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Despite overwhelming public support demanding the approval of Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market’s move from the Nathan Hale Museum to 307 Spring Street in the Town of Coventry, the Planning & Zoning commission again delayed the market’s special permit request. The delayed vote further hurts the chances of the market's being able to remain in Coventry for the 2012 season. Winter Caplanson, the market's executive director, said the market will now more seriously consider invitations to use space in other towns for this year's market.
A barn REQUIRES a traffic Study?
The Cy Regional Farmers' Market (CRFM) was the lucky recipient of the American Farmland Trust's GREAT BARN GIVE AWAY and was awarded an open air post-and-beam barn worth $80,000! VIEW THE SPECS OF THE BARN HERE that was given to the Coventry Planning & Zoning Commission.
Although Connecticut Landmarks, operators of the Nathan Hale Homestead, had given permission and encouragement for the market to enter the contest, after the win of this well-deserved award, Connecticut Landmarks sought to charge the farmers' market an annual rental fee for the barn. This and other proposed lease terms were well beyond what the farmers' market could afford, making it impossible to continue at Hale.
The market was offered the Silver Street site and organizers drew up plans to construct its barn on the new property. But Winter Caplanson, Executive Director of the nonprofit CRFM, said she and other market leaders recently learned that the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, might vote to require a costly and lengthy review and full-scale traffic study by the State Traffic Commission.
Historically, traffic studies have been conducted when there is a need for road work, road repair, or other contracted physical changes to existing roadways. Requiring such an extensive traffic study to move a farmers market from 2299 South Street, zoned General Residential Zone 80 in Coventry, 2.9 miles away to 307 Silver Street, is highly excessive. Additionally, and as you can see from the map below, most of the farmers' market traffic at the Hale Homestead Museum traveled on Silver Street to get to and from the market. Silver Street has already proven able to safely handle the market's traffic.
The new proposed Silver Street location for the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market is zoned Commercial/Agricultural Zone on the west side of the street and General Residential Zone 80 on the east side of Silver Street. You can see the zoning map here indicating the old and new proposed locations for the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market.
The last major public traffic study published by the CT Department of Transportation was the Buckland Area Transportation Study in August of 2010 to identify near- and long-term transportation improvements for the roadway network in the Buckland commercial area which encompasses portions of the Towns of Manchester, South Windsor and East Hartford. Additional DOT calls to action have requested official traffic studies for the I-84/Route 8 Waterbury Interchange, State Pier Deficiencies, and to assess Route 8 Deficiencies from Seymour to Waterbury. These are major highways and thoroughfares that affect millions of vehicle passengers on a yearly basis.
Why a full-scale State Traffic Study is unnecessary
According to the Department of Transportation’s website: Does the CT State Traffic Commission ever deny an application because residents or a town objects to a development? Answer:
“No. The STC and the Division of Traffic Engineering of the DOT work closely with the local traffic authority of a town in determining the requirements for roadway improvements in conjunction with the issuance of certificates of operation. By statute, the STC can only consider traffic safety in its review. While issues such as the impact on the environment or the quality of life in a town which may be impacted by a large development may be valid, they do not come under the STC's jurisdiction. These are decisions that must be made on a local level. If a developer's engineer can demonstrate, through accepted traffic engineering techniques, that the improvements proposed by the developer to mitigate the impact of the generated traffic are adequate, the STC will normally issue a certificate of operation.”
This means that the CT State Traffic Commission will rely on the input of Coventry’s Local Traffic Authority: Mr. John A Elsesser, Town Manager, Town of Coventry @ 1712 Main Street, Coventry, CT 06238, 860-742-6324, JElsesser@coventryct.org. Additionally, the Local Traffic Authority (LTA) of each town (Mr. Elsesser of Coventry) is contacted during the course of the technical review conducted by the Division of Traffic Engineering at the State Department of Transportation. The LTA's concurrence or nonconcurrence is noted at the State Traffic Control’s meeting. How to get an official traffic study?
It is our understanding that Mr. Elsesser’s objections to the market’s move 2.9 miles to a new location, and their request to build an open-air post-and-beam barn, would have to be noted at the State Traffic Control’s meeting and he would relinquish his Local Traffic Authority (LTA) control turning the issue over to be determined by a traffic study by the CT Department of Transportation. Such actions fly in the face of the mandates set forth in the Coventry Land Use Handbook and the House Bill no. 5472, Public Act no. 11-188 authorizing local and regional considerations of agriculture in local plans of conservation and development, effective October 1, 2011.
A highly excessive response in light of the facts. All of this because of a BARN?
Check out this picture of the barn that "requires" a $25,000 traffic study.
Also according to the DOT’s website, “Pursuant to Section 14-311 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a certificate of operation is required for all developments of 100,000 square feet of floor area and/or 200 or more parking spaces which abut or adjoin a state highway or which substantially affect state highway traffic. A certificate is required for any new development or an expansion of an existing development which, in its entirety, equals or exceeds the aforementioned thresholds and abuts or adjoins a state highway. A new certificate is required for any development which is already certified, and is increasing its parking facilities by 50 or more parking spaces, increasing in square footage or is proposing any significant change in use from that previously approved (i.e., office-to-retail). Pursuant to Section 14-311c, developments which share access or are contiguous and commonly owned are collectively considered in the application process.”
FACTS:
- The size of the proposed barn is NOT 100,000 square feet or more of floor space
- The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market is not asking, requesting, or proposing the creation or construction of a paved parking lot. They will maintain an area of open grassy field for parking -- just like they did at the Hale Homestead Museum. And, just like at Hale, over-flow parking areas will be maintained for public safety and to keep the roadway clear of congested traffic.
- The 307 Spring Street location for the CRFM does not abut or adjoin a state highway
- The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market is not proposing a zoning change at the 307 Spring Street site in order to host their market there.
According to the Hartford Courant, Caplanson said the farmers’ market was made an offer from a nearby town to use "a very prominent piece of town-owned land that is good to go for large events and has ample parking." Caplanson said she didn't want to name the town until the entire market committee could review the offer.
Caplanson said a number of other offers to host the market also came in to the committee over the weekend, one of which might be considered this week. Caplanson declined to name the location, but said it is already permitted and licensed to hold an event like the farmers market.
Buy Local Connecticut!
- Adding a voice of support for the Coventry Regional Farmers Markets and the farmers, producers, and artisans that depend on this regional food hub for their incomes,
- Formally requesting that all necessary permits, zoning approvals, traffic studies, and other safety precautions are expedited as quickly and as fairly as possible to ensure that planning for the 2012 Farmers Market season can proceed,
- Speaking on the citizens’ behalf to let the State of Connecticut know how very valuable the Coventry Regional Farmers Market is to you and to our local food and agriculture movements.
Here’s what some folks who signed the petition had to say.
Trudy Mitchell: Bolton, CT: “Every activity in CT that brings community together in such a positive way should continue unrestricted and unfettered. Additionally, such a great Farmers' Market in Coventry brings tourism into the area - all pluses for Connecticut's economic future and the people who live here.”
Cathy Mitchell: Coventry, CT: “The CRFM has added so much to our town. It brings in much needed business as well as tourism dollars. We own the Daniel Rust House B&B & nearly all our guests visit..and re-visit the market. It is a feather in this towns cap.”
Tricia Staley, Norwich, CT: “The Coventry Regional Farmers' Market reaches well beyond Coventry, both for vendors and consumers. From a financial policy perspective, if we are to fulfill Gov. Malloy's stated goal of keeping/creating jobs in Connecticut, here's an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that commitment. This is direct support for agriculture and small business -- local and regional. State agencies should be doing everything they can to make this easier, not harder and more costly.”
MaryLynne Boisvert, Bristol, CT: “I am one of the vendors and if the market does not run, I will lose 20% of my income.”
Stephen Gronda, Glen Cove, NY: “I am a former Nutmegger and lived in Coventry for several years. I am also an environmental professional, and a Planning Board member. Traffic studies are often filled with "Consultant Verbiage," such as:"While the roadway and intersection as presently situated are considered Failed, with minor lighting adjustments this situation can be improved." Hmmmm!. I regularly go to farmer's markets in NY and believe that positives of such a market so exceed any environmental issues arising out of its possible slight expansion that hindrance should be avoided.”
Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc, Elfers, FL: “PLEASE, PLEASE keep this wonderful venue, open. As a person who lives in an area where NOTHING hand-crafted, made with love, unique and even useful is welcomed or even considered, I can't tell you how much it means to me to visit places that do give such variety and wondrous offerings. I don't live anywhere near this market, but I can assure you, as surely as I'm sitting here typing this plea, that if I did, I'd not only visit, but also participate...”
Cheryll Moreau: Coventry, CT: “I have been attending the Farmers Market since its beginning and have only seen the benefits it has given to this area and to our town and local residence. If there has never been a need for a traffic study before why now? Who's fingers are in this one and don't blame it on a barn because a barn is not what would bring more traffic. Why does it seem every time something good and wholesome comes along from someone’s hard work there is always someone else that wants to throw a road block in the way. Lets preserve this great event and do everything we can to see it last for a great many years to come. Many Thanks to the Farmers Market Committee!”
PUBLIC Planning & Zoning Meeting on January 16th, 2012
The final public Planning & Zoning meeting to determine the fate of the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market will be on Monday, January 16th at 7pm at the Coventry Town Hall Annex Building at 1712 Main Street in Coventry. Thousands have shown support for the Coventry Farmers’ Market by attending prior public meetings, sending letters of support, and signing the online petition to SAVE the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market.
According to Winter Caplanson, Executive Director of the nonprofit Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market:
“I know that the hearing is still open... people can speak and information can be presented. They have not asked us for any new information. But after Monday, they cannot extend it any further without our permission. The hearing must be closed after Monday night which means no new information can be taken into consideration. They DO NOT have to vote to issue a special permit for the farmers’ market Monday night, though we hope they will. I think it's 65 days that they have to consider and discuss before they are required to render a decision. It is these continuous delays that will hurt our farmers and the market’s ability to proceed forward in Coventry.”
The Chronicle had some good info: In light of the fact that a full-scale state traffic study is excessive, State Traffic Commission (STC) Executive Director David A. Sawicki and Coventry Town Planner Eric Trott said information from the town’s traffic study could be incorporated into the state-mandated study and this could shorten the process. Sawicki said an initial review of the plans seems to indicate it is not likely the farmer’s market site would require the same level of work as there might be for a large development. He added, “There’s currently already a left-turn lane; that’s a plus for them.”
Why is this meeting happening?
Connecticut Landmarks, operators of the Nathan Hale Homestead, had given permission and encouragement for the Coventry Regional Farmers Market to enter the AFT Great Barn Give Away contest.
AFTER the win of this well-deserved award, Connecticut Landmarks sought to charge the farmers' market an annual rental fee for the barn. This and other proposed lease terms were well beyond what the farmers' market could afford, making it impossible to continue at Hale.
A supporter offered a spectacular piece of land for a new market location, but because plans drawn for the Planning & Zoning process include more than 200 parking spaces, the State of Connecticut State Traffic Commission will need to determine the impact of the market's relocation on highway traffic. This requires a $25,000 traffic study and an expected 6 months processing time before a permit for use can be obtained.
The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market seeks simply to move its operations to a new, affordable location that offers a fair, long-term lease.
Meeting information:
PZC Special Meeting
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 7:00 PM
For continued discussion of the Coventry Regional Farmers Market special permit.
Location: Coventry Town Hall Annex Building
1712 Main Street, Coventry, CT 06238
Coventry Planning & Zonning Contact Information
Eric Trott, Director of Planning & Development etrott@coventryct.org
Bonnie Potocki, Zoning Enforcement Officer bpotocki@coventryct.org
Todd Penney, Town Engineer/Inland Wetlands Agent tpenney@coventryct.org
Brenda Bennett, Land Use Permit Technician bbennett@coventryct.org
Buy Local Connecticut!
WHO?
The Coventry Regional Farmers' Market has been cited as Connecticut’s BEST farmers’ market by Yankee Magazine, Boston Magazine and American Farmland Trust! New England Travel Magazine calls ours “Connecticut’s preeminent farmers’ market.” June through October, it’s the largest and most diverse farmers’ market in Connecticut.
The Coventry Regional Farmers Market is the largest hub of local commerce in the entire state of Connecticut drawing in over 65,000 visitors each season and infusing a minimum of $20,000 of local monies directly into local food and agriculture businesses each week.
According to a Hartford Courant article: Coventry Regional Farmers Market Still Faces Obstacles red tape with Planning & Zoning and with the State Traffic Commission are hindering the markets move from the Nathan Hale Homestead to a new location.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
The issue is TIMING and COST.
The Coventry Regional Farmers' Market was the lucky recipient of the American Farmland Trust's GREAT BARN GIVE AWAY and was awarded an open air post-and-beam barn worth $80,000!
Sounds great, right?
Although Connecticut Landmarks, operators of the Nathan Hale Homestead, had given permission and encouragement for the market to enter the contest, after the win of this well-deserved award, Connecticut Landmarks sought to charge the farmers' market an annual rental fee for the barn. This and other proposed lease terms were well beyond what the farmers' market could afford, making it impossible to continue at Hale.
A supporter offered a spectacular piece of land for a new market location, but because plans drawn for the Planning & Zoning process include more than 200 parking spaces, the State of Connecticut State Traffic Commission will need to determine the impact of the market's relocation on highway traffic. This requires a $25,000 traffic study and an expected 6 months processing time before a permit for use can be obtained.
Both the timing and the costs of these setbacks is hindering the planning and implementation of the 2012 farmers’ market season. Winter Caplanson, executive director of the nonprofit that manages the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market said, “Caplanson said vendor applications for farmers would typically have been sent out already and would be due back in February. The market's committee would have already planned the summer's events and partnered with other organizations. None of that has been worked on yet for 2012.”
George Krivda, the legislative program manager at the Connecticut State Department of Agriculture, said the market is highly valued by his department. "It would be a horrible shame, unfathomable to the department that the Coventry Farmers Market would cease to exist," he said.
- Adds your voice of support for the Coventry Regional Farmers Markets and the farmers, producers, and artisans that depend on this regional food hub for their incomes,
- Formally requests that all necessary permits, zoning approvals, traffic studies, and other safety precautions are expedited as quickly and as fairly as possible to ensure that planning for the 2012 Farmers Market season can proceed,
- Speaks on your behalf to let the State of Connecticut know how very valuable the Coventry Regional Farmers Market is to you and to our local food and agriculture movements.
To send additional letters of support, email: marketmasters@CoventryFarmersMarket.com
Buy Local Connecticut!
MarkBittman’s recent article, No Turkeys Here, published on November 19th struck a solemn cord with me. I never republish anyone else’s digital content or blots and I never steal digital content. Having said, I am going to opt to republish some of Mark’s blog post as it highlights some of the best sustainable food and farming people, programs, and institutions across the nation this year. If some of these people or programs are new to you, I hope you dig in and learn about them. He says it better than most of us could (which is why he gets paid the big bucks!)
Thanks Mark for all of your diligent research and food advocacy and witty writing. I’ve added my own comments as well – a joint-a-article, I suppose . . . . . .
The things that I too am thankful for this Thanksgiving:
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Start — as many of those involved in the food movement did — with Marion Nestle, the nutrition and policy guru and an all-around heroine. (Her daily blog, Food Politics, is always worth a look.) Put simply: eat per Marion’s advice and you’ll be eating better. (You’ll probably live longer, too, but as Marion might say, “the studies are incomplete.”)
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For low-income people, better eating often starts with WIC andSNAP. It’s a shame we need these food assistance programs, but it’s great that we have them, and we must fight to preserve and improve them.
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There are more than half as many farmers’ markets as there are McDonald’s. The markets are gaining ground, and fantastic groups like Wholesome Wave are making them more affordable. God bless Michel Nischan for his passion, leadership, and commitment to underserved populations. You’re our hero, Michel!
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Hooray for the Environmental Working Group, our best watchdog on misallocated subsidies, ethanol policies and a variety of conservation issues.
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Journalists. Especially Barry Estabrook (of the blog Politics of the Plate), Tom Philpott (Mother Jones) and Tom Laskawy (Grist), old-school guys who dig up the food stories you need to read. In her blog and her book (both called “Superbug”), Maryn McKenna routinely scares me half to death. Then there’s Raj Patel, a social justice writer who focuses on food; his “Stuffed and Starved” is a classic critique of the world food “system.”
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Can’t mention Estabrook (or his book “Tomatoland”) without a shout out to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who showed that farm workers could fight for and win better working conditions.
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Speaking of fighting, Just Label It and others are involved in the much-needed struggle for better food labeling.
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If Michael Pollan had done nothing other than say, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” we’d still owe him a great debt. But his new edition of rules (“An Eater’s Manual”) features the typically gorgeous art of the great Maira Kalman.
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We also owe the Humane Society of the United States, Mercy for Animals and PETA (they can be extreme and, I think, even silly, but still…). All decry animal abuse on a daily basis, sometimes at physical risk to their employees. It’s tough work; it isn’t pretty; but as awareness increases so will the cry for change.
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For his long-range view and persistence, you have to love Wes Jackson, whose Land Institute is advancing perennial agriculture as an alternative to input-heavy annual monoculture.
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Few views are as long-range as those of Wendell Berry, who’s pushing 80. The farmer, poet, novelist and essayist is a leading voice for sustainability and common sense, and perhaps the first scribe of the food movement.
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Serious thanks to Bill McKibben, who’s trying to keep the earth in good enough shape to grow things on it, and Tim DeChristopher, who put his freedom on the line (and lost it) protesting oil and gas leases on public land.
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And to Bill Marler, who, as the leading food safety attorney in the country, is trying to keep the things we grow from killing us. Check out Michele Simon on Marler’s Food Safety News, too.
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The Rudd Center has spearheaded the movement for a much-needed soda tax. When that happens … well, woo-hoo: we’ll know that serious and lasting change has come.
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For better and still improving school lunches, let’s thank Ann Cooper (the Renegade Lunch Lady), Kate Adamick, Chef Tim Cipriano, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act , and Michelle Obama.
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With Washington on the agenda, a shout out to Ezra Klein, the hardworking economics and politics writer whose daily WonkBlog is indispensable.
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Four D.C. lawmakers with the guts to fight Big Ag: Senators Bernie Sanders (a national treasure), Jon Tester, an organic farmer, and Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Chellie Pingree. There are others, but not enough; next year there should be more.
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All of the courageous farmers in Connecticut Farmer & Feast and New York City Farmer & Feast. Telling your stories has humbled me to the core.
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Finally: Thanks to anyone who’s started a small farm in the last five years, and anyone who’s supported one; anyone who cooks, and especially anyone who teaches others to cook. Let’s acknowledge all real farmers, stewards of the earth, as well as those fishers and ranchers who get it: there are plenty, and their numbers are increasing.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Meet the Hartford County Farmers featured in Connecticut Farmer & Feast, a revolutionary new cookbook by Emily Brooks.
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Meet the Tolland County Farmers featured in Connecticut Farmer & Feast, a revolutionary new cookbook by Emily Brooks.
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Meet the Litchfield County Farmers featured in Connecticut Farmer & Feast, a revolutionary new cookbook by Emily Brooks.
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Help the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market Win a Barn!
American Farmland Trust received over 60 entries so it took some time to narrow it down! BUT, they did it.
The three finalists have been chosen -- and the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market is among the finalists! Voting ends August 15th!
So, it shouldn't come as any surprise after reading this
New York Times article that the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market is one of three finalists in the running to win an open air post and beam barn estimated at $80,000 through
The Great Barn Giveaway.
But it needs YOUR VOTE! There's only two weeks to vote -- Ending on August 15th.
More than 60 farmers markets submitted entries for a shot at winning a barn. A market in Michigan, another in New Jersey and Connecticut made the cut.
Why? For their awesome essay, their vision for the future of the market and the ever-growing community support. More than 75,000 visitors come to the market each season.
THIS is “the little market that could.” Our all-volunteer team has grown The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market from a seed to a legend in only eight seasons. Follow a twisting country back road to the Nathan Hale Homestead any summer Sunday, and it will unfold before you, as one visiting chef exclaimed, “like Woodstock.” And that sweet barn you are poised to give away? It’s just the boost needed to propel us that much closer toward farmers’ market Nirvana.
“Equal parts country fair and farmers’ market, The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market feels like a momentous celebration each and every Sunday, with cooking demonstrations, sustainable living programs, kids’ activities and musical guests. After traveling to over 50 markets while writing my book, Markets of New England (The Little Bookroom, 2011), I can honestly say that the Coventry Regional Farmers Market is easily one of the top five events in the region.” -Christine Chitnis
Over 75,000 visitors make their way to the CRFM every season to enjoy an old-fashioned gathering of farmers, produce, freshly baked pies, sparkling jars of preserves and pickles, handmade goods, and fiddlers. New England Travel Magazine calls it “Connecticut’s preeminent farmers’ market.” Surrounded by over 500 acres of forest and picturesque rural landscape, the historic farmstead setting provides a gracious backdrop for this vibrant, destination market.
It’s the largest and most diverse of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture certified farmers’ markets. Each market day, 3,000-5,000 customers come from nearby, from across the state, and even over from the next to reach us. Along the way, and afterward, they stop to shop at independent businesses, boosting the local economy.
The CRFM’s range and quality of offerings delights customers and chefs who shop here and generate sales that rival New York City markets. A carefully cultivated vendor balance creates a microcosm where farmers, food producers, and artisans buy from, support, and promote one another. Our market offers the kind of substantial, direct sales that can tip the balance toward farm profitability.
Market day is a community event abuzz with people greeting each other, reconnecting, and reestablishing ties. It is a sensory and communal experience that evokes pride what is grown and made in our region.
CRFM market-goers know our farmers, visit their farms, and stay updated on farm happenings through our active use of social media. Our customers have a sense of ownership and personal stake in the future of family farms.
BUT, the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market could offer MORE if we were to win that gem of open air barn structure from Yankee Barn Homes, the Farmers Market Coalition and the American Farmland Trust!
Our site host, Connecticut Landmarks, has given permission for the barn to be constructed in the market field. The barn would be maintained by the CRFM and its Working Friends of the Market. This market will surely make the most of your gift!
The 24-ft x 36-ft space would allow us to:
Conduct our weekly programs in a sheltered location where the public can gather for chef demonstrations, do-it-yourself lessons, book signings, gardening lectures, and children’s activities and story telling. (Though you haven’t lived until you’ve attempted to lead a program on a windy day while simultaneously holding down an EZ-Up tent!)
Offer a Tanglewood-esque music experience. The CRFM is a favorite site for musical performers, both new and established. Currently, they are wedged into a tight space only advantageous in that it offers shade. To linger, listeners must to sit in a dusty market path. We envision musicians, instead, performing just inside a huge barn door with market goers all about in front, their picnic blankets laid out in the lush, green grass. Audio speakers permanently mounted aloft on the barn would speed setup time and allow music to drift throughout the market field. This public address system would also allow us to make announcements and communicate in the case of emergency.
Support the sharing of community resources. The CRFM Swappers group organizes cash-free swaps of seedlings, garden produce, eggs, preserves, cookbooks and handcrafted foods. Customers and vendors alike join in. The barn would be a perfect meeting place to hold swaps and allow us to grow… a TimeBank? A tool library? We’re full of ideas!
Market barn as ArtSpace! The work of artists young and old could be displayed on barn wall space, giving them exposure and providing the public a free art exhibition on market days. We could kick it off with our own traveling photo exhibit: Market Roots. This wonderful collection of CRFM member farm photos will not otherwise be able to travel to our own market!
Teach Homesteading Skills Workshops after market hours. Our intensive, hands-on classes on canning, cheesemaking, bread baking, pickling, quilting, and more allow market experts to share their skills with folks eager to learn to be more productive and self-sufficient. Room in the barn would allow this program to expand as it would no longer have to compete for space.
Store market materials securely. Last year, vandals stole and damaged market equipment, requiring expensive replacement. We could outfit a portion of the barn to provide secure storage space.
Winning an open air barn structure from Yankee Barn Homes, the Farmers Market Coalition and the American Farmland Trust would propel this farmers’ market to the next level… that beautiful barn would be a touchstone anchoring this place where we gather to shop, socialize, eat, toe tap, learn, play and relax, and strengthen a community of people with a reverence for farming at its very core.
Buy Local Connecticut!
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Buy Local Connecticut!
Meet the New London County Farmers featured in Connecticut Farmer & Feast, a revolutionary new cookbook by Emily Brooks.