Yorktown Farmers Unhappy With Planned Farmers' Market

Representatives from local farms are concerns that for later this spring would hurt their businesses. 

"We had no knowledge of this," Scott Woodard of  said at a recent town board meeting. "We've been farming in Yorktown for 40 years and we've been paying taxes. I feel it's unfair to us."

Yorktown supervisor Michel Grace and councilman Terrence Murphy said the intent of the farmers' market was not to put anyone out of business. 

"This is not something the town is necessarily involved with," Grace said and added the idea for the farmers' market came out of a  to promote local farming.

"You guys have been in town for years, no one would ever want to put you out of business," Murphy said. 

Bob Stuart of Stuart's Farm said often the vendors at farmers' markets are not actual farmers, but rather "they go around buying the fruits and vegetables from other farmers."

He said there was no way of enforcing that.

"That is the biggest argument," he said. "How do we know? That's why farmers' markets do hurt local farmers."

Grace said there is enthusiasm to promote the farming industry, both locally and regionally; and bringing a farmers' market into town would create a sense of community and invite the small businesses to participate too. 

"If the intention is to have a farmers market [behind the Yorktown Heights fire department] without supporting any of us, that's kind of undercutting all of us who have been paying taxes for years," said Randy Pratt of .

He said 85 percent of his farm's revenue is generated over 18 days and if the planned farmers' market ran for 28 days, that would negatively impact his business.  

"The idea of this outreach was to recreate the sense of community in this town, to bring the civic organizations together to promote the town, to promote the Yorktown brand," Grace said. "It's the exact opposite of what you think is going to happen."

Grace urged the Yorktown farmers to attend the on March 22 at 7 p.m. at .

The not-for-profit farmers' market is . According to organizers, it's purpose is two-fold: first it will support and donate to local charities. Second, it will unite and educate the community on the benefits of local, seasonal eating, and promote the agricultural history of the region.

To read more about it, .

__

Do you like Patch? "Like" us on Facebook and join the conversation there. Thank you for reading!