Let the weekly rumpus begin!

This is the 18th time that I write an “opening day” newsletter. So hard to believe how much this market has grown, evolved, adapted. 

What stays the same is the joy on your faces when you zip past the market tent and into the market plaza, each one of you making a beeline for that one special vendor you always hit up first. Because you really don't want to imagine a week without their yogurt, their fish, their arugula, their smoked duck breast, their ash-covered goat cheese. 

The best part about the season opener newsletter is that we get to tell you about new vendors joining us. 

Vendors like La Milpa de Rosa, a tortillería that makes authentic nixtamal corn tortillas and tortilla chips. They also sell masa for those of you who like to make your own tortillas. They will be coming once a month—so stock up! 

For a long time we were very strict about being a producer-only market meaning vendors had to grow, raise, bake, cook whatever products they sold. No middle-men allowed. But that meant a lot of products couldn’t get to markets because the producers didn't have the bandwidth to leave their farms to staff them. That has been especially true of creameries and dairy farms. And specialty items like local grain, flour and legumes. 

Some of these producers have turned to “logistics” operators to help them get their product to the public, without having to leave the farm when cows need to be milked or butter churned or wheat milled. This week, and every week, please look out for La Roux Trading Co., one such operator, who will be selling both cheeses from Chaseholm Creamery and products from Wild Hive Grain Project. Chaseholm Creamery is a grass-based dairy farm in Pine Plains, NY, nestled in a 350-acre patchwork of pastures, crop land, woods and waterways where a motley crew of Holsteins, Jerseys and a few Brown Swiss happily graze. Their milk is turned into artisanal farmstead cheeses like the uber popular Nimbus and their Chaource-style Moonlight cheese. We think their bloomy, soft-rind cheeses will balance out Aux Bons Fromages’ hard-cheese selection quite nicely.

Some of you may remember Wild Hive from years ago when we were still at the Library lot. La Roux will be selling their line of heirloom and modern grains and stone-milled flours as well as their popular polenta. Grab some mushrooms from Tivoli Farm to make this bowl of deliciousness. 

What’s more, La Roux will also be bringing fresh cuts of beef from Highland Hollow Farm, in Schoharie, NY. This will help fill the beef void of Harlem Valley Homestead's departure. The founder of La Roux delivers these products to chefs in the city and so it only made sense to add a market to their mix. We’re so glad they chose Hastings as their first market venture.

Why not make some steak tacos with their beef and La Milpa tortillas tonight?

Also new on the plaza this week is local roastery 813 Coffee Co. Owner Varian, sources his beans from women coffee growers exclusively. You gotta love that.

Summer season means Mead Orchards is of course back and so is Morgiewicz Produce. Sun Sprout Farm will not be returning this summer. But Titusville Farm, who has filled their shoes during our winter season, is officially here to stay and we couldn't be happier. Also, we are thrilled to announce that Obercreek Farm, a winter fan favorite, is sticking around for the summer. They will be here on the first and third and fifth Saturdays.

This season we will be bringing you scheduled kids’ activities thanks to our new market sponsor, Hastings resident Emily Haas-Godsil of Compass. 

We have lots of fun things in store, but I want to draw your attention to two special dates, when local artist Fernanda Franco will be leading children in a plein-air “Color in the Market” project. The dates for children are: June 28 and August 9. Later in the fall, on October 18, she will offer a plein-air market sketching class for adults. Mark your calendars and look for more kids’ activities in upcoming blogs.

Emily will also be sponsoring our market music this year and our opening act is a doozy: Lucien C. Smith Blues Cruise Band. SO. Much. Fun.