The Skaneateles Press will be bringing readers the freshest in market news by featuring a new vendor each week. The Skaneateles Farmers Market is open from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and, starting this week, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in the parking lot of the Community Center, 97 State St.
12 years ago, Dave Laxton founded the Skaneateles Farmers Market. For the first time since then, Laxton is not in charge of the vendors. This year he’s one of them.
QUESTION: Where do you live, Dave?
ANSWER: West Lake Road, Skaneateles.
Q: How long have you been involved in agriculture?
A: All my life. I was brought up on a farm. In fact, we have a small farm in Mandana that’s been in the family — we can trace it back to 1847.
Q: What is the name of your business?
A: Laxton’s Florist & Nursery. [Located on 2354 West Lake Road]
Q: What kinds of goods do you offer your customers?
A: Well, we’re full service florists, we have been for about 40 years. But we also, we have a large urn business which we just ended [for the season]. And we do a lot of plants and flowers in our greenhouse.
Q: Do you sell these items on your own, or do you have help?
A: We have a lady that works in the flower shop with my wife. Then our son does delivery. And we have two grandsons that help us with the vegetable program. It’s a family thing, really.
Q: How is business going today?
A: You know I don’t know what to expect, but I would say, fairly well? You know there’s a lot of venders and they all seem to be selling quite a bit, so Yeah, I’m satisfied up until this point. This is the first time I’ve brought vegetables and stuff down. You do build up a following, you know. A lot of these stands, the same people come back and back and back.
Q: What is your most popular item?
A: Right now, I think, probably spinach is the most popular vegetable. And then flowers, we sold some of those.
Q: How long have you been selling goods at the market?
A: I did the first year I participated [1998], and then with the town board meetings — I think they switched from 7:30 to 7:00, somewhere along the line — there just wasn’t time to participate, go home, you know, pick up. So I was content to just run the market.
Q: How did you get back into vending?
A: Well, I didn’t run for election last fall, so I’m not on the town board anymore. So I’ve got Thursday afternoon free. So that’s a big help.
Q: How has the market changed since it first opened?
A: We have more vendors, more diversity, I think. It’s become a little more local I think, with the vendors.
Q: What makes your products unique?
A: Well, these vegetables were grown in the field this morning. I didn’t start harvesting until 11 o’clock. Some of them, up to 2:30 this afternoon. So, they’re fresh. Probably as fresh as you can get.
Q: How often can market-goers expect to see you here this summer?
A: It depends on our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. You know, we put that ahead of the market sort of, as far as participation It depends on how much we can take care of I guess. So we’re thinking we might be here for Saturday market, time permitting. One of our grandsons probably would run that. It depends on how much product we have we’ve got a bigger selection of vegetables and plants than we can bring to the market.
Q: What will you be selling next week?
A: There will probably be Swiss chard. That’s another vegetable. I don’t know, the peas may be ready, so that’s a possibility.
