Weekend getaway to Brattleboro Vermont's Farmer's Market

A fall foliage tour in Vermont can bring another benefit – bringing home the harvest. Harvest time means that the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market is fully stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables and foods made from them. Considered by many to be the finest market in the northeast, the market is more like an agricultural fair.

The feel of a country fair
Circled around a large open grassy plot, as many as fifty vendors display their wares in booths erected with varying degrees of permanence. Tall trees around the edges provide shade and another in the center protects the large sand box filled with joyful kids. On its other side a band of musicians plays everything from Celtic jigs to bluegrass and jazz. This is a family event. Born of the back-to-the-land movement of the ‘60s, most of the family farms here are now multi-generational and the patrons friends of the vendors.

Fresh and organic produce of all kinds
Most of the exhibitors are farmers and the range of their produce is huge: garlic, potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, raspberries, blueberries, corn, salad greens, mesclun mix, baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, basil, parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and eggplant. One booth specializes in home-produced granola and other whole grain cereals. For cheese go to the Peaked Mountain booth and stock up on fresh pasture fed lamb, pork and beef  at the Mile High Farm booth. At this time of year add apples, including hard-to-find heritage varieties, and pumpkins.

And a trove of handcraft from artisans in many media
About a third of the vendors are not farmers, but are producers of high quality crafts. Southeast Vermont has long been a haven for craftmen in many media and some of the finest exhibit and sell their work here. Several booths feature jewelry, like Stone of Wisdom where they also sell essential oils. At Fantasy Wear any little girl can become a medieval princess in a tall peaked crown trailing filmy fabric. At her booth, Eleanora Eden, a transplant from a New York City studio, displays her extraordinary clay pottery. Sunmeadow Alpacas raises their own herd of alpaca and processes the fleece on the farm to produce the yarns and garments they sell at the market.

Food of the world for lunch or to take away
A good deal of the fun of the place, however, is eating. The market is a gathering place of cultures in more ways than one. Anon’s has been selling Thai food here for more than 20 years and the lines are usually long. But other also have their followings. For a snack stop by Rara’s booth for coffee, tea and a scone or cookies, or stop by another for fresh squeezed lemonade. Stuffed grapes leaves, baklava and other Greek specialties vie for attention with fare from West Africa, Lebanon, Vietnam and other exotic destinations reflecting the broad diversity of cultures that enrich this part of the state.

Where and When
You’ll find the Brattleboro Farmer's Market on Wednesdays (June to October 17) and Saturdays (May through October) 9-2) on Route 9 west, about a quarter mile west of exit 2 on I-91 in Brattleboro. 802-254-8885. The last market of the year is October 31 but a special market will be held on November 21 for Thanksgiving shoppers.

Text and photos ©Stillman Rogers 2009