Union City is sprawling, with concrete and metal covering nearly every square inch the eye can behold. But at the Troy Towers apartment complex on the hill overlooking Hoboken, a small patch of green is developing.
Starting on Sunday, June 16, the complex, located at 380 Mountain Road, will host a weekly farmers market, bringing the best “Jersey Fresh” products north for hungry Union City residents.
The market, which is in its second year of operation, was originally the brainchild of Troy Towers Board of Directors member Mary Jed Olson, who reached out to the New Jersey Commerce Bureau with a simple, yet powerful, idea.
“I thought it was great to have fresh produce around,” she said.
With the help of the Commerce Bureau, Olson and the rest of the board worked out a contract to bring certified “Jersey Fresh” products to Union City, culminating in the opening of the farmers market at Troy Towers last year.
The market developed slowly last summer, running every other week.
As the temperatures rise and the selling season begins, Olson knows that she and the rest of the board of directors need more local support.
“We could use more participation,” she said.
In an effort to build community awareness of the market, Olson and the board of directors have decided to open up the market on a weekly basis all the way from Father’s Day to the end of October.
It’s all part of an effort to give the market a measure of consistency within the community in hopes of attracting a bigger local following.
“We could use more participation.”- Troy Towers Board of Directors member Mary Jed Olson
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And if people know that the market is there, then it is one step closer to gaining permanent footing in Union City.
Olson’s efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Recognizing the potential present within the farmers market, other companies and groups have reached out to Olson to try to include their products at the fair as well. Olson says that an Amish group attempting to sell a line of jams and jellies and a flower seller have approached her.
But Olson has no plans to expand just yet, as she is intent solely on bringing the best produce that the state has to offer to Union City.
“Right now, we’re just grateful to have New Jersey fresh product,” she said.
The market is held every Sunday through Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, see http://www.jerseyfresh.nj.gov/cgi-bin/agriculture/jerseyfresh/search.pl?type=urban&county1=hudson.