by Connor Sweeney with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
This week's farmers market spotlight took me to Waterbury just off Interstate I-89 on exit 10. When driving through the town of Waterbury there was a sense of simplicity within its streets which I found to be very welcoming.
When I arrived at the farmers market I was greeted by the sound of a 6-string guitar and singing, Live music always adds a nice tone when walking around the market. The first stand I ran into was Humbiont Fermentary, this business is stationed in Waterbury Vermont where they make flavorful variations of Craft mead. I learned a lot about the complexities and methods used to make craft mead during my conversation with the owner Chris Younce.
Another stand that stood out to me was Goldenrod Design Gardens and Events owned by Rachel Babin. This Stand contained a plethora of startup plants ranging from Parsley, Basil, Catnip, and Liquorice Mint (Which I had never heard of before). Most people don’t know the benefits of using startup plants, when transplanted into your gardens these plants automatically have an upper hand on pests and weather and often bear produce quicker as opposed to direct seeding.
This farmers market wasn’t the largest but what makes it unique to others I've visited was the variety of ages attending this market. I saw a lot more younger people browsing the stands, which was nice to see because it’s important for future generations to understand the importance of agriculture.
Special Shoutout to:
· https://www.goldenroddesignvt.com
For a full listing of Vermont’s farmers markets visit: www.nofavt.org/find-organic-local-food/farmers-markets