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Health & Fitness

The Ridgewood Farmer's Market Should be Bigger and Better

The Ridgewood Farmer's Market is being kept small on purpose. Shouldn't we, the villagers, be the ones to decide what kind of a market we want?

If you've been reading my posts (thanks!), you all can tell by now how much I love food: talking about it, cooking it, eating it, etc.  

I especially love farmer's markets because they are win-win situations. The farmers get to sell their produce directly to the consumer, bypassing the middle man and keeping more profits for himself. The buyer gets truly wholesome, nutritious food, that's left a much smaller carbon footprint than anything flown, shipped, or trucked from far away. As we used to say in the ad business, leaving the farmer's market is a 'feel good moment.'

When I leave the excellent vendors at the Ridgewood Farm Market, I do feel good, and yet, I also leave with a sense of something missing. An opportunity lost. I think of the fresh markets in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where I lived for eight years. There was produce, yes, and pickles and bread, but there was also fresh fish and organic chicken and cheese and flowers. I could put together an entire dinner party from one visit. It was fun and efficient.

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Which brings me to something I read in The Ridgewood News last weekend. In an article about the market, it was said that other vendors have been trying to get space there, but the people who are running it would prefer to keep it small for two reasons: to not create competition for the established vendors, and to avoid taking away business from merchants in town. I have problems with this policy, beginning with the fact that it's completely illogical.

The two vendors the article mentions as having tried to gain a space at the market were an organic coffee seller, and an artisinal cheese maker. Now, if I'm going to the market, looking for peaches, and I see cheese, I don't abandon the fruit for the dairy. I might buy both. I might leave to get more money if I've only brought enough for peaches. Or I might simply note the cheese vendor and plan on buying some next time I'm there.

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Let's go one better: I walk past the bread stand because I don't need bread, but then I see the cheese, buy some, and head back to the bread stand for a baguette. Now the presence of other types of booths becomes an asset.  

As for the Chamber of Commerce's second reason for not expanding the market, so as not to take business away from town merchants, I will tell you that my sister's farmer's market in Salinas CA, is open year round, and guess where it sets up? The parking lot of Whole Foods. Hmmmm. If a supermarket, that is selling most of what's offered at the farm market, is okay with it, then what merchant in Ridgewood wouldn't be? I would think that we want our Farm Market to be the absolute best it could be. And last time I checked, we live in a capitalist society, right? So that means everyone should get a chance to market their goods and let the best one win!

Right now we definitely have the best produce, pickles, bread, jam, honey and mozzerella, but isn't there room for chicken, fish, or other meats? How about beverages? It would be convenient for the Ridgewood Coffee Co. (so delicious!) to have a stand there.  

I would love to know what some other people think about this whole thing. Maybe I'm in the minority on this and if I am, I'll shut up.  Let me know.

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