Durham Farmers' Market Welcomes New Vendors this Thursday

Nothing says 'Spring in Durham' like driving by the Green on a Thursday afternoon and seeing the tents up for the . Our vendors are the heart and soul of the Market, always bringing with them the freshest produce, prepared foods, and ready-to-eat items. Their smiles say it all — that they love their craft and are proud of their foods.

The Durham Farmers' Market will be welcoming two new vendors to the Town Green this Thursday. Lee Warren, of Thankful Circle Farm in Killingworth, made his debut at last week's market. He is a wealth of information on organic farming practices, heirloom vegetables and the former president of NOFA CT (Northeast Organic Farming Association).

Thankful Circle Farm is worked by Lee Warren and his sons, Jesse and Noka. The farm was first certified organic by NOFA CT in 1994, one of the first organic farms in the state, and stayed certified until the USDA took over the use of the word organic (stay tuned for more information on NOFA and USDA organic in a future post).

Lee and his sons grow a wide variety of vegetables, most of which are heirlooms, as they feel that heirlooms offer greater taste and nutrition. They grow lots of salad greens, head lettuce, Asian greens (tatsoi, pac choy, mizuna), peas, beans, cucumber and much more. They are open to suggestions as to what to grow — let them know at Thursday's Market!

We will also be meeting folks from Chet's Italian Ice for the first time, as they test drive our Market this week. They make their Italian Ices-sorbet in small batches with equipment from Italy. Chet's prides themselves in the use of only a handful of ingredients — no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives source. They also source local ingredients for custom-made frozen treats!

Lastly, we will have Storytime on the Green at 4:30, brought to you by none other than Durham's own Cassidy White-Ryan. She does a great job and the kids seek her out every week. Right before Storytime (and near the Storytime area) we will have a special guest who will share horse tack and horse care information with anyone who is interested.

As always, let's hope for good weather! Bring your reusable bags, a blanket, and the family, and we'll see you on the Green!