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Making the Market a Community Affair

April 20, 2016 By marketeditor

Anna Mae at Saratoga Farmers' Market
Anna Mae Clark

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Every Saturday at 9 a.m., a bell rings to open the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, a tradition for 38 years.

Shoppers, families and visitors have two more opportunities to visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at its winter location in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Then, on Saturday, May 7, the market officially inaugurates its outdoor season at High Rock Park. The grand opening comes as the market celebrates its past and looks to the future with an even bigger vision of sustaining connections between farmers, food lovers, local businesses, and the Saratoga community.

“The Saratoga Farmers’ Market was founded in 1978 and so much has changed between then and now – from business ethics to how food is grown,” said market administrator Julia Howard. “The market itself is ever-changing as we progress into a time of increased competition and environmental, social, and technological change.”

Howard sees community groups and volunteers as key to helping the Saratoga Farmers’ Market prosper. The volunteer-run Friends of the Market, formed in 2011, has made welcoming new and returning customers and supporting vendors with everything  from restroom breaks to coffee runs its charge. The Friends also operate a free Veggie Valet service, which lets shoppers leave purchases at its tent for pickup later as well as personalized transport to their vehicles.

This year, the Friends are creating weekly food facts, sharing information about the Farmers’ Market with parenting and environmental groups, and helping to run such market activities as the Spring Festival two weeks ago. Look for the singing carrot on May 7 and the Veggie Valet wagons for examples of what the Friends do.

Local farmers formed the Saratoga market with a mission of bringing fresh, farm-raised and locally produced items to residents at an affordable price. They grew not only food but also relationships centered on community support for agriculture in the four-county region from which the market’s fresh goods are grown.

Today, competition from other markets and healthy grocers has made the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s emphasis on local even more vital. For these reasons, the market operates on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. from May through the end of the October as well as Saturdays. While the Saturday market features 59 vendors compared with the Wednesday market’s 24, both markets make fresh food readily available to customers.

Howard compared the experience of shopping at the market to that of a grocery store. “The market is not merely a place to shop,” she said. “It’s a place to get to know local farmers and producers, to know where your food comes from.”

“The atmosphere is lively and festive, the food is freshly harvested, baked, or produced,” she added. “Can it get any better than that?”

The market opens at High Rock Park from 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7.

What’s new this summer:

• Market layout. Vendor stalls will be set up in a single long circle, making it easier for shoppers and others to see who’s selling what where.

• Power of Produce Club. Children will be invited to participate in this new Wednesday activity aimed at learning how to identify, prepare, taste, and learn about locally grown fruits and vegetables through hands on activities, games, and conversations with farmers. Children who participate will receive a POP Buck worth $2 to be spent on the fruit of vegetable of their choice at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

• Debit/credit card use. In addition to token sales, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association is working on a system that will allow customers to make purchases directly from vendors via debit or credit cards. Several vendors already are offering this service.

Last Years

Last Years' Opening Day

Nancy and Jim O

Nancy and Jim O'Brien (circa 1980)

Friends of the Market

Friends of the Market

Ken Clark (circa 1980)

Ken Clark (circa 1980)

Friends of the Market

Friends of the Market

Denison Farm at the Saratoga Farmers

Denison Farm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market

Filed Under: Featured Article, News

Reader Interactions

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Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendo Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendors at today’s market!
Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Grano Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Granola Day. In honor of this, all sales with our friends from @toganola are 10% off this Saturday only! Their granola products are packaged in sustainable packaging and free of gluten, dairy & soy. 

Our winter market runs today from 9:3-1:30 in the Wilton Mall food court. Hope you can make it!

Photo of and provided by @toganola 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #granola #toganola #thingstodoinupstateny #organic #shopsmall #shoplocal #nationalgranoladay
Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today! For every $5 you spend using your SNAP/EBT card at our market, receive $2 in coupons. FreshConnect bucks can be used to buy: vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, honey, baked items, jams, plants that bear food, and prepared foods that are packed to eat at home. Plus, there’s no cap on issuance! Stop by our information stand to learn more. We’ll be open 9:30-1:30 tomorrow. ❄️🌾

#freshconnect #snap #ebt #nutrition #health #agriculture #shoplocal #shopssmall #farmtotable #saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #thingstodoinupstateny @wilton_mall_leasing
Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ ma Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ markets are a great way to start networking and finding your customer base. For 45 years, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has provided a platform for local farmers, artisans, bakers and more build their businesses into what they are today. If you’d like to join our community, please submit your 2023 Summer Vendor application. The link can be found in our bio. Last day to apply is January 31st. DM us here or email me at sfma.manager@gmail.com with any questions!! 

#farmersmarket #startup #smallbusiness #shoplocal #entrepreneur #community #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #growyourbusiness

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