Goods abound at the Hanover Farmers' Market
Wednesdays are the best days. Not because it means the academic week is halfway done, or because it offers me a somewhat legitimized excuse to go out and party my little heart out. Rather, the cluster of makeshift tents scattered across the Green, indicating the arrival of the farmer’s market, is what makes this day oh-so-very special for yours truly.
I’m a regular. While I know the placement of the stands at the market with an intense familiarity and have sampled a disturbing amount of olive bread and Devondale cheese and original-flavored beef jerky (it’s an acquired taste), I have failed to take a moment to really meet the incessantly friendly faces behind these delectable stands.
Most of the stands are venues from family run businesses. For example, the Thompson Goat Farm is a 28 acre farm in Vermont with llamas, pigs, chickens and goats run by a couple and their eight children. The farm produces a wide array of goat-related products, including goat meat and a moisturizing goat milk soap. In addition, it produces lavender eye pillows, meat rubs from herbs grown in its own gardens and a plethora of raspberry products from the 750 bushes at the farm. A collection of such charming and unique creations makes this stand a special gem at the market.
While there are some other inedibles at the market, such as a stand with hand-woven baskets and homemade jewelry, and a knife-sharpener specializing in high quality kitchen knives for the foodies (not for weapons, phew), the food at the farmers market is the main attraction. The crepes stand is a major pull and run by a husband and wife, the latter whom studied in France and was certified as master crepe maker in Brittany. Trust me, you can tell.
The pickles man from Mount Pleasant Farm is one of my personal favorites. Eager to offer up samples of both his dill and bread and butter pickles, his true secret weapon is in his “crackbread,” nicknamed by a group of women in Hanover who devoured these loaves and spread the word. Encouraging me to eat some of the French fries another stand had sent over, he shared with me that the farmer’s market is a real community of people, forming a family of sorts.
One of the more interesting stands is run by the Westminster Vermont Organic Farm, which grows all kinds of produce, vegetables and crops. The farm is the creator of that fascinating green drink, made from all types of green vegetables and intended to energize and fuel. The green bar is a crunchy alternative to this healthy beverage, and tastes quite delicious as well.
Every person I met, despite my pestering questions, was more than willing to share with me the tricks of their trade, each so passionate about the product they were selling. Each lamented that business was slower than usual because of the persistent and temperamental flash floods that have become characteristic of this summer’s weather. I only hope that my passion for nibbling, sampling, eating and enjoying is shared by more, for the farmer’s market has more than enough to offer.