Indoor farmers market to open in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE — On Black Friday, an indoor farmers' market will open at The Shoppes at Lafayette.
Arley Farm, known for its farm location in Green Township, is opening and will feature fresh produce, meats, eggs, farm-related décor, and meal pick up service.
“The produce will be fresh, depending on the season,” said one of the owners, Jon Baker. “We'll have beef, pork and chicken pre-packaged in the freezer and ready to go as well as fresh farm eggs.”
The décor section will feature things like aprons and spatulas: things that are country and have to do with cooking.
The pick up food service is Arley Farms' creation.
Baker explained, “Unlike a Blue Apron or similar company that delivers frozen food in a Fed Ex box to your door, people will receive an apple wooden crate filled with the fresh items they need to make a meal. It won't be complicated as some mail order food packages are. Just easy to make and fresh and healthy.”
Each crate will contain a meat, veggie and potato, and crates can be returned for the next order pick up.
“People can do whatever schedule they like. Some will want Monday, Wednesday and Friday, some may want once a week, whatever works.”
Come the holidays, Arley Farms will feature specials including an array of homemade pies. They will also sell Christmas trees starting Black Friday and continuing through Christmas Eve in the parking lot at The Shoppes at Lafayette.
Arley Farms started in 2014 when the Bakers saw a great opportunity.
“It was just a great chance to start a farm,” Baker said. “I sort of positioned myself as 'the accidental farmer' at age 35. I was planning to become a full-time farmer when I retired.”
He kept his corporate world job while working on the farm. They restored the building and built a house while simultaneously building up Arley Farm, so named for their then two children, Aria and Bentley, whose names they put together. Since then, Rosalie came along and when she asks where she fits in, since they call her Rosie Rooster, she's the official farm “rooster.”
The farm is doing so well, and now with the farmers market, Baker said he took a leap of faith and jumped ship on the corporate world to do farming full time.
As to the indoor farmers' market creation, Baker said they had been tossing the idea around for a while. Then his wife, Amanda, happened to decide to check out the renovations at the former Lafayette Village where her husband and his sisters had once had a store. She was so impressed with the renovations and attention to esthetics and flow, that the Bakers and their partners, Allyson and Andrew Rose, of Vernon, decided it would be the ideal place to open a market.
“I was immediately taken with one space that was available,” Baker said. “The floor was wooden like a barn and the ceiling was barn-like. It just had that farmy feel yet was right at parking lot level on Route 15.”
Of the Shoppes, Baker said, “It's really nice to see that someone has taken such effort into rebuilding what was once here into something so beautiful. It's very refreshing.”
The owners decided to retain Arley Farms for its name recognition. Hours will be the same as the other Shoppes at Lafayette.
Arley Farms will be located in Building F at The Shoppes at Lafayette. For further information, visit https://www.facebook.com/arley.farm/ or www.arleyfarms.com.