Young Entrepreneurs Ply Their Wares At Farmers Market

By John Voket

Somewhere in the great state of Texas, one dog has fresher breath thanks to Logan Mammen. The 12-year-old entrepreneur who manufactures and sells natural dog treats and doggie birthday cakes every Sunday morning at the Sandy Hook Farmers Market is pleased that his products are getting attention beyond the borders of Newtown.

“A couple of weeks ago I met these people who said they came all the way from Houston,” the young businessman told The Bee Sunday. “And when they saw that I was selling ‘Breath Busters,’ they had to take some home, they just wanted to be sure the treats would make it through the flight.”

Since Logan uses only the freshest natural ingredients and even some organic staples for his line of canine cookies and cakes, he packages them in increments small enough so they will not go bad.

“I only put seven or eight of them in each bag. Enough for about one a day. That way I keep the people coming back for more every week,” he said, looking over his remaining inventory, which also includes “Chicken Bites,” “Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers,” and “Garlic n’ Cheese” biscuits.

Logan is only one of about a half-dozen young businesspeople who join established crafters and others Sunday mornings selling everything from farm fresh produce to bath and body scrubs in the modest farmers market located in the commons along the Pootatuck River behind the Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook. His mom, Elizabeth, organizes and manages the marketplace, which runs through October 16.

Ms Mammen said the farmers market is one of the only places in town where young people can enjoy the fruits of their creative output while learning the value of running their own business.

“On days when it’s a little slower than normal, I try and tell them to keep a positive attitude,” Ms Mammen said of the half-dozen young business owners. “They really need to look at the outcome of their work over the entire market period, not just on any given day.”

In Logan’s case, the dog treat business also gives him a chance to do research to help develop biscuits that will not only be tasty, but good for your dog as well.

“In my research I learned that using certain ingredients will not only help to make a dog’s breath smell fresh, but eating the treats will help the dog keep mosquitoes and ticks away because they don’t like the garlic and cheese once it gets into the dog’s system,” he said.

A few booths down the way, Newtown High School student Marina Virgalla was hunched over her worktable threading beads along a curved wire she was holding with a pair of pliers. But an instant later she held up a completed earring, ready to adorn a passing customer. Marina said she has been assembling custom jewelry since she was about 10. In the five years since she discovered her talent, the hobby first grew into a means to craft her own special birthday and holiday gifts for friends and family, to the full-scale business she promotes each weekend at the farmers market.

“It got to the point eventually where I had way too many to wear myself,” she said while picking through a tray of brightly colored beads and baubles.

Marina said she supplements the cache of supplies she has built over the years with occasional trips to local craft and department stores. And while she spends much of what she makes adding new items to her inventory, she still makes a modest profit for spending money.

On Sunday, ninth-generation family farmers Samantha and Allison Mitchell of Southbury, age 13 and 11 respectively, worked their family’s booth at the Sandy Hook marketplace. Standing among the bags of their “famous” sweet corn, a variety of other fresh garden produce, and lovely arrangements of fresh cut flowers, the young ladies stay pretty busy tending to the stock and answering questions from customers who pick through their wares.

Mother Jodi said the girls spend a few hours each day getting ready for their Sunday appearance at the farmers market.

“One day they’ll process the vegetables, on Saturday they’ll stock the boxes and trays,” Ms Mitchell said. “They also are a big help running the full-time farm stand we keep open all summer in Southbury.”

Last Sunday was a very special day for the family as they visited with grandfather Joe Memale who was visiting from Florida to celebrate his 90th birthday.

“These girls do a great job, eh?” he said, throwing his arms around the girls.

Another young businessperson who arrived shortly after the market opened quickly spread out her latest creations and immediately began drawing an interested group of customers. Fourteen-year-old Lauren Sippin crafts her line of custom made soaps every week at the home office of the Sippin Soap Factory, according to Ms Mammen.

“This young lady is a Newtown native, and by the looks of things, she is going to be a great success no matter what she ends up doing,” Ms Mammen commented.

Introduced to the hobby by a friend, Lauren started making custom soaps two years ago. Today customers can sample one of the many items she retails at the Sandy Hook Farmers Market, as well as put in orders for one of her custom made gift baskets featuring the handmade items.

“Lauren told me she uses ingredients from a company called Natural because they have all natural scents and herbs,” Ms Mammen said.

Some of the scents Lauren uses in her soaps include eucalyptus, apricot, lavender, cucumber, melon, peach, and green tea, and she uses a variety of molds to make the soaps into interesting shapes.

These and other vendors can be seen every Sunday through October 16 between 9 am and 2 pm at the Sandy Hook Farmers Market, and new vendors are also welcome.