The Ridgefield Farmers Market Opens This Weekend
So I bugged founder Corrin Arasa to give us tips on how to do a farmers market right. (Hint: You don't need to love veggies to have a good time).
This post is part of my “Ask An Expert” series, which features locals with a niche expertise. What’s yours? Email me at kaylakaplowitz@substack.com with your idea. Anyone who contributes a good recommendation gets a free 3-month Premium membership. 🙌
A proper farmers market family outing is a right of passage as a newly-minted suburban family. Weekend markets in the city—Union Square, the 79th Street—just hit different. You’re in, you’re out, and you’re on your way.
Up here, they all feel like events. Each have their individual feel and vibe, and you can stay, shop, eat and hang for hours. The North Salem one (every 2nd Saturday) feels like a party, the Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market (TaSH) on Saturdays is massive and attracts people from all over, the Westport one on Thursdays is a Connecticut scene. (Floppy straw hats and boat shoes galore).
As we all eagerly await this weekend’s re-opening of the new(ish) kid on the block—Ridgefield Farmers Market—I thought I’d take a moment to make sure you’re all prepped to properly take advantage of these suburban meccas.
I’m not going to give you the obvious tips, like bring reusable bags and pack sunscreen, because duh. At The Plan, we want to know all the insider-y advice from local parents who know what’s up.
For today’s Ask An Expert post, I called up Corrin Arasa—the founder and Executive Director of Ridgefield Farmers Market—to get her advice on how to make the most of your visit. Enjoy. 🥕
xo,
K
If I don’t love to cook or care about locally-grown food, why should I go to a farmers market?
Forget the focus on food for a moment. Farmers markets are vibrant community hubs; it’s literally the whole point. And what do the experts say we all need to be happy? To feel rooted in our community. So it’s a win-win.
“If you start to go every week or on a regular basis, you start to see the same faces,” Corrin told me. “The patrons, the volunteers, the vendors. And it becomes habitual for your family, which is so important.”
Plus, when you interact each week with vendors—and encourage your kids to do the same—she says it’s a fantastic way for them to build confidence and practice talking to adults in a low-key environment.
She told me she sends her 8-year-old out in the market with a few bucks each week to choose her own items to buy. “It’s such a great way to foster independence,” she told me. “My daughter goes around and chats with all the vendors, learns more about what they're selling, makes her decision, and gets her change.”
I used to love spending alone time at these markets, slowly browsing and shopping. How do I make sure my kids have fun, too?
Corrin gets it. You want to talk about hydroponic lettuce with a vendor, but your 5-year-old is pulling at your leg to leave. You’re in a new era now, so embrace the change. Here are two ideas to keep them engaged:
Create a scavenger hunt: Lots of farmers markets, like Ridgefield Farmers Market and the Muscoot Farm one on Sundays, offer scavenger hunts to help engage kids in a purposeful way. Seek them out. But even if your market doesn’t offer one, Corrin says you could just make one up on a notebook when you arrive. Simple things like: Find a strawberry, something purple, or a funny-looking pumpkin. “If they find everything on the list, reward them with a cookie.” Brilliant.
Engage them in the learning experience: When your kids learn about food from the growers and makers themselves, it opens up their world. When I encouraged my 8-year-old to chat with me at the Honeybee Grove Market with the bread-maker behind Bear Bread Works in Tarrytown, she really got into it. He told her how he likes to slice it thick, and dip the soft part in garlic-infused olive oil. He even walked us through how to properly re-heat it at home to ensure our loaf has a nice crispy top.
The next morning, she asked for a thick slice of toasted Bear Bread with a side of olive-oil. My mind was blown.
“Having kids learn about their food from someone other than mom or dad is so powerful.” says Corrin.
I feel overwhelmed at the market because I’m used to my weekly grocery-shopping routine. I’m not sure what to buy.
Do you know what Corrin says everyone's first farmers market purchase is? A baguette.
“That just seems to be the icebreaker,” said Corrin. “So from there, you could start to piece together a loose plan for dinner that night, breakfast the next morning, or a simple barbecue the next day.”
No need to feel overwhelmed. Just go in with a loose idea of 2-3 farmers market meals you can work into your meal plan that week, and then save the rest of your list for your grocery store run.
For example, she said you could plan to pick up some fresh eggs from The Hickories and some bacon from Henny Penny Farm, throw in a loaf from Fatto a Mano, and have your kids pick out a beautiful pint of fresh strawberries. Boom, there’s a hearty farm-fresh breakfast you can look forward to the next morning.
“When you visit the farms at the market regularly you’ll see the produce change throughout the season,” says Corrin. “Right now it’s strawberry season, and it’ll soon be tomato and corn season. Then there’s the watermelon, peaches and apples. So you can plan your picnic and grocery shopping strategy around the seasons.”
What’s the best time to go to a farmers market?
When my oldest was a newborn, my husband and I would often take her to our local farmers market right before naptime. The fresh air and buzz of the crowd helped lull her to sleep so we could picnic and people-watch in peace.
So, depending on your goals for the market and ages of your kids, Corrin says you should be strategic about when you go.
“Lines for popular vendors like bakeries can be longer in the morning at our market,” says Corrin. “But as the day goes on, it becomes less crowded." If you have a child who needs to move around, she advises visiting a little later in the day so you don't have to stand still for long periods of time.
And make a day of it. Oftentimes, markets are in or close to walkable towns to explore. For example, Ridgefield Farmers Market is right on Main Street, so plan to walk to Books on the Common or Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe afterwards. “You could even visit the new Aldrich sculpture garden right across the street,” said Corrin. “And if you do the New Canaan market, you could easily stroll and shop on Elm Street for an entire afternoon.”
So what do we do about lunch? Can you just eat there?
You’ve got to learn the art of building a farmers market lunch, right there on site. Corrin says “the picnic aspect is kind of the most fun part."
Consider buying some homemade jam and spreading it on a baguette. Cut up some pears or apples, or slice up a tomato. There are always some vendors selling hot items like empanadas, so you could grab some of those, and snack on some dried meats and cheese. Don’t forget to bring your own reusable cutlery, a small cutting board, plates and bowls.
I made the mistake of asking Corrin about her favorite sporty picnic gear for a farmers market outing. I figured she might have some good recommendations on a foldable picnic blanket or a lightweight cooler.
“I don’t know if I’m the best person to ask! Sometimes I'll just grab an old tablecloth, or a piece of beautiful fabric that I saw at an antique shop. And I have a ton of big vintage picnic baskets,” she told me. “I’m all about the experience, and to me, having beautiful things to picnic with are just a part of it.”
If you forget your blanket, some markets offer picnic blankets to borrow. And the North Salem one, for example, has lots of picnic tables. “Or you could just pack up your market finds and hit a nearby park to enjoy all of your fresh market goodies,” says Corrin.
And that’s it! To end, I thought I’d offer you all a list of the markets around town this summer. If you want them all in your calendar, including all links to every market to check that week’s vendors, then upgrade to Premium today for just $5/mo or $50 for the year. It’s worth it, trust me.
WEDNESDAYS
Wilton Farmers Market (12:00PM–5:00PM)
THURSDAYS
Westport Summer Farmers Market (10:00AM–2:00PM)
FRIDAYS
Rowayton Farmers Market (12:00PM–5:00PM) - starting July 18
SATURDAYS
Pleasantville Farmers Market (8:30AM-1:00 PM)
Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market (8:30AM-1:30PM)
North Salem Farmers Market (9:00 AM-1:00 PM) – every 2nd Sat of the month
Gossett Brothers Farmers Market, South Salem (9:00AM-1:00 PM)
John Jay Homestead Farmers Market, Katonah (9:00AM-2:00 PM)
Ridgefield Farmers Market (10:00 AM-1:00 PM)
New Canaan Farmers Market (10:00 AM-2:00PM)
Georgetown Farmers Market (10:00 AM-2:00 PM)
SUNDAYS
Honeybee Grove Flower Farm Market, Somers (9:00AM-2:00PM)
Muscoot Farm Farmers Market (9:30AM-2:30PM)
Farm Market @ Stamford Museum & Nature Center (10:00 AM-2:00 PM)
Mt. Kisco Farmers Market (11:00 AM-3:00 PM)
