Weekly Farmer's Market

By Laurie Gordon
A weekly farmers market debuted at The Shoppes at Lafayette on Sunday. Coordinated by Ken Olsen, of Olsen's Honey & Spice and the Shoppe's manager, Patti Singer, the market will be held every Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m, until November.
“Ken reached out to the vendors, and we worked together to get them in,” Singer said. “We have 12 vendors coming weekly, depending on the weather and we will also have a mixed tent featuring products from vendors who ca not be there in person.”
Vendors include: Jersey Pickle (featuring a wide variety of pickles, olives, etc.), Krakus Deli (featuring polish meats, perogies etc.), Churutabis Farms (featuring fresh eggs as well as poultry and pork products), Ghiggeri's Fine Olive Oils and Balsamics, Kariba Farms (featuring dried fruits and vegetables), Arley Farms (selling produce and beef), Savour (featuring a host of baked goods), M.A.C. Gardens (featuring fresh vegetables and greens), Bello Pane (featuring fresh Italian and artisan breads and Italian cheese), Rosie's Empanadas, Olsen's Honey & Spice (featuring honey) and Brooke (featuring fresh flowers and country bouquets). The Mixed Tent will include: Kauffman's Jams & Jellies, Springhouse Cheese and other vendors throughout the year. Safe & Sound Pet Rescue will also have dogs and cats for adoption on certain weeks.
The market's debut featured a visit from the 2019 National Honey Princess, Nicole Medina, who was also the New Jersey Honey Queen. As National Honey Princess she tours the United States with the Honey Queen, making appearances promoting the beekeeping industry via the American Bee Keeping Federation. She is a sophomore at Sussex County Community College and has been keeping bees with her family for five years.
“We were discussing that it was a prime time for the Shoppes at Lafayette to start a market,” Olsen said. “A lot of people were asking for one, and the timing was just right.”
Olsen, who serves as the market manager, said he and Singer hand picked the vendors to ensure that there was a variety.
“I know a lot of vendors because I sell honey elsewhere,” he said. “Vendors who we approached were glad to be a part of this. We made sure we got bread people, meat people, greens people, etc. to have a nice selection.”
Olsen said the first market went very well.
“Traffic is the big thing, and we had good traffic,” he said. “The vendors were happy. People don't so much have to buy, but you want people coming in. It was a very good feeling to be there and some people hadn't realized the village had revamped and reopened, so they got to experience the great job the management has done here first hand for the first time.”