Edgewood Park Market
Farmers and Vendors
Barberry Hill Farm |
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Common Ground High School Farm
Location: New Haven
Produces: Vegetables
Growing Practices: Non-certified Organic. Both students and staff at this farm engage in organic farming. Soil amendments include composted materials, manures, and organic fertilizers, and pest management relies on nourishing healthy plants and planting crops that attract "good" insects and local wildlife. An attempt to create a miniature wildlife corridor has brought many visitors to the farm including wild turkeys.
Motivation: Common Grounds really exists for its students and unlike any of the other farms at our market, this farm really exists for educational purposes. Students learn about food and help produce their own food as food raised on the farm is consumed in the cafeteria. Seeing students who started school not caring about wildlife, farming, or healthy food beg teachers to be let down to the fields to pick strawberries is just a small piece of what motivates Common Grounds and the New Haven Ecology Project to keep operating.
Colton's Corner Farm
Location: Cheshire
Produces: Apples and pears.
Four Mile River Farm
Location: South Lyme
www.fourmileriverfarm.com
Produces: Natural aged beefs, porks, eggs, and landscaping products.
Growing Practices: Farmer's Pledge. All Four Mile River Farm products are produced naturally and the number of animals is kept low so that the care each animal receives is higher. Animals are fed local foods, graze on free-range fields that are naturally fertilized, and sleep on locally produced and environmentally friendly sawdust. None of the animals are injected or given any antibiotics.
Motivation: Nunzio and Irene are proud of being able to raise animals in a natural stress-free environment and provide the community including farmers' markets, local stores, and restaurants, with non-industrial animal products. Four Mile River Farm believes in small farms and is proud to continue working as a small farm.
Riverbank Farm
Location: Roxbury
www.riverbankfarm.com
Produces: Certified Organic vegetables
Growing Practices: Certified Organic and Farmer's Pledge.
Motivation: David founded Riverbank Farm fourteen years ago and was joined by his wife Laura in 1996. Although David initially planned on entering the carpentry business, he got hooked on farming when one year he planted a half acre of vegetables. In the following years he continued to plant more and more. David and Laura truly love farming and are proud to offer their customers a wide variety of certified organic vegetables and tasty prepared foods.
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, 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
A Spoiled Dog
Location: East Haven
Produces: Pet Treats
Star Light Gardens
Location: Durham
Produces: Salad greens, microgreens, cut flowers, vegetables.
Growing Practices: Certified Organic and Farmer's Pledge. StarLight Gardens has 5 greenhouses in Durham and an adjacent field. All of the products are certified organic and so David uses organic fertilizers such as green manures, compost, and alfalfa meal. There is no pest management system because there aren't many pests but there is a gauze-like cover to protect some of the vegetables.
Motivation: David's dislike of industrial agriculture and its use of petrochemicals, along with a love of fresh foods, is why he continues to provide our market, his farm stand, and a few local restaurants with fresh vegetables and cut flowers.
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.
Voda Soap
Location: New Haven
www.vodasoap.com
Produces: Handmade artisan soaps
Sourcing Practices: Whenever possible Voda Soaps are made from certified organic raw ingredients. Debbie uses mainly coconut, olive, and palm oils but uses specialty ingredients such as mango butter. Local herbs are integrated into the product when in season.
Motivation: Exploring various creative careers and arts Debbie stumbled upon a soapmaking book and followed one of the book's recipes—immediately her friends started buying from her. Soon her products and their packaging became the creative career. The vision for Voda Soap is to provide customers with a luxurious natural product from which they can benefit. Linking herself with women-owned business circles, Debbie's soaps started selling and are now available in many retail stores across the country and are sold online. A trained herbalist that dreams of having her own apothecary, Debbie intends to release new products so be sure to check her out.
