Trumansburg native Cadan Ziemba became this paper's first Resident Accidental Reporter on a simple bet: that a community's stories don't belong only to professional journalists, just to anyone curious enough to ask. Eight issues later, Cadan is stepping aside to pursue his writing career, transferring from TC3 to a four-year college. He didn't just contribute stories — he helped prove that noticing your neighbors is a job anyone can do.
The story doesn't stop with him. Pakiza Aminulakyzy, who's spent the last few weeks shooting video and photos for the paper's Instagram, is stepping up to carry it forward — with a new focus. Where Cadan followed the people, Pakiza will follow the food: farmers, vendors, restaurants, pantries, and everyone in between. This issue's second story lays out why that's the right next question — tracing how Three Stone Farm's potatoes, Six Circles Farm's beef, and Redbyrd Orchard's cider all find their way onto local tables through a web of markets, CSAs, restaurants, and food pantries that all depend on each other.
It's not about money, it's about feeding the community. — Andy Clark of Wixom Farm, on what it means to feed a community
Steady rain thinned the crowds but not the vendors. Cider from forgotten apple trees, a $30 hot dog joke, and a tablecloth stain that "represented the market perfectly."
Read the issue →Behind every Wednesday market sits a Village board, a fundraising Friends group, and a nonprofit fiscal sponsor — and a jewelry vendor who can't unbend a paperclip.
Read the issue →An orange tent hands out $25 in Market Dollars to anyone who asks. A wine tasting with Boland Thomas Vineyards, and a soggy set from Richie Stearns and Friends.
Read the issue →Inside the Library Space's evolution from book cart to craft tent, plus tinsel braiding, herbal tinctures, and a chicken bowl worth standing in line for.
Read the issue →The etymology of midweek motivation, Silo's Telekinetic Chicken, energetic jazz from MSZM, and market regulars Gabby and Hughie making their dog-friendly Wednesday rounds.
Read the issue →The Accidental Reporter launches a new weekly feature — one question, one answer, one story at a time — and formally introduces reporters Cadan and Pakiza.
Read the issue →Margaret Shepard has booked every market musician since 2011. Plus Crosswinds Farm's cow-named cheeses, On The Street Pita's Grateful Dead origins, and the market's first Community Q&A.
Read the issue →Cadan Ziemba passes the torch to Pakiza Aminulakyzy as the paper turns its focus to the community's whole food system — farms, restaurants, CSAs, and pantries alike.
Read the issue →An orange tent by the stone steps hands out no-questions-asked Market Dollars to anyone experiencing economic difficulty — spendable on anything in the market, from produce to soap to a Chicago dog. It runs on donations, and this season's funds are on pace to run out before the market closes on October 28.
More than thirty farms, wineries, food producers, artisans, and local businesses set up under the pavilions each week. Here's who's currently on the roster — find them, follow them, or just go say hi on Wednesday.
Got a question for The Accidental Reporter, a vendor we should meet, or a Wednesday moment worth writing down? This is the tip line. Cadan reads every one.
Story ideas, corrections, and "you should really talk to so-and-so" tips are all welcome — that's how most of these issues started in the first place.
This edition of The Accidental Reporter is made possible with the support of our local community partners.