Canal Village Farmers’ Market appreciates use of former NAPA site for winter

Photos courtesy of Chris Busch: Gail Miller, manager of the Canal Village Farmers’ Market, talks with vendors during a recent Saturday morning. The vendor in front is from Human Farms and Greenhouse in Appleton.

MEDINA – Sponsors of the Canal Village Farmers’ Market are praising the generosity of Medina businessman Craig Lacy for loaning his building for the market to set up during winter months.

The market has re-located to the former NAPA Auto Parts store on North Main Street for the winter, according to Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group, which sponsors the market.

“Since 2015, the market has operated during the summer at their site on the corner of West Center Street and West Avenue,” Busch said. “It’s a great spot for a festive, open-air summer market, but not so much for winter.”

Site of a former drive-in bank building, the location provides extremely limited sheltered space and little heat, Busch said.

Gail Miller, who has been market manager since 2015, said for a summer market, the downtown corner site is fantastic.

“It provides a festive market atmosphere in a central downtown location,” she said. “The building is essentially used for sto4rage. It was originally built as a gas station and has very little interior space that can be heated.”

Buyers stop at Bower Family Farms table at Medina’s winter Canal Village Farmers’ Market to check out the microgreens. In the background, a customer makes a purchase from Baker Farms of Medina. The market has relocated to the former NAPA store on North Main Street for the winter months.

Knowing the site’s limitations for winter operations, Lacy stepped in over a year ago and offered his empty storefront on North Main Street.

Lacy’s family has owned the historic sandstone structure since 1925, when his father M. Cady Lacy and Charles Haak salvaged the building after a tragic fire. They added the rear section and began an auto parts business and machine shop. For many years, locals knew the business as NAPA Auto Parts Store. Unfortunately, corporate NAPA decided to relocate their store to Maple Ridge Road in April 2021, leaving Lacy’s building without a tenant.

“Craig literally saved the winter market,” Miller said. “His incredibly generous gesture has been a game changer. We can’t you how grateful both we and our customers are to have this big, heated space. He’s done the community a tremendous service and we’re thankful for it.”

“All of us at the market and ORG are so grateful to Craig for his generosity,” Busch added. “Because of him, the community is able to gather at a great farmers’ market throughout the winter. Medina is lucky to have Craig and to have such a great community resource as the market.”

The indoor site retains all of the summer market vendors throughout the winter, Busch said.

Among the regular weekly vendors are Heartland Organics of Johnson’s Creek (mushrooms and mushroom products), Stone Hollow Farms of Middleport (fresh bread), Catherine Street Bakery of Medina (pies, cookies, scones and jams), Baker Farms of Medina (beef and pork), Human Farms and Greenhouse of Appleton (produce, spice blends and BBQ sauces), LockRidge Apiary of Lockport (local honey and honey products), and Bower Family Farms and Greenhouse of Lockport (microgreens).

Other vendors rotate in and out, including 3BeesWax, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, 810 Meadworks, Mountain Mule Ciderhouse and Dot’s Pantry (savory relishes, jams, mustards, dressings, chutney, cheeses and pierogi.

Miller said they are also able to feature crafters and any non-profits as well. Community groups frequent the “Community Table,” a space for non-profits and groups to set up and connect with the public.

Erica Wanecski of Medina is an avid volunteer who helps many organizations throughout the area. She loves to spend a Saturday talking to shoppers about the Medina Historical Society, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners or the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge.

“People are anxious to hear about these places, and I love talking to them,” Wanecski said.

Miller said they have many other groups who avail themselves of the Community Table. Among them are PAWS, Canalside Radio, Mustang Marching Band, Office for the Aging, Orleans Mental Health, Medina Head Start, Girl Scouts of WNY, Orleans County Veterans Services, NYS Department of Health, Medina Fire Department and many others.

“It’s a great way for community groups to connect with people,” Miller said.

She added they are always looking for community-minded people to volunteer at the market.

“Medina is very lucky to have such a great community resource as this farmers’ market,” Miller said. “But it doesn’t just happen. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes logistics that make it happen every week, because of volunteers who give generously of their time and talent.”

Busch agreed, saying a community farmers’ market makes a community vibrant. They’re a great public gathering space. Every week, people meet up and enjoy connecting with each other and with local farmers and providers.

“People really appreciate access to fresh, local foods, products and information,” Busch said. “And they enjoy just having fun.”

Dehydrated organic mushrooms such as these can be found weekly at Medina’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market, which is set up at the former NAPA building for the winter.

In addition to a dedicated core of volunteers, the market also benefits from generous community sponsorship, lending financial support to the operation.

“We are so incredibly lucky to have financial benefactors who believe in what we’re doing,” Busch said. “Their philanthropism makes possible live music at the summer market, activities for kids and critical supplemental operating funds. Without them, there would be no market.”

Summer market operations, including live music and kids’ activities are sponsored by Takeform, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services-Zambito Realtors and Mrs. Maureen Hungerford.

The Canal Village Farmers’ Market has become not only a valued community space, but a tourism destination, Miller said.

“I am constantly amazed by where the patrons travel from all year round,” she said. “We have visitors from Buffalo, Clarence, Youngstown, Lewiston, East Aurora, Williamsville and other Western New York communities. “Our market really does matter. People enjoy and appreciate having a direct relationship between local farmers, producers and the consumer, and we appreciate that the market promotes local agriculture – our primary industry.”

Additional information about Canal Village Farmers’ Market or becoming a vendor, volunteer or corporate sponsor can be found on the market’s Facebook page or by e-mailing Miller at canalvillagemarket@gmail.com.

The winter market at 345 Main St. operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through May. The summer market begins in June and runs through October from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 127 West Center St., corner of West Avenue.

The market operates under the auspices of the Orleans Renaissance Group, a 501(c)3 arts, culture and preservation organization based in Medina.