Every weekend through December, Tanger Outlets at the Arches hosts a Farmer’s Market featuring a variety of vendors selling the freshest fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade goods and more.
From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., vendors offer freshly picked foods, wines and baked goods including artisan breads and homemade ravioli. Visitors also get their picks of fish, gourmet pickles, handmade soaps, flowers and more picked by local farms, wineries, and bakeries from Melville and the rest of Long Island.
Elsie Collins, coordinator of the Farmer’s Market, says that the weekly event brings a new experience to the mall. “It’s an education; people spend too much time in the doctor’s office, it gets people to eat well.”
Among the fresh foods are colorful arrays of leafy greens, yellow peppers, and red radishes, all fitting for any palate.
Mary Schneider of Schneider’s Farm said that the event is essential to keeping Long Island farms in the green.
“It keeps us in business. Our produce is so much fresher because it comes right off the farm and is not shipped from California or South America,” she said.
Schneider’s Farm in Melville, has been in operation since the mid 1950’s. Schneider’s husband is a third generation farmer and their kids mark the fourth. Their dedication for their trade comes through with their delivery.
“At home we love our veggies,” she added with a smile.
Phil Karlin of PE & DD Seafood in Riverhead offers fresh flounder, sea bass, lobster, scallops, tuna and other catches.
“It’s about cutting out the middle man. We catch it ourselves. It’s been my father, brother, and myself and now my oldest son; we’re expanding.”
Theresa and her husband Pasquale Degregorio, owners of Bambino’s Ravioli in Bay Shore, add their own flavor to the market with their signature spinach and lobster raviolis made with homemade pasta.
“My husband’s grandparents owned the company in Brooklyn, the recipes date back generations and they are still made by hand with antique machinery.”
For other vendors their companies formed out of necessity and to fill a void in the market for better, more natural products.
Inga Alves, founder of Healing Retreat, makes and sells her own pure organic handcrafted soap, bath scrubs, and lip balms. She never planned on starting the business, though.
“My husband had problems with his skin," said Alves. "Commercial soaps have harsh chemicals, he’d try different ones and nothing would help so I started making my own and within a month my husband’s skin was healed. I started making the soaps for friends and family and then started getting custom orders.”
The Farmer’s Market is located just past Tanger’s central fountain courtyard, on Via Milano, in store number 316 near Lucky Jeans, Kate Spade, and Vultaggio Studios.
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