform and improve operations in a way that results in more transparency and offers direct support for local services.

 

Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle represents the 132nd Assembly District, which includes portions of the city of Rochester and the Monroe County suburbs of Irondequoit and Brighton. He is Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and also serves on the Rules, Ways & Means, Economic Development and Higher Education committees.
 
Find me on Facebook 
 
NYS Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle
Irondequoit District Office
1945 East Ridge Rd, Rochester 14622
585-467-0410, Fax: 585-467-5342
NYS Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle
Albany Legislative Office
716 Legislative Office Bldg, 12248
518-455-5373, Fax: 518-455-5647