Farm Stands and Festivals for Foodies!
September in Vermont means an overabundance of farm-fresh produce, shiny red apples ready to pick, and rural Vermonters who are eager to celebrate another harvest season before the weather turns.
Celebrate the season at these farm stands near Bennington, where you can stock up on local goodies, and meet the local farmers and entrepreneurs who make Bennington a special place.
Bennington Farmers’ Market: Saturday Market for Farm-Fresh Goodies
If you find yourself in Bennington on a Saturday, pop over to the Bennington Famers Market, where you can sip a cold beverage, stock up on produce, purchase hand-crafted gifts, and listen to live music with the Bennington community.
The outdoor market is located at 100 Memorial Drive (across from Tastee Freeze) and happens rain-or-shine between May and October, between 10 am and 1 pm.
After October, the market heads indoors for a twice-monthly market at 650 Main Street (the former junior high school).
Hill Top Farm, Pownal: Local Beef, Pork, and Chicken
Located in North Pownal, Vermont, Hill Top Farm is a multi-generation family farm that has been operating in various capacities since 1982. Today, they sell organic beef, natural pork, whole chickens, eggs, and wood-fired Vermont Maple syrup from their 500-acre farm.
You can visit Hill Top Farm on Saturdays at the Bennington Farmers’ Market, or you can order online for pick up at the farm, which is located at 1209 Mann Hill Road in North Pownal.
Clear Brook Farm, Shaftsbury: Organic Veggies
Clear Brook Farm has been a local fixture in Shaftsbury for 28 years, and while they specialize in farm-grown organic vegetables, it’s also your one-stop shop for picnic supplies, meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, and bedding plants.
The farm stand is open from May to October each year, and if you’re local, you can sign up for their winter CSA so the season never ends.
Visit Clear Brook Farm at 47 Hidden Valley Road in Shaftsbury, Vermont.
Armstrong Farm, Pownal: Maple Syrup, Pumpkins, and Vegetables
Come October, the iconic pumpkins and gourds that grace the lawn at Armstrong Farm beckon to locals and tourists driving by on Route 7. The cheerful sight is impossible to resist, and if you find yourself pulling over to explore, you’ll likely head home with a bundle of farm-fresh goodies and a few pints of maple syrup for Sunday’s pancake breakfast.
Keith Armstrong established his maple sugaring business in 1975 and currently taps over 3,000 trees on his property, just a few miles south of downtown Bennington.
Visit Armstrong Farm at 614 Route US 7- South in Pownal, Vermont.
Benmont Avenue Produce, Bennington: Seasonal Produce Stand
You don’t have to leave town to stock up on fresh produce, corn, and fruit from local farms. Benmont Avenue Produce is a seasonal stand, open between mid-June and mid-October each season.
They are famous for their sweet corn, grown in nearby Greenwich, New York, but you should also visit for the fresh fruit, jams and jellies, hot sauce, and even some succulents for that empty windowsill.
Benmont Avenue Produce is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Visit them at 160 Benmont Avenue in Bennington, Vermont.
The Goat Project, Bennington: Goat Milk and Soap
Located in Vermont’s Pleasant Valley near Bennington, the tiny farm stand at The Goat Project features delightful goat’s milk soap, lovingly crafted from the rich milk of a herd of Nubians. You can also buy fresh goat milk and duck eggs.
The farm stand is open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 am to 6 pm. Visit them at 1107 Pleasant Valley Road in Bennington, Vermont.
Terry’s Orchard, Bennington: Pick Your Own Apples
182 years. That’s how long Terry’s Orchard has been operating. It was founded by Zechariah Harwood in 1776, and today the orchard’s fourth owners, the Howe Family, maintain it as one of the few pick-your-own-apple orchards in Bennington County.
Both heirloom and standard apple varieties are available for picking, and there will also be bagged apples ready to go in the farm stand.
Terry’s Orchard opens for pick-your-own apples on September 1st. Open on Sunday and Monday, 9 am – 5 pm, and Wednesday and Friday, 11 am – 5 pm.
Visit Terry’s at 55 Houghton Lane in Bennington, Vermont.
Coming right up! Garlic Town USA is this Weekend!
One of Vermont’s most popular events, Garlic Town USA has recently rebranded and moved downtown.
This is the largest family farmers’ market in the stat and is the perfect spot to stock up on garlic products, try garlic ice cream, and listen to fantastic live music.
This is Bennington’s biggest event of the year!