Olean Area Farmers Market opens for season today | Business

OLEAN — The Olean Area Farmers Market is open Saturday for the first time this season, operating from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the pavilion in Lincoln Park.

Local growers and vendors will set up in the park off South Street each Saturday through October, and market board member John Policastro said everyone is ready and excited for the start of the market season.

“We anticipate having about 18 vendors to start the season, and that number usually grows as we move into the summer months,” he said. “Most of our vendors from last year have returned, but we also have a few new ones right out of the gate for customers to check out.”

Policastro, owner of Flanigan Hill Farm in Hinsdale, said the market begins preparations for the following season almost as soon as their last holiday market ends in December. He said the board meets throughout the winter to review rules and regulations, previous season positives and negatives and make changes to the application for the next season.

“By February we like to get the new application out to existing vendors and begin spreading the word for new vendors,” he explained “In April, we have our annual meeting to elect new board members and provide final details to all of the vendors for the new season.”

The set-up and layout will be similar to last year, Policastro said, noting they try to design it for customers to easily walk the full length of the pavilion and see everything clearly. This year will have plants, veggies, meat, baked goods, honey, jewelry, woodworking, leatherworking, crafts, syrup and a whole range of food items from around our region.

“Chances are we have a local farmer, craftsman or artist with something for everyone,” he added.

Policastro said having a local farmers market is an incredible way for a community to build and invest in itself. Not only does shopping locally help keep money in the community instead of sending it outward to online mega-stores like Amazon, he said, but farmers in particular help create positive production in the land and environment and turn that productivity into healthy, quality food for the people who live and work around us.

“Every vendor at our market plays a role in taking something raw or basic, and turning it into something more complex and finished through their craft,” he said. “Whether that is building nutrients in the soil to produce vibrant, flavorful vegetables; turning a few boards into a hand-crafted artisanal bench; or mixing ingredients into crunchy, delicious cookies, there may be nothing more indicative of the lifeblood of a community than a farmers market where everyone can gather, mingle, shop and build relationships.”

The market has seen incredible growth over the past few seasons with community members spending their SNAP dollars there, Policastro said.

“We know that food produced locally can often be more expensive than items found in big grocery stores, but so many community members have found the healthy, nutritious food grown by our local farmers to be the perfect choice to feed their families,” he said.

Additionally, through programs like FreschConnect, the market is able to double the SNAP dollars customers spend, giving them twice the buying power.

“The ongoing commitment of so many community members to our local farmers and producers at the Olean Area Farmers Market has been overwhelming and speaks about just how awesome our region is,” Policastro added.

If you’d like to apply to be a vendor, or for more information, visit oleanfarmersmarket.com or email farmersmarketofolean@gmail.com.