On February 4 of this year Michael Siegel, a local organic farmer and recent transplant to the Ellenville area, received a letter from Mayor Jeff Kaplan asking him to head a committee to create a new, permanent farmers market to be located at the vacant lot at the intersection of Center and Market Street.

The market, which opened on June 10, closed for the season on Sunday with several children's activities including a hay maze, face painting and pumpkin decorating.

The Ellenville Cooperative Nursery sold homemade baked goods while the Ellenville Playground Committee sold pickets for the playground, and had contributors placing their hands in paint before placing it on a picket.

"I've learned a lot about the importance of eating well and eating local," said Iris Friedman, who has worked on the market with Siegel and many other community leaders since March.

Holly Houghtaling, president of the Ellenville-Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce, called the market a "weekly community event," saying, "Besides the nutrient rich foods and healthy products, what I like is it is not just about coming down and shopping. It is about the community togetherness. People come. They chat. They meet. They greet."

Farmer's market committee member Lynne "Asha" Golliher, the Community Relations Coordinator for the Ellenville Public Library and Museum, touted the availability of farm products right in the middle of the village saying, "You don't have to drive out of town to get some of New York State's best bounty."

Mayor Jeff Kaplan called the farmer's market a success, saying it went, "well beyond my expectations of what we were going to get. We started out with crowds of upwards of seven hundred people, and while the crowds started to moderate over the summer and through the fall, the feeling of community that I have got out of this place has just been incredible. On top of that there were some great products here."

Lucas Augustine, who was celebrating his 13th birthday by working the Boy and Girl Scouts table with his family, said he liked that the market was selling organic produce. His sister Rebecca said the best thing about the market was the food, especially "the chocolate cookies."

Some residents in attendance had a less positive view of the market.

Sheldon Lublin of Napanoch called the market a mixed success, saying, "It's designed to benefit the farmers but I don't know how much benefit to the community because the prices are too high, very much higher than Shop Rite. You can get a half a gallon of farm cider at Shop Rite for $1.99, and here [at the market], it is $2.95. Barthel's farm stand is cheaper than here."

Kaplan countered, "My mom came down to the first farmer's market. Saw the prices of the vegetables and said, 'I can get them cheaper at Shop Rite.' And then I didn't see her again. Last week, my mom said, 'Look, while you're down there, could you pick up some corn.' Which I did, and she called me up afterward and said, 'This is the greatest corn I've ever had.' I said, 'Ma, you should have tried the tomatoes!'"

Anthony Zlatkin, co-owner of Valley Mall Wines & Liquors, said, "It's the first year. It's a start. I think it brought a lot of people to Ellenville on Sundays, which we needed, and hopefully next year they will do better. I think it is the best thing to happen in Ellenville in many years."

Marcus Giuliano, owner and chef of Aroma Thyme Bistro, echoed Zlatkin's comments, saying, "I think the farmer's market is a great asset and I think it is going to keep growing and growing. I'd like to see more support from the community, more people buying things and more vendors. The more participation we have and the things we offer, the more of a draw it is."

Kaplan added that he'd like to see "more communication" between booths so that vendors can coordinate efforts and help each other.

Friedman said possible plans for next year's market include, "having more music and children's activities. We are hoping to entice more people to come and shop with a coupon program. But these [ideas] are all in the very rough sketch stages. What we will end up with next June, I guess, you will have to come and see."

The last Ellenville Farmer's Market concluded with the raffling off of pumpkins painted by local artists, which raised $85 for the Ellenville Area Art Alliance.

COMMENTS about this article (10)