* . CSS ,V, C2-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 23, 1988 Farmers BY BARB MILLER Lycoming Co. Correspondent WILLIAMSPORT (Lycom ing)—When the doors of the Ray towne Farmers’ Market swung lopen for the first time four months lago, it signaled the beginning of iwhat may soon be one of the (largest growers’ markets in Pen nsylvania. And after a space of 16 years, the city of Williamsport boasts once more a farmers’ market. Fifty vendors currently occupy 12,000 square feet of indoor space in a building complex that takes up two city blocks and sits on A'A acres of land, according to Ray Smith, market owner. He predicts that the present amount of indoor vending space will be tripled in less than three months when reno vations are completed. By sum mer, there will be outside spaces available for 45 to 50 farmers to sell produce directly from their trucks. Parking is available for up to 1,700 cars. “It’s going to be a real shopping experience,” Smith remarked. The growers’ market as envi sioned by Smith will be part of a larger complex located in the for mer Weldon factory building, which has 318,000 square feet of space. An Italian restaurant will be operating full time independent of the market within a month. And plans are in the works for an atrium to accommodate artisans, a giant flea market, which will run simul taneously with the growers’ mark et, and room for 17 retail stores, some of which will be factory out lets. Smith plans to soon have buses shuttling visitors to the market from all parts of the city. Gordon Hiller, market master, and former regional director of the Pennsylvania Dept, of Agriculture, hopes to arrange for tour buses to stop at the market He likens the Available In Stainless Steel Or Mild Steel ln Stock For Delivery Today ChcJr;,,. VAN DALE Aa ' VAN DALE Lancaster Silo Co. 2008 Horseshoe Rd., Lancaster, PA Market A end result of the market complex to that of the Vanity Fair complex at Reading. Hiller is quite enthusiastic about the new market. “Farmers have been able to produce and produce. They have proven to the world that they can produce ... but they don’t want to get into marketing. This market makes me enthusiastic because people need a market for their products and this is a great place for producers to come.” On any given Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, the Raytowne Grow ers’ Market truly offers something for every taste. In addition to fresh produce, one may purchase any thing from delicious yogurt ice cream to homemade Pennsylvania Dutch pies. A small restaurant occupies a comer of the market, and craft shops are interspersed among the produce vendors. “I used to go to the growers’ market in downtown Williams port,” recalls market master, Gor don Hiller, “and while we had strawberries and poultry and some real good farm produce for sale, here was this kid running through the market house with a bundle of goldenrod or foxtail grass. He was selling them to people, and we couldn’t sell good food to them . . . Turns out that was Ray Smith.” One of 18 children, multi talented market owner, Ray Smith has led an interesting life, but one never far from the land. “1 always loved agriculture,” he states. In addition to the Raylowne Far mers’ Market complex, Smith owns several McCarthy’s Florist shops in Williamsport, which he says is the largest retail florist operation in northern Pennsylvani a, and within the Raytownc com plex another business, Raycrafts, where floral arrangements are made. Smith says he has 40 envir- .717/299-3721 Welcome Sight To Williamsport onmental patents to his credit including one on the Alaskan pipe line and one to remove oil slicks from the ocean. He also claims three on floral arrangements. In his spare time, he mines quartz crys tals and transforms them into jewelry. When he was growing up on the outskirts of Williamsport, Smith helped his father in their fresh flower and nursery business. “I spent a lot of time at the old market house. My brothers and sis ters and I pushed a cart loaded with goods four or five miles to the market,” he recalled. According to Smith, it was his father who taught him to “live off the land.” To have something to sell during the winter, his family harvested such things from the fields as milkweed pods, which could be sprayed and sold for use in floral pieces. Smith became adept at fashion Fastest cut in the field Get your hay in the windrow twice as fast as conventional systems with Vicon's KM mower conditioners High speed 3-bladed discs make 9000 cuts per minute lifting and slicing clean without plugging, even when hay is heavy and wet Gentle, full width conditioning conserves (eaves The patented drawbar and drive system lets you operate non-stop, cornering under full power without driveline vibration. Want a faster harvest? Choose from four dependable KM models with working widths from 7’10" to 10'6", or the new 13’ centrepivot unit. And now, all models carry a new, two-year power tram warranty' BURCHFIELDS. INC. 112 S. Railroad St. Martinaburg, Pa. 814-793-2194 ERB 8c HENRY EQUIP, INC. BTOUFFER BROS. REED BROS. N*w Barlinvllla, P«. 1068 Lincoln Way Waal Pattieoat Brldga Rd 215-367-2169 4 ham bars burg, Pa. Columbua, NJ 717-263-6424 609-267-3363 HUTTON FARM E 0I rd R 2 ENT TRIPLE H EQUIPMENT MahaKay, Pa. _ RD U 1 141 „ 814-277-6647 P “,' h , ?f" 717-548-3775 MELVIN J. SHEFFER, INC. 121 Railroad St. Hanovar, Pa. 717-637-3808 ing floral arrangements out ot things taken from the fields and woods and used this expertise to create Raycraft. He reported he has had an offer from a national florist Penna. Dealers ITERMAN FARM BEEMERVILLE EQUIP. SCHAFER BROS. - nTm > mp Rd 3, Box 610 RD 8, Box 270 fS York i?f d - Sumox, NJ Brldgoton, NJ CS.P. 201-875-5672 601M55-1640 717-249-2150 & HARDWARE WATSON'S INC. St- 328 & Elliott Rd. Sharon-Msrear Hd. Easton, MD Sharon, Pa. 301*822-8866 412-346-6514 WENNER FORD TRACTOR Routa 202 Concordvilla, Pa. 215-399-9615 h t TV < Raytowne Farmer’s Market Complex ELLIOTT EQUIP. fa <4* •* ♦ * to buy 3,000 of his patented bird cage floral pieces per week. Concerning the rapid growth of the farmers’ market. Smith (Turn to Page C 3) teS ‘ Rebates As High $l,OOO On Certain Vicon Machines Thru April 30th New Jersey Dealers WILFRED MACDONALD INC. 340 Main Avanua Clifton, NJ 07014 201-471-0244 Maryland Dealers' E.T. CLINE A SONS 510 E. Wilson Blvd. Hagerstown, MD 301-739-2223 H.B. DUVALL 901 East Patrick St. Fradsrick, MD 301-662-1125 (Outslds MD) 1-800-423-4032
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