Small Business Spotlight: The Souk Farm Market

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this Patch series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

Business: "The SOUK" Farm Market
Owners: Joe Serra & Bill Walsh
Website: http://theoutside.in/thesouk
Address: The OUTSIDE IN, 249 Ferdon Avenue, Piermont

How did you come up with the name?
"Souk" is a middle eastern word for market or bazaar. Our winter farmer's market is very unique -- it's held in a gallery with a converted greenhouse overlooking gardens and woods. It is a very festive atmosphere and one with vendors representing countries from all over the world. Because of these unique elements, we wanted a name to differentiate ourselves, as we are different from most farmer's markets.

Why start a business in this town?
We are 15-year residents here in the village and we opened a gallery/shop 10 years ago, called The OUTSIDE IN. We noticed that there were no winter farmers markets anywhere in Rockland or Westchester on Sundays during the winter. We thought our unique space would make for a special place for people in the community to gather on cold Sundays. Our wood stove adds a nice touch for the market. This is our fourth season and each year has become bigger and better. This year we plan to launch our first outdoor summer market.

What business are you in?
We are a non-profit business that promotes the awareness and appreciation of regional artists, artisans, farmers & food entrepreneurs and to introduce the public to healthy, wholesome and local foods. "The SOUK" Farm Market is one avenue for achieving that mission.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?
Making our off-the-beaten-track location a destination in the dead of winter. We were told it would never work. We didn't want to disappoint the farmers and other food producers who travel long ways to serve our community. So that constant worry about "will it be busy" and "what can we do to attract more customers for our vendors" was always prevalent in the early days.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening?
Cultivating a community of diverse relationships and taking part in the growth of small businesses, including farmers, participating in our market.

How does your business give back to the community?
We are residents of Piermont, so we are very invested in our community. We have run multiple fundraisers to raise money for organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Camp Venture (in Sparkill). We have hosted events at our gallery for community non-profit organizations such as the Piermont Historical Society. And we ourselves are a not-for-profit organization.

PHOTO: Souk coffee/contributed

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email lanning.taliaferro@patch.com