Congratulations to the Long Island Growers Market! We asked the market originator, Ethel Terry, to tell us a bit about the market.
“The Long Island Growers Market started 30 years ago on Long Island New York out of a need to keep our family farm in operation since it began 400 years ago! Farmers’ markets are a wonderful way to keep farmers farming and small businesses alive. It also helps the customers know exactly where their food is coming from which is so important nowadays. Our vendors are only allowed to sell what they actually make, bake, grow or catch… which is very important to our customers. It is just as important for our customers to ask the vendors questions about their products and for our vendors to get feedback from their customers.
In the many years I have been running farmers’ markets on Long Island I have seen hundreds of vendors that have participated in our markets grow into their own privately owned stores and have had their brands picked up by large supermarkets. Farmers markets are a wonderful way to start a small business and it is very rewarding for me to see your vendors succeed. Right now, the Long Island Growers Market runs six farmers markets on Long Island. We have approximately 70 vendors that participate in the different locations weekly.
Our markets consist of farmers, fishermen, artisan bakeries, and much more. I always like to say that farmers and fisherman feed America and it is important to keep this industry alive which farmers markets consistently do.”
