by Connor Sweeney with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

This week's Farmers Market Spotlight is based in the beautiful backcountry of Jericho. On the drive up I was weaving between deep green valleys and passing vast fields peppered with grazing animals; it was a very scenic trip.

When I arrived at the Jericho farmers market I was greeted by live music. The stands were arranged in a large circle with room in the center to move about and sit. The first thing to catch my eye was a stand packed with wooden utensils and bowls, where I met Dennis Grage. There were a lot of beautiful wood products at his stand, but my favorite was a sumac spoon, it was dark yellow with dark veins in it.

As I made my way around the circle, I ran into some folks who run the Cloverdale Flower Farm. At this stand, I learned about a flower called Stock. This flower has many cool properties but one that stood out to me was it can grow in temperatures as cool as 25F. We also discussed a very simple but effective gardening practice that they are trying to use more of, “No Dig Beds.

 No-dig beds are when a layer of compost/mulch is placed on a garden bed, after that, you then can directly plant your crops into the bed. This gardening practice requires no digging or tilling in your garden beds, making for healthier soil.

I had a great time at the Jericho farmers market, I learned a lot of cool things about the intricacy of woodworking and had a great time discussing more sustainable ways you can improve your soil health within your gardens.

Special Shoutout to:

• Cloverdale Flower Farm 
• Hounds Bay Woodworking LLC

For a full listing of Vermont’s farmers markets visit: www.nofavt.org/find-organic-local-food/farmers-markets