Foodie Metropolis: Woodstock Farmers’ Market

Jackson House Inn, Woodstock Vermont

Letā€™s get this straight from the get-go: we absolutely love the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market. Not only are they our neighbors (a mere minute down the street), but we also hold the products and people there in very high regard. The market has certainly been a mainstay, ever since our first days at the Jackson House Inn. Itā€™s a pleasant experience each and every time we go, even in their bustling afternoon lunch hour. And as the food-obsessed innkeepers we are, itā€™s convenient for us to make a quick run to the Farmersā€™ Market whenever we need some fresh vegetablesĀ or micro greens for aĀ morning breakfast plate. Beautiful wines, artisanal cheeses, quality meats, and the most satisfying sandwiches – the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market truly has it all.

Spring Vegetables

Sophia and Jada

Amelia and Patrick are the two behind this market today. In 1992, Patrickā€™s father and stepmother were living in Woodstock after retiring from the publishing business in Washington, DC. Unable to obtainĀ some of their favorite foods locally, they decided to purchase an existing farm stand to start sourcing and selling the products they loved. It appears these foodies were ahead of their time! ā€œThe food movement hadnā€™t yet taken off in Vermont,ā€ Amelia says. ā€œAt the time, it was only famous for Ben & Jerryā€™s and Cabot Cheese.ā€ Oh, how things would changeā€¦

Vermont is a natural fit for a business like the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market. Amelia explains, ā€œWe grew up with the burgeoning local food movement, and we were in the right place at the right time to represent hundreds of small, independent growers and food producers from our state and beyond.ā€ Boy, do we love to hear this – a local market proudly supporting the yield of their fellow growers and artisans. ā€œVermontā€™s small scale makes it easy for us to both embrace and represent,ā€ Amelia says. Size, as well as the stateā€™s ā€œgreenā€ persona, reflects the marketā€™s ethos.

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Meat Case

Phil and Fish

Ā In true Vermont fashion, the community tends to inspire Amelia and Patrick as well. ā€œWoodstock has embraced us since the beginning, and we never tire of hearing the comments about how integral we are to peopleā€™s lives.ā€ This is definitely true for us here at the Jackson House Inn, and for most of our local friends too. We can always countĀ on the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market to have all the latest and greatest on the Vermont food scene. In addition, we feel confident in the fact that any product we find there is the best and freshest around. Weā€™ve grown to trust and admire the market since our move here. The same canĀ be said for many Woodstock locals. ā€œWeā€™ve been here long enough that new babies we met have grown up to become staff members during high school and college,ā€ Amelia says. The community truly showed their love for the market in their effort to reopen the business after Tropical Storm Irene hit in 2011. Situated on the banks of the Ottauquechee River, the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market suffered considerable damage. However, the community worked their tails off to help the market reopen their doors in just eleven weeks!

The Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market spends a lot of time sourcing products, and this effort shows. We are obviously big fans of the variety of goods available there. From specialty items, such as cheeseĀ sausages from the Jasper Hill Farm and Peteā€™s Greens collaboration, to local artisanal brands, like Big Picture Farm caramels and Red Kite Candy, the market has a knack for bringing in the mostĀ quality and in-trend products. So what contributes to this stellar selection? Half the time, samples are submitted by producers out of the blue. Some of the time, customers or friends request certain products. And the rest of the time, ā€œwe travel, read food media, and follow leads.ā€ Hear more in their promotional video here.

Lisa

Peach Display

Garden Center

Amelia is aware that she and the rest of the market staff are always learning to better the business. ā€œThis past year,ā€ she says, ā€œwe introduced Open Book Finance to our organization, involving the whole staff in our accountability and success.ā€ The market is also revamping their training program and consulting other businesses who like they wayĀ they run things. Ultimately, everything the market does comes down to quality service. ā€œWe only hire nice people, and we require everyone to give great service to our customers and one another.ā€ They subscribe to the philosophy of servant leadership: it is up to the owners to serve the managers, and the managers to serve the front line staff. ā€œWe lead by example, believe in personal responsibility, and donā€™t ask anyone to do something we wouldnā€™t do ourselves. Itā€™s a matter of integrity, and underlies everything we do.ā€ These values are evidentĀ amongst the staff itself. Smiling faces and kind voices are abundant throughoutĀ the WFM team – a visibly happy bunch!Ā Without a doubt, the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market is on to something special, as both a workplace and destination.

WFM Group Photo

Ā We canā€™t speak highly enough about the Woodstock Farmersā€™ Market, their team, and products. We’re choosing to round out this feature with a few of our recommendations you can find at the market the next time you visit. For special occasions, we highly suggest the Meinklang sparkling rosĆ©. Hungry for breakfast? We like to grab aĀ Mt. Tom breakfast sandwich. Looking to eatĀ lunch? We tend toĀ go for a sandwich (#2 Moonlight in Vermont or #13 Ann’s California Roll-Up) or the kale salad. The baked goods are freshly made and to die for – especially the whoopie pies. Don’t forget to peruse the cheese section (Jasper Hill, Vermont Creamery, and Blue Ledge Farm galore!). All in all, it’s hard to go wrong at this market. Let your foodie inhibitions free and get excited about your next visit to the Woodstock Farmers’ Market!

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