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BRONXVILLE, N.Y. The locally grown tomatoes are all the rage at the Bronxville Farmers Market. When the local corn comes in, the market nets more than 1,000 people each weekend.
Now in its 11th year, the market, at Stone Place and Paxton Avenue, was one of the first in Westchester County, popping up before buying local became popular. It now boasts 24 vendors local to the Hudson Valley, and brings in produce ranging from berries and apples to carrots, onions and potatoes. The baked goods range from crusty bread and scones to granola and doughnuts. The market is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Nov. 17.
"It's helping the farmers," said Mary Liz Mulligan, founder of the Bronxville Farmers Market. "Our mission is to help the farming industry in New York State and in the Hudson Valley area. Also, it's to give the consumers an excellent product."
Mulligan is the woman behind the farmers market, and also the former executive director of the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce. Mulligan screens each vendor, confirming that some of the ingredients come from the Hudson Valley area. This year, she turned down more than 100 vendors who did not meet the market's standards.
"The point is to buy local everything as much as you can," said Mulligan. "We're helping support the farmers and the economy. Also, you're getting the best quality there is."
And quality means a lot to Mulligan, who said she feels bad when the Bronxville Farmers Market is over and she has to buy lettuce that is shipped from another state from a regular grocery store.
"You're doing better at a farmers market than at a supermarket," she said. "Everything is so fresh. It has just been picked before it comes here. And it lasts."
The produce is better-priced than at a supermarket as it is local, said Mulligan. However, baked goods are slightly more expensive than the typical treats residents might find in stores. Mulligan explained that you pay for the quality of what you buy.
Some of the local vendors that are set to appear are the Hummingbird Ranch from Staatsburg, with honey and maple syrup; Little Croc Bakehouse from Dobbs Ferry, with gluten-free and vegan baked goods; Morgiewicz Produce Inc. from Goshen; Veritas Farms from New Paltz, with meat, eggs and organic vegetables; and the Orchards of Concklin from Pomona, with seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs and nut butters. For a full list of vendors, visit the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce website.
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