Foodlink held its inaugural Fall Festival at the Lexington Ave. Community Farm on Saturday, October 22. Assemblywoman Sarah Clark (D-Rochester) joined representatives from Foodlink and community members to present $150,000 in funding for an education center inside the building adjacent to the Lexington Community Farm.
Assemblywoman Clark said, “Urban farms and community gardens are a critical way of addressing food deserts and accessibility issues for our city families, while simultaneously building community in our neighborhoods. As one of the largest urban agricultural sites in the region, Foodlink’s Lexington Avenue Community Farm is a NW neighborhood treasure, and I am proud to provide support from the state for its expansion. What better way to ensure growth and engagement for generations to come than by building an education center to provide learning opportunities and training programs for everyone. Thank you to Foodlink and the many volunteers and community members who help ensure this farm is thriving and nourishing Rochester families and neighbors.”
“This funding marks a critical step forward for our Foodlink Community Farm as we increase our footprint on Lexington Avenue and bolster our commitment to urban agriculture and community health education,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “Purchasing and renovating the building adjacent to our farm provides us with much-needed infrastructure improvements to expand programming, and we’re eager to work alongside community members to help design and define this new space. We are grateful for the support of Assemblymember Clark to help bring this project to fruition.”
Foodlink’s first Fall Festival was a huge success! Nearly 100 community members came out for free pumpkins, cider, donuts, face painting, cooking demos, games and so much more. This successful festival was supported our co-sponsors, Lyell Otis Community Association (LOCA) and the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, we are grateful for the partnership in making this event happen.
Lastly, without the planning, coordinating and executing of the event, none of it would have been possible without the hard work from Foodlink’s Community Health team. Thank you to those who came out to enjoy the beautiful weather and the Fall Festival, we look forward to another Fall Festival next year!
