Downtown Market
Farmers and Vendors
Barberry Hill Farm
Location: Madison
Produces: Cut flowers, vegetables, wool, free-range eggs, potted plants, and orchard fruits.
Growing Practices: Sustainable. Barberry Hill Farm mulches municipal leaves, which provide a rich layer of topsoil and helps keep plants' roots moist. Consequently, Kingsley doesn't have to add any additional soil amendments and doesn't even need an irrigation system to keep his 20-acre farm running!
Borelli Farm
Location: Northford
Produces: Corn, flowers, mixed vegetables, pumpkins, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and greens.
Colton's Corner Farm
Location: Cheshire
Produces: Apples and pears.
Northfordy Farm
Location: Northford
Produces: Vegetables, maple syrup, free-range eggs.
Growing Practices: Sustainable and Farmer's Pledge. Before the USDA takeover of organics, this farm was certified organic and since then none of their practices have changed. Peter sits on the board of NOFA and is very active in promoting truly sustainable agriculture—organically grown local foods, not organic industrial agriculture. They use organic practices such as cover cropping, crop rotating, mulching, composting, and only occasionally uses mineral soil amendments. As for pests, the focus is on soil fertility and growing healthy plants that can defend themselves and attract the "good" insects. In addition, Northfordy is also proud of their system of intercropping to prevent infestations and to mimick nature's biodiversity--- only in a desperate situation will organic sprays be used.
Motivation: Providing sustainable food to the local community and advocating for sustainable local foods is what motivates Northfordy.
Rose's Berry Farm:
Location: South Glastonbury
www.rosesberryfarm.com
Produces: Vegetables, cut flowers, berries, apples, potted plants, fresh eggs, baked goods, jams, vinegars, pies, and sauces.
Growing Practices: Rose's uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on its over 100-acre farm.
Motivation: Rose's Berry Farm has been around since 1910 and continues to provide great tasting berries to Connecticut along with many other offerings now. Rose's sells to markets, at their farm stand, and offers "pick-your-own" at different times throughout the year.
SoNo Baking Company
Location: South Norwalk
www.sonobaking.com/
Produces:Pastries, Bread, and Tarts
Stone Gardens
Location: Shelton
www.stonegardensfarm.com
Produces: A wide variety of vegetables including corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, greens, beets, eggplant, cucumbers, garlic, as well as fresh eggs and much more.
Growing Practices: Stone Gardens utilizes Integrated Pest Management, only spraying when necessary.
Motivation: Started by Fred and Stacia Monahan eight years ago, Stone Gardens has grown tremendously in recent years and is known for its sweet corn. Providing their customers delicious, fresh, and healthy food is one of their top priorities, and they are renown for their sweet corn.
Waldingfield Farm
Location: Washington
www.waldingfieldfarm.com/
Produces: Vegetables, heirloom tomatoes
Growing Practices: Certified Organic
Motivation: Reclaiming their great-grandfather's old dairy farm, Waldingfield Farm is a 20 acre family affair run by the Horan brothers growing many varieties of rare heirloom tomatoes. They aspire to Thomas Jefferson's vision of virtuous yeoman farmers and self-sufficient, sustainable communities, nurturing their soil and their community.
