NEW JERSEY: Edison Mayor Jun Choi last week, announced the establishment of the Edison Farmers Market on Amboy Avenue in Edison, NJ.Mayor Choi lauded the new market as part of the positive changes he is committed to bringing to the community. This is the first Farmers Market on record in Edison since 1980. "This is a great quality of life improvement that will draw people to the area. Edison has a lot to offer and this will be another attraction.

We were able to put this together through a grant program so it doesn't add any cost to the taxpayers," Mayor Choi said.More than 30 per cent of Edison's population is Indian American. The Edison Farmers Market is part of the township's Neighborhood Preservation Program, designed to revitalize the extended Amboy Avenue neighborhood area.

In November 2007, Mayor Choi announced that the township received the $525,000 grant from the state Department of Community Affairs.The Edison Farmer's Market will be open on Sundays between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from July 27 through September 28. The market location will be in the rear parking lot of Provident Bank at 980 Amboy Ave. It is the only Farmer's Market in Middlesex County that will be open on Sundays.

Four farmers have already signed on to fill the market with blueberries, sweet corn, fresh cut flowers and other locally grown fruits and vegetables. The Edison Farmers Market will participate in the state Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which provides $20 in vouchers for senior citizens to use at the market. More than two dozen Edison seniors have already signed up for the vouchers.The market will also participate in the state Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program.The Edison Farmer's Market will become the 107th such market in the state.

Historically, markets were held for business trade, which included livestock, lumber and crops. Today, Farmers Markets are a great place to slow people down from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Neighbors have the opportunity to meet up and share conversations at the markets.