Shop Talk: Brian Gajeski at the Tarrytown Farmers’ Market

He doesn’t own a business here exactly, but Brian Gajeski spends almost every Saturday of Farmers’ Market season – from May to November – getting to know the produce shoppers of this town in all kinds of crazy weather. We talked to him one gray and chilly day, but this farmer prefers the cold. Of course we also had to know when he wakes up.

So buy local and go say hello to...

Brian Gajeski, owner of Gajeski Produce in Riverhead, Long Island 

1. What’s worse for you out here with your veggies: too hot or too cold?

BG: Too hot. Everything just wilts. When it’s cold we can put heaters on and protect the stuff. I like the cold. I’ll have my three t-shirts, a sweatshirt.

2. Did the flooding this year from Irene affect your farm?

BG: All these last rains are doing more damage. The hurricane came and went, but the rain keeps coming. The tomatoes crack, the cauliflower slimes up. It’s all the wetness and humidity. It’s been wet all week.

3. How many markets do you do; how far do you drive? And what time do you wake up?

BG: This morning, 3 a.m. There’s two drop-offs on the way here: Jamaica, Queens and then 81rst and 1rst [in Manhattan]. We do 13 markets between Long Island, the city, and Westchester.

4. What crops should we look forward to this time of year?

BG: More greens, Brussel sprouts, a couple different types of cauliflower.

5. Finally, waste. What happens with all the leftovers that you don’t sell?

BG: Some stuff gets turned into compost. When we’re in the city, a lot gets donated to food banks and City Harvest. We give them 300 to 400 pounds of stuff every week. Otherwise I’m going to take it home and throw it out.