The original purpose of the Chappaqua Farmers Market was to provide the community with food that was grown, raised, or produced in the local area. For the sake of our planet’s long-term viability, it seeks to promote awareness about the significance of eating and shopping locally. And we can’t get enough of how delicious the local food is and how close to Armonk it is!
The market believes that it is more important than ever for shoppers to have easy access to fresh, locally grown produce, fruit, meats, fish, baked goods, and other farmers-market items – all in a safe, outdoor environment – at a time when grocery store trips are less frequent and supply chains are a little more taxed as a result of the outbreak.
While it is not now possible to provide music or other communal activities, the market has established itself as a regular destination for many people in the region. It invites any and all customers and guests to come out every Saturday throughout our outdoor season to take part in the festivities. In order to ensure that the market is a safe environment for both consumers and merchants, as well as for market personnel and volunteers, several protocols have been established.
Food justice and equality are important values to the Chappaqua Farmers Market, and the market has formed relationships with farmers and vendors to foster an inclusive and varied community. In order to improve market variety, the organization is working hard to diversify the market’s mix of farmers and merchants, as well as the individuals who buy for locally produced food and commodities.
Considering that the market takes an active anti-racist approach to running our market, it encourages involvement with the community, particularly with its BIPOC neighbors, in order to partner with them in order to create an environment where everyone feels accepted and respected. It welcomes discussions that will aid in our development as a more equitable organization.
Prior to the establishment of farmer’s markets in the United States, Pascale Le Draoulec grew up in California with French expat parents who foraged for everything from snails and watercress to baguettes and would drive up to a hundred miles for a fine Crottin de Chevre or baguette. Her sources of inspiration are the markets of Provence and Santa Monica. Pascale is also the manager of the Hastings, Irvington, and Bronxville farmers markets in Westchester, as well as the market in the New York Botanical Garden in the borough of the Bronx. She has also worked as a restaurant reviewer and novelist in the past.