TheTown of Babylon Growers Market

Growers Market and Free Organic Gardening Classes:

Town of Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone and Councilwoman Jackie Gordon, with assistance from the Copiague Chamber of Commerce, are bringing a farmers market to Copiague which is designed to help the citizens of the Town of Babylon community to be healthier, "greener", and more self reliant..

If you (can) grow produce ("veggies") locally, you can sell it at this farmers market.. If you don't know how to grow, "we'll teach you" (and give you starter plants to boot).. If you have "nowhere to grow your veggies", you may qualify for a small plot of land (limited supply available) in which to cultivate (all this at no cost)..

Full details, class locations, as well as up to the minute news on all aspects of this project will be made available here, at the “Farmers Market” pages of this site.. Read below for a brief summary of each part of the project..

Any organization wishing to receive an informational presentation at any of their meetings are urged to contact Sal Puglia (631-225-1663 - or – SalPLS@aol.com )..

The Organic Gardening Classes:

The classes are conducted (by Copiague’s own local "organic master gardener" Vince Cirasole) in an informal, interactive lecture series fashion with plenty of opportunity for asking questions and participating in meaningful dialogue. The instruction begins by first covering the very basic of topics (composition of soil) and then literally takes you “from the ground up”.

You will also learn about proper watering techniques, composting, companion planting, crop rotation, disease and pest control as well as many other aspects of the organic gardening arsenal.

For those with limited yard space, the topic of how to grow crops in a container will also be covered…!!!

The classes have been re-structured into a series of three 2 hour sessions (spanning 3 separate days). While each series covers some of the same basic material, there is specific emphasis given to the tasks relative to the particular time of year and task at hand.

The class held for the (very) early spring will emphasize planting from seeds in “hot beds” or in a “sunny window”. While some seeds can be planted directly into the soil and thrive in the cold weather, many of the seeds that are started in “hot beds” at this time, will be those “transplanted in the next phase..

The class held for the summer planting emphasizes “transplanting” seedlings to their final destination into the garden soil. These can be seedlings either purchased, or those pre-grown from seeds in the prior months in the “hot beds”.

The class held for fall planting will stress the care and nurturing of plants that “love the cooler weather” and that will bear fruit before frost sets in..

The class held for winter planting will feature how to protect and nourish the soil over the harsh winter and preparing it for the spring by the use of nutrient rich “cover crops”

The class schedules are (all Mondays, 7:00pm – 9:00pm):

The Organic Gardening Plots:

Town of Babylon residents who qualify will receive “starter plants” and/or a portion of land in which to grow the crops. The land is located in the Town of Babylon Edith Salzer Organic Community Garden, 808 Nicolls Rd (just east of Carlls Path) in Deer Park. ( Click here for map & directions)

A view of the Garden Pictured in the photo (click on photo for a larger view) is the result of planting tomatoes, summer squash, beans, eggplants and peppers. Kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots and radishes, among other crops, were also planted.

“Hands on” instruction and guidance on planting / transplanting will be made available as the season and appropriate events dictate.

The growing season at the garden typically extends from March through October.

The Farmers Market:

The Town of Babylon Growers/Farmers Market is an opportunity for town residents to be able to “bring to the local market” the excess crops that they themselves grow locally in their own home gardens..

This is a “no cost” (free) opportunity for Town of Babylon residents. To register (required) as a “vendor” and to learn about additional qualifying details, visit the other “Farmers Market” pages.

The “Farmers Market” is scheduled to [tentatively] run on Saturdays between 8:00am and noon from July 7th through November 17th. It will be located in the Town of Babylon parking lot in downtown Copiague on the corner of Great Neck Rd and Oak St. ( Click here for map & directions)

Revised: 6/27/2012 12:11:50 PM