In response to the ardent support for local food in northern Westchester County, Community Markets is currently running a new outdoor Croton-on-Hudson Winter Farmers Market. The market will opened on Saturday, January 7th. Just like the food producers who work in partnership with Mother Nature, so the market will run every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9am-1pm through May 19th. The new venue will be an essential winter resource for locavores from the Pleasantville/Briarcliff area to the county’s northern river towns.
The vendors at the 2012 Croton-on-Hudson Winter Farmers Market have increased since opening day and now include 15 vendors: Amazing Real Live Food Company, Baked by Susan, Bobolink Dairy, Bombay Emerald Chutney, Bread Alone, Coach Farms, Cowberry Crossing, Dutch Desserts, Feather Ridge Farm, Flour City Pasta, Gajeski Produce, Kiernan Farm, Meredith’s Bread, Migliorelli Farm, Newgate Farms, Pikle Licious, Pika's Farm Table, Pura-Vida Fisheries, Tierra Farm and Wiltbank Farm.
“We’re excited for this market,” said Thelma Kiernan, co-founder of Kiernan Farms, a purveyor of grass-fed beef and farm-raised pork from Gardiner, NY, “We want to keep our customers supplied all year long.”
The new location meets an enthusiastic host community. According to Leo Wiegman, Mayor of the Village of Croton, “The summer farmers market has been a big hit. We also started a community garden in the summer; the Village strongly supports local food. Now with the winter market, we have local food options in every season.”
The first market week farmer Brian Gajeski of Gajeski Produce in Riverhead, NY, harvested the last of his broccoli and cauliflower in time for opening day. “We just cut them fresh from the field,” he said, “We also have 20,000 square feet of greenhouses. This winter I’ll have kale, brussels sprouts, baby arugula and other produce -- that’s in addition to our cold storage crops like potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.”
For Miriam Haas, founder of Community Markets, the outdoor site serves one of the top benefits of farmers markets: connecting with nature’s varying seasons. “If you’re into the local food movement, you’re probably someone who likes change. We sell the freshest varieties of produce that thrive in this region, season-by-season,” she explained.
Who: Croton-on-Hudson Winter Farmers Market hosted by Community Markets
What: The market has a new home
When: Every Saturday from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Van Wyck Shopping Plaza II, 44 Maple St
In 2012, Community Markets celebrates our 21st year of creating marketplaces where neighbors come together to be entertained, relax, and engage with local food. Our winter season started on 1/07/12 with markets in Westchester & NYC. For more information visit: www.communitymarkets.biz or contact Frankie Rowland: frowland@communitymarkets.biz or (914) 923-4837.
