Farmers' Market Opens Again, Right By City Hall [Update]

Update 3:22 p.m.:

The farmers market across the parking lot from Norwalk City Hall is back again for its second year, and this time it's open earlier, at 11 a.m.

Killam & Bassette Farmstead in Glastonbury is back for the season at the Norwalk Health Department Farmers Market, held every Wednesday. The market is a small one: Killam & Bassette was the only farm-produce vendor last year—and this year it's the only vendor of any type.

The market has also been moved into the shade to make it more appealing to everybody, said Theresa Argondezzi, health educator at the department. The market closes at 3 p.m. and runs every Wednesday through Nov. 2.

Why does the city Health Department conduct a farmers market? Well, Argondezzi said, she spends a lot of her time educating people about eating healthy, and she and the department thought more than just giving out advice was needed. "We feel it's important that in addition to advice, we take action to help them eat better."

The farmers market may be Norwalk's smallest, but it's convenient, Argondezzi said. "I think it's helpful for people to have options. If they can't stop by on a Friday, say, they can stop here. It's just a matter of providing them with as many options as possible."

Last year, in addition to the produce vendor, there were vendors selling baked goods, honey and pickles. "Right now, we're on the lookout for other vendors to add to the list," she said.

"Today there are a bunch of fruits and vegetables—cucumbers, zucchini, squash, radishes, corn, raspberries and blueberries—and a lot of it was picked this morning," Argondezzi said.

The market is held in the shade at the parking lot that the Norwalk Health Department (at 137 East Ave.) shares with next-door City Hall.

The farmers market is affiliated with both the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition program (SFNP). Cash and checks are also accepted.

These other farmers markets are located in Norwalk:

• Calvary Baptist Church Farmers Market: When: Mondays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October Where: 21 Concord St.
• Rowayton Farmers Market When: Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October Where: Pinkney Park, 177 Rowayton Ave.

Other farmers markets in Norwalk are defunct or seemingly apocryphal:

There has been a farmers market at Fodor Farm on Flax Hill Road, but it petered out last year with only one or two vendors, said Michael Mocciae, city director of recreation and parks. "This year, we haven't had anybody show up at all."

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture lists a farmers market at a "Heritage Park" in Norwalk, but there is no specific park by that name in the city, and Mocciae doesn't know of any other farmers market at a public park.

A farmers market was formerly held in the parking lot in front of the Maritime Aquarium's IMAX theater, but its no longer there, said David Sigworth, a spokesman for the aquarium.

The state Agriculture Department has lists of farmers' markets around the state (both "certified"—those that only sell Connecticut-grown produce— and "uncertified," kept on two different PDF lists, each linked to at the top or bottom of this Web page).

Stew Leonard's recently sent out an announcement reminding everyone that the store also sells vegetables and fruits grown in Connecticut and New York state, along with produce from elsewhere.

"Buying local produce gives consumers complete confidence in the freshness of the product since it is just-picked from the field and has not spent days in cold storage or long times in transit," said Scott Varanko, Stew Leonard’s produce manager in Norwalk. "And ultimately, buying local is better for the environment, because the miles that some organic food must travel outweigh the benefit of buying organic."

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Norwalk Health Department Farmers market, contact Theresa Argondezzi at (203) 854-7977 or targondezzi@norwalkct.org.