Beacon’s Year-Long Farmer’s Market Brings Buyers from Everywhere

On a bitter Sunday in the middle of February, Beacon’s year-round farmers’ market showcased the importance of community. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., people throughout the Hudson Valley travel to Beacon, New York to enjoy the year-round farmer’s market.

Located on Main Street in Beacon, the Beacon Farmers’ Market offers just about everything. Throughout the winter season, the farmer’s market showcases a total of 81 vendors, ranging from fresh produce, textiles, beef and dairy to apothecary, wine, and tulips.

Beacon is one of the few towns in the Hudson Valley that offers a year-round farmer’s market. Rain or shine, freezing or scorching, the Beacon Farmers’ Market is dedicated to “feed and engage the Beacon community, support local farms and businesses, and create a more just food system,” as stated on the Beacon Farmers’ Market homepage.

Amy Bandolik, a culinary curator, is the Beacon Farmers’ Market Manager. Bandolik also owns the Hudson Valley Food & Farms Tour and provides communities with unique experiences, commerce to small farms, and above all, good food. Along with Bandolik, the Beacon Farmers’ Market Committee also helps to organize the market every Sunday. The Market Committee is a group of volunteers dedicated to serving the Beacon customer base through decision-making, planning, and organizing. Common Ground Farm has stewarded the market since 2016, allowing it to develop into a lively and plentiful marketplace.

“Beacon already has a ton to offer, but having something to do every Sunday, no matter the weather, just adds to the town,” says Stephanie Gannon.

Gannon is from Cornwall, New York but travels to Beacon every Sunday to enjoy the market. “It’s my ‘me-time’ of the week. I look forward to it every week,” says Gannon, a mother of three.

Gannon’s favorite aspect of the market is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. As customers walk through the array of businesses, they are greeted with a smile and a “Can I help you with anything?” Another favorite aspect of Gannon’s is the wide variety of vendors.

Vendors include various local farms and businesses dedicated to serving the community with sustainable, affordable, and fresh commodities. One of these vendors is Gnome Apothecary.

Gnome Apothecary is a small, local business located in Kingston, New York. Gnome Apothecary offers herbal supplements that support immune boost, headache relief, emotional and anxiety relief, face and beard oil and much more. Torin Murphy is the founder of Gnome Apothecary and a certified clinical herbalist.

“Helping my community is very important to me as an herbalist and giving people access to what should be the people’s medicine,” says Murphy.

Gnome Apothecary is one of five businesses that support bath, body, and wellness at the market. Other categories of vendors include prepared foods, crafts & textiles, beverages, honey & maple, baked goods & desserts, meat & fish and cheese & fish, fruit, vegetable & flower farms, and specialty foods.

While the Beacon Farmers’ Market serves the community, it also serves the local businesses. Connecting customers with small businesses and enabling these businesses to flourish during the typical off-season allows for the market to be a win-win.

“I think the year-round is beneficial in that it lets people have access…Having things like this helps the community and that we are also the community. We have vendors…Even if it is just economically alone, it puts money into the local economy and local community…It’s going to help all the growers be able to keep their farms running,” says Murphy.