Alps Farmers Market Folds but Future is Wide Open

Although the Branford Alps Farmers Market is pulling up its stakes after two seasons, market manager Martha Maguire says she is not leaving the local fresh food movement.

Maguire hopes that someone else acceptable to the town will take over the market. She’s open to hearing new ideas or helping with other markets. ​“For the powers-that-be to realize that people enjoyed it might make it easier to find a better location,” she said.

She said the market was ​“baby steps in fresh food movement… it took 10 years, but it was a success.

“Maybe a group of Branford farmers will get together,” she said. Maguire also mused about other possibilities, including a partnership with the Dudley Farm in Guilford, the Branford Jazz Festival, entrepreneur Greg Noble, the Branford Community Garden Group, the Stony Creek Brewery. No official offers have been discussed or plans submitted; Maguire was sharing ideas that have been floated by her.

As far as her future role is concerned, ​“if someone wants to pick my brain I’ve love to participate,” she said. ​“I love the farmers, love the vendors.”

Likewise, the vendors enjoyed the experience and most had expressed an interest in returning. Some were there every week – Medlyn Farms, Northfordy Farms – and others – such as Pine Lake Mushrooms and Mill Pond Essentials – alternated weeks. Maguire said the idea of rotating vendors was important. ​“No one buys honey every week,” she said.

The market also provided an opportunity to try new and different things – crunchy garlic scapes, teas and spices, hearty breads, cheeses, wonderfully scented soaps, heirloom tomatoes, and much more.

Maguire hopes to get more involved in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a program in which participants that pay it up front for the farmers, then get allotment of seasonal produce. Locally, Bishop’s Orchards Farm Market is a participant.

“I hope it made an impact,” she said. ​“Awareness has been raised.”

Tent Straps: A Legal Issue

The tent itself became an issue. Specifically, the big tent’s straps.

In the end, the straps led to the demise of the popular market, which ran from June to October for the past two years.

“The straps were not in good shape. They were worn – the tent was not in good shape,” said Maguire. She said that the tent required a ​“major overhaul… we can’t take that liability.”

The tent cost $20,000 brand new and was up for a total of 12 months; it costs $1,600 to put up and take down the tent. She wasn’t sure of the life span of such tents given the fact that they are often put up and taken down for short times for events such as weddings. ​“From a liability standpoint, I would be scared to put it up,” she said.

Maguire said the alternative would be for vendors to use small tents. However Maguire said they would have to bring weights and the set-up would be ​“too scattered.”

Behind the Scenes

A lot of work went on behind the scenes.

Maguire explained that she spent a year working out the definition of a farm market, then came back to apply to the town. Anyone who applies in the future, she added, would need town approval; three off-street parking places per vendor are required. She said the town and the health department (East Shore District Health Department) were ​“happy” with the effort.

The bulk of the financing for the first year of the non-profit market came from Maguire and her husband, Walter, who owns a business on the former Echlin/Dana property. The Branford Community Foundation awarded the market a $5,000 grant for its second year. According to the Branford Community Foundation, the grant supported the start-up costs associated with accepting SNAP (food stamp) benefits and promotions.

“We did very well with food assistance money,” Maguire said. “ We were giving money away to get people to come to market.” Although it cut into revenues for the market, it evened out the revenues for the vendors. ​“Branford can really use the food assistance,” she said, adding it was ​“good for the food pantry.” She said that she collected $500 in coins every week for clients and Wendy Cowles, director of the Branford Food Pantry, would come and shop for her clients.

Maguire said she worked with Wholesome Wave, an organization that helps under-served consumers make healthier food choices by increasing access to healthier food choices. The Bridgeport-based national pilot program offers a SNAP doubling program through a grant from the Stop Child Summer Hunger Act, which kept track of SNAP dollars, doubled with paper coupons, assuring that the funds would only be spent on veggies and fruit. ​“We needed our food assist people to buy food other than meat,” said Maguire.

Maguire was philosophical about the experience. ​“Having that tent was really worth it… the market gods were smiling on us.”

###