Several New Vendors and Many Old Favorites

By Wiley Wood

There’s always a reason to go to the Norfolk Farmers Market on a Saturday when the sun is shining. It’s a place to walk a dog where it will be admired, to commission a copper weathervane or to buy a crusty loaf of sourdough and a hank of green onions. And it’s a way to see the people you really should see more of but haven’t made time for, as well as those you’ve been avoiding but are still curious about. It’s also a good place to discover what people are talking about when they talk about kimchi, about rind-washed cheeses, about EVOO, and about deckle, as applied to brisket.

The market opens for the season on Saturday, May 19 at 10 a.m., rain or shine. There will be music, says market manager Lisa Auclair, and what promises to be a rich variety of offerings. Among the returning stallholders are several local farms with fresh produce and naturally raised meats, several bakeries, a plant nursery, a local dairy producer, some picklers and preservers, and a sprinkling of craftsmen.

New to the roster this year will be Sunset Meadow Vineyards, a family-operated winery in Goshen, CT. The grapes from their forty acres along Rte. 63 are used to make a dozen or so different wines. Among their more unusual varietals are a Vidal Blanc and a St. Croix, both winter-hardy grapes. Another new vendor this year will be Windham Gardens of Granby, a produce farm with an extensive crop plan and a variety of jams and jellies.

The growing season in the Northwest Corner is still only starting in the third week in May. Nonetheless, Wayne and Wendy Jenkins are hoping to bring arugula and radishes from their garden in Falls Village, and perhaps some lettuces and rhubarb. Nash Pradan of Ginger Creek Nursery will offer a variety of early perennials and fruit trees, including apricots, peaches and blueberry bushes. He also carries a range of organic fertilizers and insect repellents. Leslie Watkins of Dandelion Gardening Arts will bring flowers and veggies, but no eggs. As a new master gardener still fulfilling her public-service requirement, she will also be available to answer gardeners’ questions. And David Davis of Hilhome Country Products will offer a wide range of marmalades, jams, chutneys, pickles, and dessert sauces, including a Kentucky Bourbon Caramel Sauce, which is reported to go with everything.

The market is heading into its sixth year with strong interest on the part of vendors, according to Auclair, and a healthy attendance trend on the part of weekend crowds. A number of theme days will be announced as the season progresses, including the ever-popular Dog Day. After May 19, the market will continue for 21 successive Saturdays until October 13. Much additional information is available online at www.norfolkfarmersmarket.org.