The sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. In Wurtsboro and Delhi, weekly farmers markets are back in season.
At Veterans Park on Sullivan Street, music fills the block as locals settle in with lawn chairs and blankets, listening to different bands at each market. In Delhi, on a Wednesday afternoon, music plays as people sit on the lawn around vendors, eating and enjoying the space.
Both markets feature local vendors and a wide range of products, including produce, pastries, handmade goods and local food. The season in Wurtsboro opened with live music from One Night Only at 6 p.m. on June 11.
Farmers markets like those in Wurtsboro and Delhi encourage communities to come together, shop local and enjoy the warm weather. For many vendors, they also offer a chance to build name recognition and keep customers coming back to support local agriculture through the winter months.
For LJ Philip, who sells produce for North Country Farms in Sullivan County, the market gives his goods a weekly showcase and encourages people to buy directly from local farmers and vendors.
“It’s like a one-stop shop, kind of like how the old ways used to be,” Philip said. “Don’t go to the grocery stores, go to your markets.”
That kind of shopping reconnects people with agriculture in their own community. Unlike supermarkets, farmers market vendors often know exactly where their products come from and can explain how they were grown or made.
Philip explained that aspect matters, since he uses all-natural methods to grow his produce.
Robert Woods, who sells no-bake cheesecake through his business Cheesecake Bob, said the market helps build connections between vendors and the people who attend.
“It’s not the same on your phone,” Woods said. “We need a connection. That’s what we’re missing in our lives.”
For Woods, the market starts with simply showing up. He said the care that goes into each product is part of what makes these markets unique.
“But intention, you know, like my intention in making this food is for everyone to enjoy it.”
For farmer Seth Friedman, the Wednesday market in Delhi gives his mushrooms a unique spotlight. He grows just 10 minutes from Courthouse Square and aims to bring as many mushrooms as possible to his customers.
“Every market, they’re fresh-picked,” Friedman said. “There are varieties that you can’t get everywhere, like maitake, hen of the woods. You won’t find that anywhere, so it’s a specialty you can pick up at the Delhi market.”
That connection also allows Friedman to sell growing kits to customers. He brings his growing methods to kitchen counters, since mushrooms cannot survive in direct sunlight.
Farmers markets also allow growers to share different practices and showcase their skills during the market season. Katie Toker, a regenerative farmer in Delaware County, said she uses that approach to grow produce she can sell.
She also believes these markets are a time when people can come together and grow as a community while supporting local businesses.
“Kids can run around, there’s live music,” Toker said. “Also, there is the traffic of the farmers market, which brings a lot of business to other local shops and restaurants.”
To support these local farmers markets, you can find more information on the Wurtsboro Board of Trade website and the Pure Catskills website.