Last year, my husband and I subscribed to a season’s worth of produce from a local farm. Every Thursday one of us went over to collect that week’s pickings. In the beginning weeks we made a lot of jokes about bok choy and greens we’d never heard of. It had been two generations since people like us were relying on local food.
But by the time Thanksgiving came, and the frost was visiting that farm’s rows, we were attached to our routine of seeing what was growing that week. We were telling everyone we knew about Jerusalem artichokes—incredible nutty, crunchy roots native to southern New England—and relishing the last of the heirloom tomatoes, blackberry preserves, autumn olive jam (yes, made from the fruit of the invasive vine that chokes our highways) and—yes—bok choy.
When Connecticut’s local food movement started picking up steam only a few years ago, I wondered if it would only last a short time, or be a hobby for the rich. I was wrong. Each year more farms crowd the list of local growers and although Connecticut is not to the point where it could feed its population with local food, many thousands now are doing so. Community gardens and backyard gardens are on the rise, too.
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Local food is good for society. It is fresher and therefore contains more vitamins and minerals. It reduces the numbers of trucks and planes importing food from afar. Food grown locally keeps more land in farming. It would be a dead state where the land is all lawns and buildings and asphalt. Finally, local food ensures that a critical mass of people understand how to feed ourselves even if an emergency blocked highways.
The state’s farms account for about 7 percent of the land, but farming acres increased slightly from 2002 to 2007 (according to the United States Census of Agriculture). An increase sounds promising, but some of that increase came from how shellfish beds are calculated, Connecticut’s Working Lands Alliance said.
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The subscription produce my family ate last year came from a “CSA,” a farm that sells shares called Community Supported Agriculture. We joined dozens of others who helped keep that farm going with our installment payments. Every county has CSAs now—some more than others—and they are inspiring more people to grow vegetables, now that they know what they look like. At my house, I grow blueberries, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. This year I will experiment with all manner of greens because our CSA farmer has inspired me. I haven’t planted Jerusalem artichokes yet, but when the tubers can be bought in the fall, I’m putting in a patch.
Not all Connecticut farms are organic, and those that are organic sometimes choose to forego the onerous federal organic certification program. So, if you are unsure and want to know whether a farm uses chemicals or has certification, ask the farmers.
Farmers’ Markets
Ledyard Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays 4 p.m. ‐ 7 p.m., June 15 ‐ Sept. 28
Ledyard Town Center, Fair Grounds
Mystic-Denison Farmers’ Market
Sunday, noon-3
Across from Denison/Pequotsepos Nature Center
120 Pequotsepos Road, Mystic
www.denisonsociety.org/market.html
Stonington Farmers’ Market
Saturdays 9 a.m. ‐ 12 noon, May 7 ‐ Nov. 12
Stonington Borough, Town Fishing Pier Lot
www.sviastonington.org/what.htm#Farmers
New London Farmer's Market
Expected to start in July
Tuesday and Friday, 10-2
Fiddleheads parking lot
13 Broad Street, New London
Groton Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays 11 a.m. ‐ 6 p.m., July 13 ‐ Nov. 2
Next to the Post Office, Rte. 1
Groton Shopping Plaza,
Mystic Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays 2 p.m. ‐ 6 p.m., May 3 ‐ Nov. 1
Quiambaug Fire House
50 Old Stonington Road
New London Fields of Green Farmers’ Market
Fridays 10 a.m.‐ 2 p.m., June 3 ‐ Oct. 28
Downtown New London's Parade Plaza
New London L&M Hospital Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays 12 noon ‐ 3:30 p.m., June 8 ‐ Oct. 26
L&M Hospital Employees Parking Lot
Waterford Farmers’ Market
Saturdays 9 a.m. ‐ 1 p.m., June 25 ‐ Oct. 29
Town Hall Parking Lot, 15 Rope Ferry Road
www.waterfordfarmersmarket.org
Madison Farmers’ Market
Friday, 3-6 pm., May 7-Oct. 29
Madison Town Green
27 Meeting House Road
Dudley Market at the Dudley Farm
Saturday, 9-12:30, June 5-Oct. 23
Corner of Routes 80 and 77
2351 Durham Road, North Guilford
203-457-0770
Farms:
Town Farm—CSA
Amanda Levine & Dylan Williams
49 Town Farm Road, Ledyard, CT 06339
860-572-8021
Hidden Brook Gardens
Bill Sokol and Anita Kopchinski
551 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Ledyard, CT 06339
860-912-1767
Farm stand by appointment. Sells produce and flowers via CSA and at Mystic/Denison and Lyme (Ashlawn Farm) market.
F.R.E.S.H. New London
Arthur Lerner c/o UWFC
374 Broad Street, New London
860-444-8050 x 14.
Terra Firma Farm
Brianne Casadei and Ethan Grimes
330 Al Harvey Road, Stonington
860-535-8171
Farm stand Monday-Saturday 9-6, closed Sunday
Starry Night Farm
Elizabeth H. Archer
368 Mistuxet Avenue, Stonington
860-535-4243
Sells at Stonington Farmers’ Market, Saturday 9-12.
Groton Family Farm
Warren Burrows
70 Fort Hill Road, Groton
860-235-1011
Farm stand seven days a week, 9-5.
www.grotonfamilyfarm.blogspot.com
Hunts Brook Farm
Teresa And Rob Schacht
108 Hunts Brook Road, Quaker Hill
860-443-1770
Studio Farm Products—CSA
Richard and Dorothy Wingate and Belinda Learned
5 Sand Hill Road, Voluntown, CT 06384
860-591-4172
2011 CSA: see website for details
Certified Organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers
Valchris Farm—CSA
Don Hess
400 Ridge Hill Road, Oakdale, CT 06370
860-848-2635
Certified Organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers
Email for details: hessdc@ct.metrocast.net
Trout Lily Farm
Michael A. Russo
3700 Durham Road
North Guilford
203-457-1313
Mad Hill Peppers
Tom Marone and Pamela Kadamus
437 Green Hill Road, Madison
203-641-1635 (Tom)
860-464-3050 (Pamela)
