Greenport Farmers Market finds place for coming season at Methodist Church

The Greenport Farmers Market has rebuffed an offer for a new site on village-owned land and worked out a deal with the Greenport United Methodist Church at 624 Main St. to operate there this spring and summer.

The market used village-owned space in the Adams Street parking lot off First Street last season after Village Board members refused to allow the group to operate in Mitchell Park. This year, the Village Board offered space at the western end of the municipal lot on South Street and hiked the fee from $1,000 for the season to $2,500.

“We have a very limited budget,” farmers market organizer Lara McNeil said. “We are very disappointed the Village Board didn’t have open discussions with us.”

The cost of her space at the church, she said, is “nothing like that.”

“Our arrangement is more about a collaborative effort than with the monetary cost,” she said.

The hours of operation, which were 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, will change this spring and summer to 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. And the season, which last spring started on Memorial Day weekend, could start earlier this year and possibly continue beyond August, Ms. McNeil said.

The announcement of the new site was made via an emailed newsletter on Sunday afternoon.

“We look forward to working with the church and are excited to continue helping small North Fork farmers and producers, as well as the members of our community,” the newsletter read. “Our great gratitude goes out to the pastor and the board of this wonderful church and also to all of you for continuing to support our efforts. Your emails and phone calls have meant the world to us in the last few weeks and helped us know that all our efforts are worthwhile.”