By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — The Olean Area Farmers Market started its 2026 Winter Market Saturday at Miller’s Farm Market on Olean-Portville Road in the town of Olean.
The winter market will be open every other Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The dates are Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and 21, March 7 and 21 and April 4 and 18.
It marks a return to Olean after having operated out of the Canticle Farm Market in Allegany last winter, said Stephanie Beneng, who sits on the Farmers Market board. and is director of Canticle Farm.
Miller’s Farm Market, 1685 Olean-Portville Road, opens a heated space for vendors to the right of their market. “It brings it back closer to Olean, our main base, Beneng said.
The Olean Area Farmers Market home base at other times of the year is the Lincoln Park Pavilion in the city of Olean. The last one was in December. “This is much warmer,” Beneng said as she looked around the area — for vendors and customers.
Canticle Farm, which is open on Fridays from 9-5 p.m., sold out its just-picked greens in the first half hour, Beneng said. Their table featured Swiss chard, red cabbage, garlic, beets, carrots, squash and potatoes.
Corinne Potter of Olean carried a winter squash to the checkout. “It’s naturally grown,” she said. “:It’s closer than going to Allegany. I’m a devotee of Canticle Farm. In addition to food, they grow community. ”
Danelle Mascho of Mascho Homestead Farms of Belmont, and vice president of the Farmers market board was glad to be back at the farmers market.
Their farm sells grass-finished Angus beef and pasture-raised pork they raise on their 280-acre farm. Their frozen meat products are USDA inspected. They are not on the internet, Danelle said. They sell all that they raise on the family farm by word of mouth. handcrafted soaps, body butters, lip balms, and lotion bars.
Kendyl Sutherby of Sutherby Farm in Big Creek near Hornell, brought a variety of baked goods for sale. “We grow vegetables too, but come here in the off season with baked goods. Sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls seem to be local favorites.”
Next to her table, Patrick Chesney was representing Whiney Shepherds, which makes wine with locally sourced honey. Since the company is from Cuba, with its annual Garlic Festival, they also make a garlic wine for cooking.
“We’re three or four years-old,” Chesney said. “We’re growing by word of mouth. You should know your local farmer and you should know your local winemaker.”
Pamela Putt, owner of Bantydee Soaps Etc., of West Branch Road in Allegany, had a table full of handcrafted soaps, body butters, lip balms and lotion bars.
She was selling glycerin and tallow-based soaps and other body products as well as crafts.
Aaron Santangelo, who was giving out samples of goat cheese from Bellhurst Farms in Cuba, was doing double duty watching his infant son.
Rolling Scones had a large table of baked goods you could almost smell through the packaging.
Benneng said the Winter Farmers Market would have one or two guest vendors each week as well.
