By Peter Lyons Hall
The venue at Winstanley Park on Windermere Avenue in the Village of Greenwood Lake has become known as the home of the Lakeside Farmers Market which just completed its 2025 filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, and artisan crafts, while organizers are already looking ahead to 2026 following a remarkably successful year.
This season’s success was so strong that many vendors are returning for a special Thanksgiving Market on Saturday, November 22, just ahead of the holiday on Thursday, November 27, 2025. The event will provide families with the opportunity to stock up on locally sourced ingredients and one-of-a-kind goods for their holiday tables.
Throughout the 2025 season, the market enriched the community experience by introducing a regular schedule of live music performances, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for shoppers. A growing roster of vendors also brought a wider array of offerings—many not typically found in large supermarkets—adding to the market’s reputation as a destination for distinctive, high-quality products.
One of the market’s most meaningful initiatives was its collaboration with Grow Local Greenwood Lake, serving as a community collection point for food waste to be converted into nutrient-rich compost. This partnership aligns with national efforts to combat food waste—an issue of significant environmental concern. Each year, the U.S. discards nearly 60 million tons (120 billion pounds) of food, or about 325 pounds per person, making food the largest single component of U.S. landfills at 22% of municipal solid waste.
By composting this material, the market and its partners help divert valuable resources from the waste stream and reduce methane emissions—a powerful greenhouse gas produced when organic materials decompose anaerobically in landfills. Composting, by contrast, enables aerobic decomposition, reducing methane while enriching soil health. The compost created is dense with beneficial microorganisms and nutrients that improve soil fertility, enhance water retention, and reduce erosion—creating a more sustainable, regenerative agricultural cycle and minimizing dependence on synthetic fertilizers.
The market also distinguished itself as a community hub—a gathering place not just for commerce but for connection. Collaborations with groups such as the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s agricultural program and NASA’s public education initiative helped position Winstanley Park as a shared space for learning, sustainability, and civic engagement. Seasonal community events—including the Halloween Festival, and the upcoming Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting Ceremony—further reinforced the venue’s role as Greenwood Lake’s informal “town square.”
In 2024, the Village of Greenwood Lake received a $22,665 grant to advance local food waste reduction efforts through compost collection, expanded marketing and outreach, and initiatives to attract more specialty farmers and vendors. The project also strengthens food access for the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population through an enhanced Market Bucks program. After four years of successful operation, the continued increase in traffic has enabled the market team to begin exploration into organizing as a self-sustained organization.
Market Manager Karen Wintrow expressed heartfelt gratitude to all the vendors and supporters:
“We are thrilled with the results of this season—the number of new and returning anchor vendors, and the sustained support from the Village of Greenwood Lake’s government, its residents and visitors, without whose involvement the market would not be have been possible during the last few years. The foot traffic during market hours (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) was a clear sign of the vital role farmers markets play in community life,” she said. “We look forward to our vendors returning for a special occasion on November 22, the Saturday before Thanksgiving.”
Throughout 2025, the Lakeside Farmers Market (VillageofGreenwoodLake.org/lakeside-farmers-market) showcased an exceptional range of local farms, orchards, and producers of prepared foods and artisan wares. The produce offered ripened naturally on the vine or in the soil and reached shoppers within hours of being picked—free of plastic packaging or artificial ripening. Vendors were able to share first-hand knowledge of their ingredients and production processes, giving customers a genuine connection to the source of their food.
Photo credit: Peter Lyons Hall
