Richmond Hill residents will soon be able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers right in their hometown.
On Sept. 8, the Forest Park Youthmarket will launch at the Buddy Monument in Forest Park, located at Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South. The farmers market, the first of its kind in Richmond Hill, was a longtime goal of Councilman Eric Ulrich, who funded the initiative.
“The farmers market will bring fresh produce to the community, which is something that locals were looking for,” said Simcha Waisman, president of the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center.
The market will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Nov. 17. At the market, those who spend $5 through SNAP/EBT will receive a $2 Health Buck to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
The market also will be partnering with GrowNYC to hire students from John Adams High School’s ROTC program to help staff the market.
“The community center will be paying students from the high school’s ROTC program so they can learn how the business works,” Waisman said. “We’ve worked with the ROTC program many times before. They are good kids and I believe they’ll learn a lot from working at the market.”
Waisman in particular would like to thank Councilman Ulrich and all of those involved for supporting the farmers market.
“This is something that the community has been wanting, a local place where people living in the area can come and get fresh produce,” Waisman said.
