The Oakmont Farmers Market, located in the Oakmont section of Havertown, Pennsylvania, is a producers-only market featuring locally farmed vegetables, fruit, cheese, eggs and poultry, beef, lamb, pork, Italian and Greek specialties, bread and other baked goods, flowers, soaps, lotions, candles, honey, pickled products, woolen goods, wine, spirits, beer and other products. It is located in the Grace Chapel Parking Lot at 1 West Eagle Road in Havertown, on the southeast corner of the Darby and Eagle Roads intersection. Rain or shine, come out and Buy Fresh, Buy Local!”
Even though a farmers market may seem, on the surface, to be as simple as setting a date, having farmers show up to sell their goods, then pack up, go home and return the next week (same bat time, same bat channel), it’s really not that easy. The group responsible for bringing the Oakmont Farmers Market to Haverford Township, for helping the market to run smoothly every week, and for taking care of all the administrative, licensing, fiduciary and general legalese necessary for the market to happen is the all-volunteer Haverford Township Farmers Market Association, otherwise know as the HTFMA.
We thought you might like to get to know a little bit about what makes our market tick, so here goes.
The HTFMA is a registered 501c4 not-for-profit educational organization designed to encourage healthy eating, provide education for all ages about healthy eating and living, and to support local farm, food, and township businesses.
To fulfill these goals the Haverford Township Farmer’s Market Association operates the Oakmont Farmers Market, a producer-only farmer’s market offering produce, meats, dairy products, and related agricultural and food products to the public in Haverford Township. In order to ensure the highest quality and safest foods, all vendors/farmers present at the market may only sell foods they have farmed or produced (no reselling is allowed), and all farms and businesses must be located within 100 miles of Haverford Township. Meat and dairy animals must be raised humanely and preferably on pasture, producers must pay their human workers fair wages, and producers must abide by all food safety regulations (local, state and federal). Growing practices include biodynamic, organic and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) field and flock/herd management. The HTFMA is a proud member of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and supports agricultural and community sustainability in all areas of social life, from economics and ecology to cultural and community development. We believe that a sustainable community is defined by robust local social institutions and economic opportunities.
In addition to making locally farmed and produced foods available to area residents, the HTFMA provides educational opportunities including informational newsletters and adult-education courses as well as hands-on child and adult healthy-eating activities at the Oakmont Farmers Market. Programs occur regularly at the Market and are announced in advance in the Newsletter.
The HTFMA and the Oakmont Farmers Market rely almost entirely on volunteer labor to organize and run the market and all of its programs. We welcome any and all volunteers for a variety of tasks including assisting at the market, outreach at events and educational programming. Please contact us to get involved with the Oakmont Farmers Market and the Haverford Township Farmers Market Association.
Oakmont Farmers Market Association Board & Staff Members
The Haverford Township Farmers Market Association Board is composed of community volunteers, who are dedicated to bringing fresh and locally produced products to our residents. We aspire to support sustainable, family owned farms and local artisans and business.
Board Members:
Peter Bodine, President & Acting Treasurer
Athan Biss, Website Management
Kristin Burr, Public Relations & Social Media
Brian Kennedy, Immediate Past President
Erin McEvoy, Gift Card Program
Doreen Saar, Education
Renya Wasson
Market Managers:
Don Johnson
Steve Pittenger
Newsletter:
Abby Pottorff