The Skaneateles Farmers Market runs from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays in the parking lot of the Community Center, 97 State St.
Diane Burdick’s been selling goods at the Skaneateles Farmers Market since the beginning. Although her pies are a must-get at the market, she herself hasn’t had one in four years — she’s allergic to gluten.
QUESTION: Where do you live, Diane?
ANSWER: Hencoop Road, Skaneateles.
Q: How long have you been in agriculture?
A: All my life.
Q: What is the name of your business?
A: Baked Goods by Diane.
Q: What kinds of goods do you offer your customers?
A: We have the fresh fruit pies, fresh blueberries, in season, strawberries, in season. We have black currant. We have red raspberries. And I also have the baking powder biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chunk and scones — usually the blueberry scones. And then I do gluten-free, ’cause I’m a celiac.
Q: Do people tend to know that you have gluten-free goods available?
A: Yeah, they do. And there’s a fair amount of people in this area that are celiac. They claim, if you read, that one out of every 133 people is a celiac. But there is a fair amount right in this area. If not, one family member is, and the others kind of eat that way as well.
Q: Do you sell these items on your own, or do you have help?
A: All my self. I call it the one horse operation.
Q: How is business going today?
A: Pretty good, pretty good. It’s picking up. It’ll get better, I’m sure. As the season goes it will be more — this is our fourth one, so, it’s pretty good.
Q: What is your most popular item?
A: Most popular item is the pies, the fruit pies. And I’d say probably the raspberry — strawberry rhubarb’s pretty popular too — but I think the raspberry pies are. But again, when I get the blueberry scones, with fresh blueberries, that’s a very hot item also.
Q: How long have you been selling goods at the market?
A: This market’s I think in its 12th year, and I’ve been doing it 12 years. And I also do the regional market [Park Street, Syracuse] Saturdays; that’s why I’m not here Saturdays.
Q: How did you get started selling goods at the market?
A: I started actually with vegetables, and then it kind of grew into jams and jellies, and then I got into the baked goods. I got my license to do baked goods and jams, because it wasn’t real profitable to come for three hours with just cabbage and veggies. So I thought, well, I’ve got the fruit and I’ve got everything else, lets try jam, jellies, and then from there it went into baked goods.
Q: How has the market changed since the beginning?
A: Well, I’ve got a lot more regulars and people that come, and we have a lot more vendors. A lot more variety And people are more interested now in ‘buy local, eat local, it’s fresh.’ 12 years ago, that concept wasn’t quite there, whereas now they want to know the producer, they want to know the grower.
Q: What makes your goods unique?
A: You know, everything’s fresh. I don’t even open a can.
Q: How often can market-goers expect to see you here this summer?
A: Oh I come every Thursday, rain or shine.
Q: What’s in season next week?
A: In season? Still the strawberry rhubarb pie. And I’m hoping baking powder biscuits, because of the fresh strawberries. And then I will have fresh strawberry jam. That’ll be the new feature, strawberry jam.
