Previously Featured Business:  Farmers & Artisans

Farmers and Artisans offers fresh market items year round

The aroma of fresh-baked bread may make the first impression, but there are many other foods available at Farmers and Artisans.

Opened in September at 78 E. Spring St. in the Village of Williamsville, near the Williamsville Water Mill the shop was inspired by farmers markets and offers quality, local goods to buyers year-round.

Co-owners Julie Blackman of Blackman Homestead Farm and David Setzer of Artful Table met at the Elmwood Bidwell winter market where both were selling their products. Jo’El Drajem of Blossom Hill Farm completes the business team and sells heritage pork and eggs from her farm.

Over time, Blackman and Setzer started talking about opening a business that carried goods during all seasons, and they decided to open a shop.

“We needed a year-round brick-and-mortar,” Blackman said.

What they found was a quaint store in the heart of Williamsville to hold their breads, cheeses, yogurts, produce, ciders, jams, baked goods and several other agricultural products.

Setzer said the shop is similar to a European market.

For years, he baked from his Snyder home, operating under the name Artful Table. Today he is at home behind the counter at Farmers and Artisans. He handmakes all the varieties of bread, using all-natural ingredients.

Blackman’s family has owned Blackman Homestead Farm in Lockport since 1852, and she is the sixth generation to work on the land.

In addition to offering fresh produce — including apples, pears and squash — she also makes fruit butters, sauces and fillings.

Farmers and Artisans is dedicated to offering local, organic goods. All items are from New York State, with the majority in the Western New York region, including Lake Effect Ice Cream and White Cow Dairy (yogurt).

“As local farmers and producers, we are very passionate about food, and we care deeply about the quality, sustainability and nutritive value of what we put in our mouths,” reads the company’s mission statement.

The shop is not just for speciality items, Setzer said. The goal is to create a place where clients can purchase an entire meal — meats, eggs, breads, produce and other items. Today it carries goods from approximately 20 vendors.

The owners are also planning to offer prepared foods using all local ingredients. Items customers might be seeing on the menu are chicken pot pie, meat loaf, meatballs and lasagna.

“Our goal is to help small farmers be able to make a living — give them a retail opportunity year-round,” he said.

The store also promotes value added products, which take raw foods and make them into something, such as jams.

Blackman said everything in the shop is related to agriculture. They hope to carry on the enthusiasm for the village’s farmers market throughout the year.

Farmers and Artisans is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Call 633-2830 or visit www. farmersandartisans. com.


by The Amherst Bee
JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor