NEWINGTON - In the middle of the busy Market Square parking lot in Newington Center, Harry Childs’ vegetable stand might stick out somewhat.
At least it’ll make him easier to spot. It’s a little after 4:30 p.m. and Childs takes a break on a nearby bench while another employee of Franklin-based Paper Bag Harry’s Farm mans the stand, which, for just a few more minutes before the after-work crowd arrives, is quiet.
That won’t last long. Cars start pulling up and a gradual influx of close to 10 people--a lot for the small patch of space the four stands of the Newington Farmer’s Market are taking up--survey the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade jams and even pizza provided by the vendors of this summer’s market.
â€"They like our kale,†Childs said. â€"They like our beets and organic salad mixes. They like the fresh greens.â€
Childs is a market original. In fact, he considers himself a Market Square original.
â€"I was one of the first ones,†said Childs, who has been with the Farmer’s Market for six years now. â€"I was here when there was just mounds of dirt, before it was developed. There were many times when I was the only vendor. Now we’ve gotten many more.â€
It still looks small, because not every vendor shows up every week. Last year the market had three farmers. This year that number has tripled, according to Childs.
â€"It keeps the economy local,†Childs said. â€"It’s better products for the money.â€
In the case of Paper Bag Harry’s Farm, that means vegetables and produce that are pesticide, herbicide and fungicide-free.
â€"You’re not going to get that in the supermarket without paying premium price,†he said.
You won’t get Shannon Carnese’s homemade pear-apple jam--just one flavor of Old Lyme based Shannon Jammin’ Jams’ wide variety.
â€"At this market today, they wanted to buy all the spicy ones,†Carnese said. But they all stand out. My favorites are pear-apple and citrus ginger.â€
I had a chance to see for myself. Her table was lined with free samples of every flavor and she let me try as many as I wanted. Welch’s and Stop & Shop brand jelly will never taste the same again.
â€"They’re all natural, fresh ingredients,†Carnese said. â€"They’re all unusual varieties, many of which you can’t find in the store.â€
If there’s a cornerstone theme to the Farmer’s Market, it’s fresher, healthier products that cannot be found--at least not at a decent price--at your typical supermarket chain, Childs said. But if there’s a demand, he has not seen that make much of a dent in his supply.
â€"We grow more than we can sell,†Childs said. â€"We end up going to the soup kitchen with some of these because we can’t sell ‘em.â€
Childs estimated that Paper Bag Harry’s Farm gives away 60 percent of the food it grows.
â€"It costs me money,†he said. â€"Someone has to do the picking, and someone has to deliver it.â€
The Farmer’s Market runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.