Phelps, Mt. Pleasant Partner on New Farmers Market
Phelps Memorial Hospital wants to promote healthy living and the Town of Mount Pleasant is providing a town-owned venue to assist the hospital in its mission.
Phelps and town officials have entered into an agreement to allow the market to operate at the Rockwell Hall parking area just north of the hospital at the end of Route 117. The weekly market launched last Thursday, June 21.
Although it opened last week, the Mount Pleasant Town Board will officially give Supervisor Joan Maybury the authorization to sign the license agreement to allow the hospital to use the 19-space parking lot. The market, which is selling local produce and farm products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheeses, meats, baked goods, sandwiches and salads, will be conducted every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through November.
The operator is Pascale Le Draoulec of Hastings, a food writer and author who runs farmers markets in Chappaqua, Hastings and Irvington.
“There are a few other hospitals in the country that have taken this step, but none that we know of in our immediate area,” said Phelps Senior Vice President Daniel Blum, the prime mover behind bringing the market to Sleepy Hollow. “As the market develops we plan to include health promotional information and health screenings. We established this seasonal market on Thursday afternoons so we would not compete directly with other local markets, which are held on different days of the week.”
Blum said Phelps will continue to promote other local markets and hope to collaborate with other community groups at the hospital’s market.
Phelps has been sponsoring the entertainment portion of the Saturday Pleasantville Farmers Market since it opened last month. With the addition of the Phelps market, the local farmers market scene has become a little more crowded. Along with Pleasantville, Chappaqua and Mount Kisco also run Saturday markets.
During the June 19 town board work session, Maybury said Phelps representatives originally wanted to hold the farmers’ market on its grounds but is prohibited from doing so under current zoning within Sleepy Hollow. Blum said the hospital is working with the village in hopes of amending the zoning and to eventually move the market onto hospital property.
The new market received the support of the Mount Pleasant Town Board last week.
“It sounds like a benefit to the community,” Councilman Mark Rubeo said last week.
Free parking is available in the nearby Phelps parking garage, located at 701 N. Broadway.
