Our Mission

• Provide fresh, healthy food to students
• Create a link between surrounding agricultural areas and local buisinesses
• To create a vibrant public space for students, staff, and faculty to relax / enjoy themselves

Our Vision

• Create a long-lasting part of the Cornell tradition
• Be an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable student-run project 
• Raise awareness about agricultural and small buisinesses
  Be a community for people to connect about local foods

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Having an on-campus farmers market can completely transform an element of the Cornell experience, providing students with closer ties to Ithaca and with an opportunity to purchase local, fresh foods. Ithaca is surrounded by farms and local foods enthusiasts, named one of America’s Foodiest Towns in 2010 by Bon Appétit, but Cornell students are somewhat disconnected from this movement. Cornell brands itself as the only Ivy with an agriculture school, yet Harvard, Yale and Brown all boast established farmers markets. No fresh foods markets exist in Collegetown, leaving car-less students without adequate access to healthy food. This was addressed in The Cornell Daily Sun opinion piece Call for a Collegetown Grocer.



The convenience and variety of this market can provide a great service to students. Most students do not have cars and thus are left without a way to venture to the Ithaca Farmers’ Market or local foods cooperatives apart from one infrequent TCAT bus. Establishing a farmers market would allow students to interact with local citizens and business owners, which could provide for a stronger relationship between Cornell students and the city of Ithaca. Furthermore, for local farmers, artisans and restaurant owners, this could provide a chance to sell their products to an untapped market: college students. Most importantly, a Farmers’ Market at Cornell provides the opportunity to bridge the gap between farm and fork, encouraging students to think about and value their food.