In 2017, the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market established the Bates-Stewart Award, named to honor Timi Bates and Caroline Stewart founders of the Hillsdale Farmers Market in Hillsdale, New York. This $200 award is intended to support the education and future success of local students who are dedicated to promoting local agriculture, farming, and environmental sustainability. Click here to fill out our 2026 application
Meet Joshua Banyard! Our 2025 recipient of the Bates-Stewart Award. The award was presented at the Taconic Hills 2025 Scholarship & Awards Ceremony on May 30. Joshua will be attending SUNY Cobleskill this fall, an ag-tech college, majoring in diesel technology as an honors student. He already completed the Questar III Boces heavy equipment program, and was inducted this May into the National Technical Honor Society. His goal is to return to our community after college to help area farmers and become a top agriculture mechanic, following in his father’s footsteps. To quote Joshua, “I understand the importance of community and being part of something bigger than myself. Thank you for the chance to help me reach my goals.”
