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Mary's Sweet Bread
10 Mark Street
Pawcatuck, CT 06379
(860) 599-0340
mary@maryssweetbread.com |
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Daughter, Wife, Mother, Baker
Mary's story is one of triumph. Raised in a strict
household, married at 16, and the mother of five children,
she had no formal business training. Yet one rule of
business she knew instinctively - do what you know. Mary
knew how to bake bread. And not just ordinary bread, but a
most delicious and versatile Portuguese sweet bread that sells itself with
just one taste. |
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The following article was first
published in The
Stonington-Mystic Times and is re-printed with their
permission.
Farmers' markets crop up in
the area
Area farmers' markets open for the summer season
Kristal Spence
Times Staff Writer
From freshly picked strawberries to
home-baked pastries, the recently opened farmer’s markets in
Mystic seem to have it all. Families and tourists rush to
Pequotsepos Road on Sundays and the Quiambaug Firehouse on
Tuesdays for a taste of Connecticut’s finest crops and dishes.
Richard Macsuga, marketing representative
for the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, said farmer’s
markets have exploded across the country and the farmer’s
markets in the state have launched with great success.
In some ways, finding farmers is the easy
part; in fact he has quite a few who are hoping to participate
in this season’s program. The real challenge, Mascuga said, is
signing up those who are committed to sticking with the program
for the season, as well as dealing with local zoning
regulations, finding suitable locations and making sure farmers
are properly certified.
“This is a year-long process,” Macsuga
said. “Literally, we start to organize it around Jan. 1. I’m
currently dealing with 87 different farmer’s markets throughout
Connecticut,” he said, adding that there are 300 to 310
different farmers throughout the state. Macsuga said in the last
year, there has been an increase of 13 new farmer’s markets and
20 new farmers in Connecticut.
“This has been the biggest increase we’ve
seen,” he said.
Though there has been a decrease in farmers
and acreage used for farming as reported in the 2002 Census of
Agriculture County profile in Connecticut, Macsuga said the New
London County area has 10 different farmer’s markets and 22
different farmers. He attributed the decrease to the fact there
aren’t a lot of young farmers moving to the area. “Having a
smaller farm is not exactly a bad thing,” he explained. Macsuga
said many farmers are using their smaller farms of about 5 to 10
acres for direct marketing.
He also works with “market gardeners.”
“They’re small individual operations,” he
said. “They do not have a farm but have enough production area
in their lawn. It makes sense to market their production.” He
said market gardeners can use the farmer’s markets as a stepping
stone to ease into selling their own products. “It’s a great way
to get started and it’s fairly inexpensive,” Macsuga said.
Farmer’s markets can bring life to a
community. “Businesses thought it would take away their
business… but then realized it enhanced the local economy by
bringing business to the area,” Macsuga said. He believes the
environment surrounding a farmer’s market is one that’s
wholesome and unique. “It’s a way to buy from a local farmer but
also see your neighbor,” he said.
Macsuga said some markets might just sell
fruits and vegetables and others can be more diverse with cut
flowers, jams and jellies, eggs and fruit. He said at the Groton
Farmer’s Market, held on Wednesdays in the Groton Shopping Plaza
off Route 1, the average customer would find some experienced
growers who sell quality goods. “They have some real veterans
over there that have been doing it for years,” he said.
Macsuga said all farmer’s markets are
different but in Mystic, the average customer would find some
great quality growers. He said some markets are like the Mystic
Farmer’s Market, held on Tuesdays at 50 Old Stonington Road,
having a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Macsuga said the Mystic/Denison Farmer’s
Market, held on Sundays at 120 Pequotsepos Road, now in its
second season, is well on its way to becoming a great market.
“It’s very diverse with different products offered,” he said.
Craig Floyd, market master of the Mystic/
Denison Farmer’s Market, said people are starting to appreciate
the food farmer’s markets offer.
“People are finally beginning to realize,
to eat healthy, go to the local farmer’s market,” he said. By
going to a farmer’s market, Floyd guarantees customers get a lot
more and a lot less. “I say less because it’s without the
pesticides and it’s without the hormones,” he said. He explained
that a child can look grown up at a young age solely based on
what the child eats from the store. “Food can have lasting
effects,” he said.
Floyd said last year some customers made a
habit of showing up before the market officially opened, but
this year he plans to enforce a stricter schedule. He also made
sure this year that vendors had enough time to set up their
tables.
“They want to look as professional as
possible…they need the time,” he said. Each week, Floyd sends
e-mails to registered customers, telling them what types of food
and products should be expected at the market. “The people that
get the e-mail are here at 12 o’clock,” he said.
Floyd said he has vendors that sell out
during the afternoon and he believes customers eagerly come to
farmer’s markets because of the quality. “There’s so much more
flavor in something fresh.” Aside from the product, Floyd wants
customers to understand the foods they purchase are from farmers
who grew them in Connecticut. “They might not all be from the
Mystic area but they are from Connecticut,” he said.
At last week’s market, the Davis Farm of
Pawcatuck had a table with only a couple of products left from
the opening rush. “You missed it…they were all here at noon,”
farmer John “Whit” Davis said. “We have eggs over there and some
scallions.” He said members of his family had been involved in
farming since 1654 and they participate in farmer’s markets
every year. Davis said farmer’s markets benefit the customers by
offering them fresh, locally grown products, as well as the
farmers, since they cut out the middle man and get more money
for their goods. Davis used to sell his products to stores but
realized that “they get all the money and we do all the work.”
The Bread Lady, Mary Soares of Pawcatuck,
said she also stopped selling her authentic Portuguese bread in
stores.
“I would find my bread smashed…something
heavy would be on top of it,” she said. Soares prefers the
markets because she has a chance to present her product the way
she wants it presented.
Soares has been baking Portuguese bread for
more than 30 years and said she sticks to what she knows.
Accompanied by her “bread boy,” 10-year-old grandson James
William Shabarekh Jr., she gives out samples at the market.
“Once they taste it, they keep ordering
it,” she said. Soares said she receives a lot of orders online
from across the country. “A lot of the people lived in New
England and miss New England food,” she explained. She said they
end up finding her Web site and getting hooked on the taste.
Customers get hooked by the smell of
Meriano’s Bake Shoppe of Guilford. Chef Andrea Meriano said the
shop she runs with her brother, Anthony, is a full-line bakery
specializing in Italian pastry.
Last week she sold all stuffed breads
filled with spinach, sausage, eggplant and other meats, as well
as all the specialty cookies and cannoli. The only items left
were a few peanut butter balls and samples of stuffed breads.
Meriano and her brother also are big on
pies.
“Whatever berry is in season…we make
specialty pies,” Meriano said.
“Some people ask for specific things
because of their allergies,” she said. “They ask us if we can
bring something next week and we can do that.” Meriano said she
loves coming to farmer’s markets because of the beautiful
weather and because of it helping their business gain exposure.
She said the farmer’s markets are a lot of fun because of the
different events they have during the changing seasons.
“I would love to start a grilling contest,”
Floyd said. He pointed across the field and said with some
mowing, he has plenty of room for grills and additional parking
spaces. Floyd said anyone interested in participating in a
grilling contest, or in registering for the market newsletter,
should send him an e-mail at
denisonfarmmarket@yahoo.com.
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Copyright 2008 Mary's Sweet Bread, LLC. All rights reserved
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