Controversy sprouts over Farmers Market

The market, which for years had set up shop in Lynbrook, is now pitching its tents every Sunday morning through November in the village parking field field that runs between N. Long Beach Road and Forest Avenue. Approximately 10 stands participate, offering all sorts of items including fresh produce and dairy, spices, soaps, homemade dog treats, pasta, plants, meats, seafood, pickles and at first, baked goods.
But by its second week, controversy swirled around the market, with some local shop owners complaining that during a time of economic crisis, during which many stores have gone out of business, the village should have thought twice about bringing in outside merchants to compete with them, at no real advantage, they say, to the village or its residents. Two vendors selling bread and pastry goods were asked not to participate.
"We're in a recession that's the deepest recession in 25 years and what's happening is that they're hurting the local retailers," said Keith Linsalata, owner of Art Flowers and Gift Shoppe. "We have shops in Rockville Centre and everyone is supposed be supporting their local community by shopping in
the village.
"If those vendors weren't there at the railroad tracks they'd be going to stores that sell the same product locally," he added.
"Why did they leave Lynbrook?," asked Linsalata. "What is the reason they're in Rockville Centre now? I'm upset that the village didn't take this into consideration before they approved it. The main thing is that all the retailers in this economy are struggling to stay alive."
"As far as the [Rockville Centre] Chamber of Commerce is concerned," said its president, Larry Siegel, "we felt that the two bread vendors were in conflict with some of our local merchants. Although Front Street Bakery is closed on that day, Roe's Casa Dolce is open. Because of the locations of the two vendors - one was actually a bakery from Bellmore - there was a conflict of interest with our local merchants."
"The basic concept of the Farmers Market is that this is a way of providing the opportunity for the residents and those of neighboring communities to purchase good, healthy fresh produce -vegetables and fruit right off the farm. Good food, good nutrition, and ultimately good health," said Village Administrator Frank Quigley. "We had an opportunity to allow the Farmers Market to come to Rockville Centre and to make that produce more accessible to our residents. That's the basic selling point for the Farmers Market. I see it as a service to our residents. The thought is that for five hours on a Sunday morning between now and November, residents can drop in and purchase the kind of produce that they might purchase if they were visiting a farm stand in Suffolk county."
Quigley explained that the village had granted the market a one-year permit that gives permission for the Farmers Market to utilize a portion of Municipal Parking Field 12, and that the market is responsible for cleaning up on its own after using the field. "They have every motivation to make this a successful project," said Quigley.
"I called the Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of the year," he added. "At the time Larry Siegel was in the hospital and I spoke with Mike Shenker, the immediate past president. He said he would check, he called back, they liked it. Now the recollection is a little bit different...I've been advised that they're qualifying the report and they're concerned about Roe's across the street [from the market]. The big picture here is the idea of providing a Farmers Market to the residents on a Sunday morning, they are successful at different locations across Nassau County and there is a demand here. At the same time it's a work in progress and over time we'll learn things that can help improve the operation of the Farmer's Market and ultimately improve service to the residents."
"It's a shame, we're just trying to do something good for the people of Rockville Centre to give them the ability to have fruits and vegetables, said Ethel Terry, coordinator of the Long Island Growers Market, when she learned of the controversy facing the market in Rockville Centre. "Farmers Markets revitalize downtown areas. We actually bring in business to the local community.
"Also," she added, "we have a contract with the New York State Dept. of Agriculture and Marketing to set up Farmers Markets throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties so mothers with infants and small children, in a nutrition program, can come down and receive free fruits and vegetables and seniors are also eligible to come down with their coupons."
But even though Bill Gaylor, president of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce said he can understand the opposition of some Rockville Centre shopkeepers to the market, he said there had been no pressure on the part of his organization for it to move.
"As far as their relocating to Rockville Centre, we had nothing to do with that decision," said Gaylor " There was no pressure on our part for them to relocate.... So I would say that our community as a whole is sorry to see them go, but I can understand their decision."
"A couple of storekeepers were upset not with the concept of the Farmers Market, but they brought in outside merchants that were not really selling Long Island produce," said Harry Levitt, owner of Mur-lee's Men's and Boy's Shop in Lynbrook and the former president of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, "But what ended up happening, now that they're gone, there's less traffic in the area Sunday mornings. I have customers that come in now and are very upset they're gone."
"I'm very mindful of the challenges that our merchants and retailers are experiencing and it does seem that it's responsible to hear their concerns," added Quigley, "given that they have to pay rent and make ends meet, especially in this difficult climate.
"I never saw this as a threat," said Quigley. "I'm still not sure, but I'm not going to be insensitive and I hope that they can work this out."