The TaSH was ranked sixth in the state in a nationwide competition held by the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition.     

It was the only Westchester market to be included in the annual rankings.   

TARRYTOWN, NY — The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market was named one of the top 10 farmers markets in New York State last month in a nationwide competition.   

This was the first time The TaSH was included in the ranking from the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. The market received close to 550 votes in the annual competition where participants were asked to vote for their favorite markets. It was the only Westchester County market to make the list.   

"We are thrilled The TaSH has ranked among the top 10 markets in the state,” Suzanne Sorrentino, co-president of The TaSH said in a statement. “We truly think it is a special place. Situated in a beautiful park, it is a meeting place for our diverse community. With fresh, locally grown, sustainable food as its anchor, the market is also a hub for children’s educational and cultural activities, other local community organizations to share their good works, and diverse artists and musicians to perform.”  

The TaSH was founded in 2015 by Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow local residents. Now in its eighth season, The TaSH has grown into a year-round market with about 75 vendors selling locally grown produce and flowers, meats and cheeses, baked goods, beer and spirits, and other artisanal and handcrafted creations. It’s held from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays in Patriot’s Park in Tarrytown attracting 1,500 customers each week. The markets feature children’s activities and live entertainment. During the winter months it becomes a biweekly market.   

The market is also focused on helping the community by doubling food stamp benefits for shoppers. Typically, SNAP customers can swipe $20 on their EBT card at the market tent and purchase $40 worth of groceries. Through October, the The TaSH will match up to $40 EBT customers can receive $80 with which to shop at the market. 

In addition, the market distributes tokens at a local food pantry that can be redeemed at the market and coordinates the donation of unsold food to families in need through the local high school.  

“We are constantly inspired by the dedicated farmers market operators around the country who have worked so hard to continue to provide essential services for their communities, despite the monumental challenges of the past year,” Michael Shulman, a spokesman at the American Farmland Trust, said in a statement. “Congratulations to this year’s winners.”  

About The TaSH  

The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (TaSH) Farmers Market (www.tashfarmersmarket.org) was launched in 2015 by a group of local residents. Its mission is to improve access to quality locally produced food and to educate the community about sustainability, food, health and food justice by bringing a more vibrant and engaging farmers market experience to the community. The TaSH is powered by Rivertowns Village Green Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit run by volunteers from both Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. For the latest news and updates from The TaSH, subscribe to the weekly newsletter or follow along throughout the season on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about our food assistance programs, visit: http://tashfarmersmarket.org/food-assistance-programs. 

Vendors from The TaSH are donating fresh produce and baked goods to Sleepy Hollow High School’s new food pantry

 Nearly half of the high school’s students are eligible for free/reduced price lunches

 World Food Day is Sunday, Oct. 16

TARRYTOWN, NY — The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (TaSH) Farmers Market has teamed up with Sleepy Hollow High School’s new food pantry to help to alleviate hunger in the community.

World Food Day, on Oct. 16, was created by the United Nations to raise awareness about hunger, poverty, and food distribution issues globally. The TaSH is committed to addressing these issues in the community it serves.

All of the local farmers and one of the bakers at The TaSH donate excess food from the market to Sleepy Hollow High School’s new food pantry. These seven vendors collectively provide an average 130 pounds of fresh food, the equivalent of 108 meals, for the SHHS Food Pantry.

The pantry has grown to serve about 80 families a week feeding about 350 members between them. Nearly half of all Sleepy Hollow High School students are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunches. 

“Everybody should benefit from the market and what it has to offer,” says TaSH board member Krista Barron. “The high school’s food pantry is an extension of the ethos and awareness of what it truly means to be part of a community.”

The SHHS Food Pantry began serving students and their families in April. It was started after a student asked the school’s principal for permission to take home some extra soup from a food drive the school was hosting. The student told the principal that the student’s family was hungry.

Students and their families can sign up here to pick up the fresh produce provided by The TaSHalong with canned fish, meat, bread, pasta, rice, and other staples every Monday afternoon at the high school. School staff pick up food from The TaSH and students help to inventory and pack the food.

“If you’re hungry and worried about the next time you’re eating, how can you do your homework?” says Sleepy Hollow High School biology teacher and food pantry co-director Leana Peltier. “How can you pay attention in class?”

The pantry is also funded through donations from high school staffers and local organizations, including the Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown and The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.

Organizers are still seeking additional support from the community. 

Donations to the food pantry can be made here. Please dedicate the donation to the SHHS Food Pantry. Shelf-stable food items, such as canned goods, pasta, and rice, can be dropped off at the main office of the high school from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. 

Online donations can also be sent to the school addressed to the SHHS Food Pantry at 210 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591.

In addition to supporting the SHHS Food Pantry, The TaSH provides tokens that are given out at the Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. Recipients can use them to shop at the market. The tokens are made possible by a grant from the Kids’ Club of Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow.

The TaSH also fights hunger by doubling Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Typically, SNAP customers can swipe $20 on their EBT card at the market tent to purchase $40 worth of groceries. Through October, the The TaSH will match up to $40 EBT customers can receive $80 with which to shop at the market.

About The TaSH  

The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (TaSH) Farmers Market was launched in 2015 by a group of local residents. Its mission is to improve access to quality locally produced food and to educate the community about sustainability, food, health and food justice by bringing a more vibrant and engaging farmers market experience to the community. The TaSH is powered by RivertownsVillage Green Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit run by volunteers from both Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. For the latest news and updates from The TaSH, subscribe to the weekly newsletter or follow along throughout the season on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about our food assistance programs, visit: http://tashfarmersmarket.org/food-assistance-programs.