Community Corner

Creating The Connecticut Farmers' Market Trail

Spend the summer enjoying fresh local food along the newly created Connecticut Farmers' Market Trail.

 

There is something about biting into a sweet, juicy, red strawberry that just screams summertime to me.  

Some people measure the beginning of summer by Memorial Day, or the end of school, or the first day the temperature hits 80. I measure it with food. It can’t be summer until I’ve had lobster for dinner, sat on the porch with a bowl of strawberries and bought an entire week’s worth of groceries from the farmers market.

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Luckily for me, and anyone else obsessed with local food, a group of Connecticut farmers and producers has made it easier than ever to enjoy fresh local food all summer long, while exploring parts of Connecticut at the same time.

Ten markets throughout eastern Connecticut joined together this year to form the Connecticut Farmers' Market Trail. The idea of the trail is to help the farmers market themselves while providing customers with more market options.

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“The customers benefit by getting an overview of 10 fantastic markets they can visit, plus a lot information about activities they can do in addition to the markets, allowing them to make a day out of a trip to a market,” said Master Stuart Woronecki.

Woronecki, Winter Caplanson of Coventry Regional Farmers' Market, Brianne Casadei of and graphic designer Sue Muldoon began forming the market trail a few months ago. They selected 10 markets to start the trail as a pilot program.

“One criterion for inclusion on the FMT is that there must be other offerings in addition to the actual market,” Woronecki said. “Local farms that allow visitors, farm-to-table restaurants, locally-owned shops, hiking trails, and the like were all considered.”

Each of the 10 gave a $100 donation to the trail which goes toward marketing the trail through Facebook, a website and brochures. Max Restaurant Group and a few local banks also donated money for the trail. If the founding markets deem the trail successful they hope to continue and expand it next year.

“It offers many choices for a great day either as a family or perhaps even just by yourself,” Woronecki said.

Grab the reusable totes, pile into the car and start exploring the Connecticut Farmers' Market Trail:

Chester Sunday Market: Described as a European-style market in a Connecticut River village, the Chester Sunday Market on Main Street is open on Sundays from June 17 to Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market: Not just a market, the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market has more than 50 vendors, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and more each Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., June through October, at 2299 South St.

Farmers’ Market at Billings Forge: Open on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 536 Broad St., in Hartford. This market is open year-round and provides herbs, flowers and produce for the Firebox Restaurant.

Lyme Farmer’s Market: Swap recipes while picking up grass-fed beef, cheeses, seafood and more at the Lyme Farmers’ Market. The market is open on Saturdays from June through October from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 78 Bill Hill Road.

Denison Farm Market: The place to go for meat, seafood, honey, eggs, jellies and preserves and of course fruits and vegetables. The market is open June through October on Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. at 120 Pequotsepos Road in Mystic.

Old Saybrook Farmer’s Market: The 14-year-old market has art galleries and antique shops to browse at 210 Main St., Open on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Northeast CT Farmers Market: Open on Monday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. This market at 18 Kennedy Drive in Putnam is part of a town that New England Travel Magazine called one of New England’s Best Small Towns. You might as well as find out why.

Stonington Village Farmers Market: Is the community-gathering place on Saturday mornings. Visit the market from 9 a.m. to noon at the town docks and then walk through the historic seaside village.

Storrs Farmers Market: There’s more to Storrs than UConn. Explore the quirky shops or hiking trails before visiting the farmers market from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays at 1235 Storrs Road.

Wethersfield Farmers’ Market: Take the trolley from historic Old Wethersfield to the market located on the grounds of the Solomon Welles House at 220 Hartford Ave. The market is open on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

 

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