Sunday Farmers Market Begins Second Season In Sandy Hook

By Kaaren Valenta

The Sandy Hook Village Farmers Market began its second season last Sunday with crafters and other vendors augmenting the large truckload of vegetables, fruit, and fresh flowers being sold by the Vaszauskas farm of Middlebury.

“We will have more crafters and farms as the summer progresses,” said market coordinator Elizabeth Mammen. “The Cedar Hill Farm from Newtown and the Mitchell Farm from Southbury will be here again.”

Ms Mammen’s son, Logan, 13, and his friend, Camille Williams, 17, of Chicago, who is spending the summer with the family, had set up their own booth where they sold a large variety of dog treats, including “no-flea” dog biscuits made with garlic to repel fleas and mosquitoes.

There were also peanut butter puppy popers, cheese n’ garlic snaps, snicker doodles, and liver bow-wownies, all billed as gourmet dog treats made with love and all natural ingredients.

“The kids did a cost analysis with a spreadsheet to price the treats (at $2 for a small bag, $3 for a large bag) so even if their business fails, they will get a lesson in economics,” Ms Mammen said.

At another table, Peter LaMonte, his wife, Susan, and Lisa Iselin were promoting nutritional counseling and Juice Plus+, a nutritional supplement that provides fruit and vegetables in easy to take capsules.

“The recommendation [by the medical community] is five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and that is so difficult for most people to do,” Ms Iselin said. “I got passionate about Juice Plus+ when I began taking it to help my fibromyalgia 12 years ago. I was like a lot of people who were searching for something natural to take instead of drugs.”

Beekeeper Marina Marchese set up a table selling different types of honey, honeycomb, candles, and handmade soup made with beeswax; natural salves; body oil made with honey; and bee note cards.

“I have four hives in my yard in Weston and two in Bridgeport at an industrial building — city bees and country bees,” she said. “Surprisingly the city bees produce better.”

Nearby, Jennifer Nydell and her friend, Wendy Suckow, were selling hand-stamped gift bags, $1; and note cards, $3 each or $15 per package. “We’ve been selling a lot as teacher gifts,” Ms Nydell said.

In conjunction with the market, there is a coloring contest for children. Children pick up the forms, bring them back on another Sunday, and are entered into a monthly drawing. Sandy Hook merchants are providing gift certificates for the winners.

Contractor Mike Porco, who renovated many of the buildings in Sandy Hook Center, also owns the riverfront property at 5 Glen Road where the market is held.

“I left the large grassy area around the parking lot to encourage these type of functions,” he said. “I could have made it all asphalt and had another 40 or 50 parking spaces.” Anyone who would like more information about the market or other events can call Mr Porco at 426-2427.

The market will operate from 9 am to 2 pm each Sunday through mid-October.