Mount Kisco Ready to Welcome Back Farmers’ Market This Sunday
Mount Kisco is planning a test run of monthly farmers’ markets for the remainder of 2021 in hopes of having it become a regular fixture in the village by next year.
The first market will be this Sunday, Aug. 29 at the South Moger municipal parking lot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Nikki Sturomski, a member of the Farmers Market Committee, said between 20 and 30 vendors are expected for the kickoff, which will feature local and regional farms, local businesses who produce their own produce as well as local restaurants.
It won’t just be vendors, who will be selling eggs, meat, produce, bread and olive oil. They will be joined by artisans making jewelry and crafts and musicians. There will also be a children’s table.
Sturomski said the goal is to create an experience not just for shoppers but for the entire community.
“We feel like this is what the collective message from the community is, that everyone meets at the Mount Kisco Farmers Market,” she said. “We’re excited and happy to include local farms and businesses.”
The idea to try a market once again in the village presented itself a few months ago, Sturomski said. The nonprofit organization Women United and Mimi Tesfaye, the owner of Mimi’s Coffeehouse, hosted a sustainability event and the sentiment was that Mount Kisco should have a farmers market, she said.
Along with Marisa De Zego, they formed a committee and took it upon themselves to organize the market and get the village on board. Sturomski said she is hopeful that this time around a farmers market will be part of Mount Kisco for the long run.
“Everyone wants to go green, become sustainable and there’s more of an awareness toward the farmers and small businesses,” she said. “We’re giving them a chance in a platform to be featured and also it’s great education for the community and we’ve got family educational events as well.”
There have been previous farmers’ markets in Mount Kisco but none during the past 15 or 20 years have endured. Previous sites have included the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and in the parking lot at the Boys & Girls Club.
The vendors will be set up along the long side of the parking lot closest to South Moger Avenue from near the gazebo down toward opposite the Charles Schwab building. Vendors will be spread out enough to ensure good flow and leave enough separation so they and the patrons will feel comfortable visiting during the pandemic, Sturomski said.
On Sundays, the South Moger lot is typically at its emptiest, giving market patrons the opportunity to park there and walk to the vendors.
Village officials commended the organizers for trying to bring a farmers market back to Mount Kisco. The monthly markets will be held the final Sunday of each month through December before it is evaluated for next year. Sturomski said they hope they can eventually do a weekly market.
Mayor Gina Picinich said the committee had explored an aisle in the Shoppers Park lot and then she had suggested the lot behind Village Hall before South Moger was agreed to.
“I applaud them for stepping up, and if this is the timeline for when they want to give this a try, I support their efforts,” Picinich said.
Trustee Karen Schleimer, who wondered whether the Sunday before school is scheduled to begin this year is the best time to kick off the market, said she was looking forward to having it operate in the village.
“I think this is a tremendous undertaking,” Schleimer said. “I think the possibilities are exciting. I want them to succeed, so my comments are geared toward making it as successful as possible, more than anything.”
Sturomski said although there are other markets in the area, most of those are on Saturday, so Mount Kisco won’t be competing directly. She is hopeful they can draw on the communities of Bedford, South Salem, Cross River and elsewhere in northern Westchester as well as Mount Kisco.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
