Stacey Hannon introduced Linnea Carlson, our speaker for today. Linnea is the director of the Jamestown Public Market since 2018. Linnea is from Frewsburg and received her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia and her master’s degree from Fordham University in Social Work. She reestablished the Dunkirk Salvation Army and food pantry and volunteered in Dunkirk before moving to Jamestown to work for the Downtown Farmer’s Market.
The origin of the Jamestown Public Market dates back to the early 1900s when it occupied the entire corner on Main and Harrison in Brooklyn Square (this author remembers walking with her Grandmother down the huge Glasgow Hill where Jamestown General Hospital was to help carry her packages back to the family home to the top of the hill on William Street). The selection of fruits, vegetables, candy and meats from all ethnic backgrounds was tremendous and mystifying for a young child!
The new market is held on Cherry Street, between 2nd and 3rd Streets every Saturday from 10 til 2 from June to October. It is funded due to the largesse of the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Thrift Shop.
Several new procedures will be followed to keep the community safe such as masks, face coverings, social distancing, and customers will need to assist in bagging their purchases.
Several new procedures will be followed to keep the community safe such as masks, face coverings, social distancing, and customers will need to assist in bagging their purchases.
Last year there were 232 food stamp transactions, $2600 in Double Up Food Bucks transactions, 266+ SPROUTS Children’s’ sales, with 6 seasonal vendors (8 this year), totaling 15 vendors, 12 community composters and over $10,000 in total SNAP, DUFB, Credit and SPROUTS sales.
Each week last year there were community events, that will or will not be taking place due to Covid-19 restrictions. These included outdoor Yoga exercises, 1K Fun Run, and the finger painting and music making led by the Chautauqua County Children’s Coalition.
This year the Jamestown Public Market is listed to receive funds donated during the Give Big CHQ campaign.
All vendors are local, and they produce honey, meat, baked goods, bath and beauty items and accessories. For every $1.00 spent at the market, $2.29 is returned to our community.
The Jamestown Public Market also runs the Jamestown Mobile Market which helps to address the “FOOD DESERT” which included almost all the City of Jamestown from Moon Brook Country Club to Camp Street. Most people in Jamestown live more than one mile from a store and many of those are Senior citizens and those with no vehicle.
On Wednesday of this week the Mobile Market will be at Silver Tree Apts. On Crane St. at 10am, then at 11:30am they will visit Silver Tree on North Main St. and at 1pm they will visit the Chautauqua Center. Anyone is welcome to purchase, not just residents or customers of those locations.
They have an older vehicle that is not very dependable, so times may vary. They load up the truck with fresh produce and set up a pop-up tent at the place they are visiting. They sell produce that amounts to about $1/serving. Some of the produce people have never seen before such as kale, orange tomatoes, and apples that are not red.
Sometimes, when there is time, Cornell Cooperative Extension will engage with community members and present demonstrations on cooking and preserving.
Currently they are participating in the Great Seedling Giveway consisting of herbs and vegetable seedlings located outside of St. Luke’s former Rectory.
All are welcome to purchase from the Market or donate to the Market and its programs by sending a check to St. Luke’s earmarked for the market or donate to Give Big CHQ for the Jamestown Public Market.