Farmers optimistic about season

The fifth year of the Greenwood Lake farmers market should be a successful one, according to both folklore and the farmers.

Early reporting by participating vendors in the Lakeside Farmers Market calls for a dependable crop of produce, including lettuces, zucchini, asparagus, arugula, kale, and spinach, along with some fruits like strawberries.

Jeff Bialis of J&A Farm in Goshen expects the 1-1 1/2 inches of rainfall that we are again expected to receive in the coming days to be beneficial. “The ground has been dry enough recently to allow it to soak up the precipitation without producing flooding,” he remarked, “ and this helps to keep the vegetables in good shape. We’re also confident that we have passed the potential of late spring frosts which can damage young plants.”

This assessment is backed up by gardening folklore since Mother’s Day tends to coincide with the passing of the last frost for the year. As a result, home gardeners and nurseries use it as a bellwether for determining whether or not to begin planting tender plants and seedlings outdoors, as it signals the beginning of the warmer growing season.

The market is open every Saturday from May 31 through October 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Winstanley Park at 133 Windemere Ave., the main thoroughfare in town and highly visible to the hundreds of cars traveling into Greenwood Lake during the busy lake season. In addition to the offerings of vendors, the market will have entertainment and activities to attract customers. To learn more, click on GWLNY.org.