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Lansing's new farmer's market will open for the first time on Saturday, July 11th from 9am to noon.  The market will feature produce and crafts from local craftspeople.  It will be held on the lawn to the west of Lansing Town Hall, across the square from the Lansing Community Library.

"It's mainly local produce and local crafts," Says Lansing Deputy Supervisor Connie Wilcox.  "It has to be crafts that people make, not something they buy from Oriental Trading and set up a vendor's booth.  There are quite a few quilters interested in having a booth, and there are some people that do floral arrangements and things like that.  I think we'll have a good mix."

Wilcox has been working on the idea with a group of local people for three years.  She says it will start small with about ten vendors, half of which have already submitted applications.  Vendor applications and market rules are currently being distributed, and are available at the front table in the Town Hall.

The rules specify that vendors only sell products they raise or make themselves, with very narrow exceptions.  They also say that prices should be displayed prominently, and that customers must be treated courteously and in a non-discriminatory manner.  At least for the first year fees for sellers are being waived to encourage local farmers and craftspeople to participate.

"We're not charging this year," Wilcox says.  "We're waiving the fee this year because we want to get it off the ground."

This year Wilcox is coordinating the market herself, but next year that task will be handed over to a Board of Directors made up of Keith and Sarah Thompson, Lynn Day, Dan Konowalow, Linda VanAppeldoorn, and Kathie Miller.  Reenie Baker Sandsted of Baker's Akers is acting as a consultant to the board.

Day has been cleaning up the Town's rain garden in preparation for the market.  It is a model that residents can use to plant their own rain garden for storm water control.  The library is planning a story hour while the farmer's market is going.  Parents will be able to leave their older children there while they peruse the farmer's market.

"After three years it's exciting," Wilcox says.  "I think it's going to be a good thing.  It's going to start out small, but I think it's going to go."

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