Declare Your Independence

At The Farmers’ Markets

One thing that distinguishes Newtown, even as it grows and evolves from year to year, is that it has its own character. If you ask a dozen people to define that character, you will hear about the houses on Main Street, or the flagpole or Ram Pasture, or the peace of Taunton Pond, or the bustle of Queen Street or Sandy Hook Center. And everyone will mention the people who live here. They are friendly, which is not the reputation of many New England towns.

Independence Day is always pretty quiet here in town with no official fireworks display and no parade, but we think the community reflects the spirit of independence that we celebrate on the Fourth of July. People here still value and respect individual enterprise, which is why Newtown still does not have the franchise face that makes so many towns in America look interchangeable and generic. When people drop in off the interstate from everywhere, they are welcomed by a shiny diner — no golden arches, no drive-through windows. And they know this is a different kind of town.

So many of our restaurants, stores, and commercial services are run by local families and individuals who answer to their customers and not to corporate managers who may never have set foot in Newtown. As a town, we appreciate and support that, which may be why we have two local farmers’ markets when so many other towns have none.

By Independence Day, both markets — the Tuesday Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market behind St John’s Church in Sandy Hook Center and the Sunday Sandy Hook Village Farmers’ Market just down the street at 5 Glen Road — are up and running with a full complement of vendors and artisans selling seasonal produce and crafts grown and created locally. The fruits and vegetables available at these venues have had a very short trip to market, and they taste like they ripened in the field and not in a rail car. The baked goods and crafts are presented along with their makers, who are more than happy to tell the story of their creation, if you want. Shopping at the farmers’ markets is another one of those experiences that lets you know you’re in a place with character — a different kind of town.

If you haven’t been out to the farmers’ markets yet this summer, declare your independence from the big grocery chains this week. The Sandy Hook Village Farmers’ Market runs from 9 am to noon on Sundays, and the Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market runs from 2 to 6 pm on Tuesdays.