Leah de Rosa and Mark Pawliw inside the future home of the Eden Fresh Network food hub
Join Mark Pawliw for a visit to the Central New York Regional Market on a Saturday and you’re going to be there for a while. He knows the market inside-out and has cultivated relationships with many of the farmers and producers who set up shop there each week. “It’s my happy place,’’ Pawliw says.
“He’s like the mayor of the market,’’ adds Leah de Rosa, Pawliw’s partner in a new start-up, the Eden Fresh Network hybrid food hub.
Pawliw’s and de Rosa’s connections extend beyond the weekly market and deep into the food community. The hub will bring under its umbrella a consortium of more than a dozen Central New York farms, including Common Thread Farm, Grindstone Farm, Wyllie Fox Farm, Farm Girl Greens, New York Mushroom Company (Fruit of the Funghi) and others. Its base of operations will be a 6,000-square-foot warehouse space in the former Strathmore Paint Building at 1970 W. Fayette St., on Syracuse’s West Side.
The hub is currently in the funding and development stages. The partners hope to launch it in June, starting with an online farmers market, distribution of locally grown produce to restaurants, and education programs and other events to help consumers learn about where their food comes from. They eventually plan to open for retail business in the neighborhood under-served by fresh food and grocery stores and grow their distribution to include schools and other institutions.
Pawliw (pronounced Paul-Lou) is the founder of Farm to Fork 101, a series of dining experiences designed to connect farmers and consumers, usually over meals at local restaurants and farms. De Rosa’s background is in health care and health care management.
Together, they share a vision of supporting local farms and supplying urban and suburban areas of Central New York with direct access to locally grown and produced foods. They see themselves – and the food hub – as a bridge between farmers and consumers and farmers and restaurants. Their goal is to strengthen the local food system.
They’re asking members of the community for help, in the form of investments starting at $100. Their debt-based crowdfunding campaign through Honeycomb Credit seeks to raise a minimum of $50,000. Funds raised will be used for refrigeration equipment, a refrigerated truck and an Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) machine that will allow them to flash-freeze fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness for off-season use.
The campaign has resulted in investments totaling more than $32,000 so far, with less than two weeks to go. The partners stress that investments are loans that will be paid back at an interest rate of 10% within five years. “I don’t like to ask people for something with no return,’’ Pawliw says. “If we don’t make it to $50,000, we get zero.’’
No investment isn’t without risk, “but we believe this is a risk worth taking,’’ de Rosa adds. “We want to support small farms.’’
The Eden Fresh Network food hub is not affiliated with Eden restaurant in downtown Syracuse. It is a separate business. CLICK HERE for more information.
For more information on investing in the Eden Fresh Network food hub, including a short video, CLICK HERE.
A BUILDING WITH A COLORFUL PAST
The former Strathmore Paints building stands proud at the intersection of West Fayette Street and Erie Boulevard West. It has a rich and colorful history.
The building was erected by the Gere family in 1874 and originally was known as the Gere Block, according to David Haas, creator of the popular Syracuse History account on Instagram (@Syracusehistory). The Erie Canal ran behind the building – you can still see a section of canal wall, shrouded by trees and brush – and it is believed the structure was originally used as a canal warehouse. It later became the home of the Sanford Motor Truck Company, a manufacturer of fire trucks, before eventually becoming the longtime headquarters of Strathmore Paints (1942-2018). Paint color samples and the occasional painter's cap can still be seen inside the building.
The building was sold in 2021 and the new owners plan to renovate it into a mixed-use building with a variety of tenants, according to Scott Dumas of Papyrus Real Estate Solutions, a partner in the project.
The Eden Fresh Network food hub will occupy the first floor. The upper floors will be occupied by a co-working space, a non-profit brain education center and an organization that provides support to people struggling with mental health issues. Dumas also hopes to attract a coffee shop, restaurant and other businesses that synergize with the food hub and its focus on local, sustainable foods.
The former Strathmore Paints building, as seen from Erie Boulevard West
Section of Erie Canal wall behind the former Strathmore Paints building
All photos © Margaret McCormick
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