In the underground halls of the Empire State Plaza Concourse, rows of folding tables are set up to line the middle of the walkway. Baskets of vegetables, vases of flowers, bottles of honey, coolers of meat, baked goods, cheeses, artisanal sauces and cans of mead sit atop the tables, each stand manned by their respective vendor.
The mid-day air is filled with lively chatter, a blend between the commerce of these vendors and the daily business of the concourse. In the warmer months, these tables are instead set up above and outside, near the reflecting pools of the Empire State Plaza.
This is the Empire State Plaza Farmers’ Market — a farmer’s market that exclusively hosts New York state growers and producers. It runs on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every week of the year, barring major holidays. The market has been in operation since 1981, for 44 years. Approximately 20 regular vendors attend the weekly market, brought in on an application-only basis.
It’s hosted by the New York Office of General Services (OGS), the agency responsible for all events held at the Empire Concourse, among other things. Other recent events hosted by the OGS in the concourse include Fall Fest, Diwali and Mystic Fest.
Dancing Goose Farm is one of the vendors featured in the market, selling a variety of seasonal flowers. Christina Chu, owner of the business, operates it out of Melrose. The farm started as a hobby for her, but two years ago she left her position at IBM to pursue it full-time.
Chu said she needed a change of pace from her old job, saying being a farmer-florist is “more fulfilling and more fun.” She makes nearly all of her sales at farmer’s markets, saying the sales there are enough to keep her profitable and happy. Chu also takes summers off from growing, citing her ability to grow flowers in her greenhouses year-round as her competitive edge.
“I think the best part of selling flowers is the clients,” said Chu. “People who buy flowers are always happy.”
Morning Pine Acres is another vendor there, run by husband and wife duo Justin and Jackie Metz. The micro-farm in East Nassau produces a variety of artisanal food products including hot sauces, salsas, and pickles. Justin Metz described the business as “not so much farmers, but food producers.”
To produce their products, the pair work with a variety of other New York businesses to get what they don’t grow, such as Oscar’s Smokehouse in Warrensburg. Morning Pine Acres is similarly new to the farmer’s market game, opening two and a half years ago, but said that the community in the Capital Region has been supportive.
“We love what we do,” said Justin Metz, “We get to work together and highlight each other’s strengths.”
Ron Bulich is a veteran of the Empire State Plaza Farmers’ Market, selling his goods there for 38 years. He operates Bulich Creekside Farm out of Leeds — a 50 acre vegetable farm in the Catskills. Throughout his time in the industry, Bulich has seen changes take place in farming.
Bulich worries about the impact that corporate farms are having on smaller farms like his own, and about the fact that “no young people wanna do this work anymore.”
Despite this, Bulich loves his work. He enjoys seeing customers year after year at the market and the fact that being his own boss means he “doesn’t have to answer to anyone.”
The Empire State Plaza Farmers’ Market provides a space for these small businesses to have as their own, and to connect with local customers in the capital region.
Dan Dineen is a partner and the general manager for The Bull and Bee Meadery, a business with multiple local apiaries and a tasting room located right in Albany. Dineen is the one who got the business into this farmer’s market, saying the application was relatively streamlined and easy. Exclusive spaces like the Empire State Plaza Farmer’s Market not only help the local businesses selling there, but also provide a unique draw to the concourse and connect visitors with products they may have never otherwise found.
“Farmers’ markets are good for the community,” said Dineen, “They get people together.”
