Williamsport honors grower Anne Nordell for decades of service to local food

Mayor Slaughter read a proclamation on Dec. 4, 2025 honoring Anne and Eric Nordell for nearly 40 years of farming at Beech Grove Farm and for helping establish and grow the Williamsport Growers Market.

The proclamation credited the Nordells with promoting sustainable agriculture locally and nationally, supporting Penn College collaborations and sponsoring a scholarship, and contributing regular donations to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Anne Nordell accepted the honor and said she was "really very honored and humbled," stressing the importance of local access to high-quality food.

Council members and local figures offered tributes describing the market as a community anchor that draws residents from across the region, and Councilman Randy Allison said the market brings the community together beyond the food itself.

Why it matters: The proclamation recognized long-term local civic and philanthropic contributions to food access, regional partnerships and community life in Williamsport.