Weekly Market Provides Fresh Food, Flowers, Wine and More from June to October
Malta town officials, local farmers, and community members celebrated the grand opening of the Malta Farmers’ Market on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 5, on the lawn between the Malta Community Center and Just Meat & Deli on Route 9. The market opened from 3-6 p.m. Town of Malta Supervisor Paul Sausville and other officials offered remarks at a 4:30 p.m. ribbon-cutting.
The market includes roughly 20 vendors in June, expanding to 27 vendors as the summer progresses and crops come into season. Items available at the Malta Farmers’ Market include vegetables, fruit, baked goods, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt, flowers and plants, wine, gift items, and more.
“Malta has been striving to be friendly to our farmers, and our families. The new Malta Farmers Market will benefit both groups and be a tremendous new asset in our downtown neighborhood,” said Paul Sausville, Town of Malta Supervisor. “A new farmers’ market has been discussed for several years by the town and we are excited to see this effort moving forward.”
“The growth in Malta over the past several years, coupled with the increased desire by consumers to buy fresh, straight-from-the-farm products, were key factors in deciding to add this market location to serve our regional customers,” stated Jeffrey Bowers, President of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association, which administers the Malta market. “We intend to have this location between the Community Center and Just Meat & Deli serve as a fun community gathering spot on Tuesday afternoons.”
“Malta adopted an Agricultural Viability Plan in 2009 that identified the reestablishment of a Malta Farmers’ Market as a priority for the community,” remarked David Haight, Chair of the Town of Malta’s Open Space, Agricultural and Trails Committee. “This new market is another step forward in Malta’s efforts to keep people farming and protect farmland and open space in the community.”
Convenient Free Parking at Malta Community Center
Free parking is available in the Community Center parking lots at 1 Bayberry Drive; parking is prohibited on Route 9. The market will operate every Tuesday from June 5 through October 30.
Collaborative Community Effort Leads to Malta Farmers’ Market
The new Malta Farmers’ Market has been planned by community officials for several months, with cooperative efforts between the Town Supervisor’s office, the Office of Parks & Recreation, and the Malta Open Space, Agricultural and Trails Committee.
Producer-Only Market Means Products are Local
The Malta Farmers’ Market is managed by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association, which runs local “producer-only” markets. This standard requires all vendors to grow or produce their goods in Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, or Washington counties and ensures that products are fresh and unique, not purchased for re-sale. In this way, sales provide economic, ecological, and social support to local communities.
Other Saratoga County markets operated by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association include Saratoga Farmers’ Market at High Rock Park (Wednesdays from 3‐6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through October); and a market in Clifton Park at St. George’s Episcopal Church at 912 Route 146 (Thursdays from 2-5 p.m., beginning June 28 through end of October).