Beth Irons, Market Manager
Beth was born in Newfoundland, Canada & raised in upstate, NY. She graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BS in Zoology and spent 30+ years in professional animal care. Beth was hired as the Market Manager for the Oneida County Public Market in March 2012 & takes great pride in the ways the market combats food insecurity by managing the County’s first year-round farmer’s market! As of July 2019, the Public Market became a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County in the Agricultural Economic Development Department, positioning it to continue to grow & achieve sustainability by adding new activities for consumers, & new opportunities for participating vendors. Management focus is on creating a clean, safe, family friendly environment for vendors to set up shop & consumers to come, shop & support local farmers & artisans. When not at the market, you can find Beth bundled up next to a fire enjoying the great outdoors with her loved ones.
“I take a great deal of pride in helping to create a positive atmosphere at the REA wing each Saturday morning that includes local and regional farmers and producers providing the best they have to offer to our consumers in the immediate neighborhood and surrounding communities. We continue to strive to be inclusive with the diversity populations that are part of the fabric of Utica, and to the traveling public that utilize Union Station for their travels throughout the state. We work very hard to send them on their way with great food in their bags and tasty bites for them to enjoy along the way.” -Beth Irons
Olivia Raynard, Online Sales Coordinator
Olivia was born in Rochester, NY, but raised here in Oneida County. She earned her BA in Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University in 2019 & joined the market team in October 2021 as the Online Sales Coordinator. Previous to joining the market, Olivia has worked in the restaurant industry for over 9 years, worked on a handful of small-scale vegetable farms, & spent some time working in childcare. Olivia’s primary role at the market was to create & now maintain the OCPM E-commerce site. The goal of the site is to make supporting local easier for our customers & help our vendors reach a different customer base. While attending university, she lived on the Sustainability Farm for two years which ignited her passion for strengthening the local food system & educating others on how they too can support local. Olivia is currently in the process of becoming certified as a Master Food Preserver so she can begin to share her knowledge of how to use & preserve fresh produce with our community through workshops! When Olivia is not at the market you can find her working as a Server at The Tailor & The Cook Restaurant in Utica, as well as gardening & baking at home.
“Without the Oneida County Public Market, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities to connect with our local vendors & witness the care & passion that goes into making the products they sell each week. We have some really talented farmers & artisans in Oneida County, & I am grateful I get to work with them on weekly basis. I’m also grateful for the ways I get to connect with & educate consumers who come to the market. I love when customers stop by to ask me questions about their gardens & how to properly store, use, or preserve the fresh produce they find at the market. I’m looking forward to continuing to form these connections with my local community through the OCPM on Saturdays!” -Olivia Raynard
Marty Broccoli, Ag Economic Development Specialist
Marty has been a part of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County since June 2000. He is responsible for the Agriculture Economic Development Program at CCE. Early in his career before joining CCE, Marty handled consultant outreach for meat processing projects throughout New York State on behalf of the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Business at Utica College, an Assistant Professor of Agriculture Business and Meat Technology Program Director at SUNY Cobleskill, and still is an Adjunct Instructor of Business at Mohawk Valley Community College. Marty is currently serving on the following boards: Oneida County Farmland Protection Board, Central NY Regional Market Authority, Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Vernon Verona Sherrill Schools Ag. Advisory Board, Mohawk Valley Farm to School Advisory Board. Marty loves to help local producers make connections that aid in growing their businesses and direct them to find new sales avenues for their products. Marty has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is vital to the operations of the OCPM!