A farmers market operated by the North Shore-LIJ Health System, local organizations and members of the Spinney Hill community on the Manhasset-Great Neck border opened Sunday as part of the health system’s “Healthy on the Hill” initiative.
The market will run on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October 27 at the North Shore-LIJ Health System headquarters at 125 Community Drive in Manhasset.
Lisa Burch, the health system’s director of sustainability and social responsibility, said the market seeks to teach the Spinney Hill community wellness through a combination of fitness, healthy eating and health screenings.
“This market became an opportunity to give the community access to the fruits and vegetables they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Burch said.
The “Healthy on the Hill” initiative combines the North Shore-LIJ Health System, the Spinney Hill community, Sustainable Long Island, a community-based organization promoting economic development, environmental health and social equity for Long Islanders; the Long Island Green Market, which helps run other farmers markets across Long Island; and the Greentree Foundation, a Manhasset-based non-profit organization dedicated to international justice and human rights issues.
The Greentree Foundation also awarded the health system $10,000 to operate the market, according to a press release issued by North Shore-LIJ Health System.
Burch said the produce of local farmers, like the East Moriches-based Stan Pat Farm and Perez Market of Goshen, N.Y., will be sold at the market.
North Hempstead Councilwoman Anna Kaplan, who attended the opening of the farmer’s market, said in a statement, “This farmer’s market is a testament to the great things that can be accomplished when community organizations come together. Eating nutritious foods is so important, so I am pleased to have fresh fruits and vegetables available to our residents so close to home.”
Nancy Copperman, North Shore-LIJ Health System’s director of public health initiatives, said “Healthy on the Hill” focuses on healthy eating, active living and a focus on key health issues.
The program will also provide free cardiovascular screenings as well as fitness challenges, and includes the refurbishing of the pool at Whitney Pond Park, Copperman said. The Manhasset High School swim team has volunteered to give swimming lessons, and the Manhasset High School athletic department will also host a lacrosse camp in an effort to entice people into using the park more frequently.
“The point of all this is to keep people healthy so they don’t have to come to the hospital in the first place,” Copperman said.
