Millerton Farmer’s Market set for ‘spooky’ sales month

Millerton Farmer’s Market set for ‘spooky’ sales month

"Sold out" signs were a common sight through the summer as visitors to the Millerton Farmer's Market bought up their favorite produce and baked goods.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — As the Northeast Community Center’s farmer’s market heads into its final outdoor months, organizers say there are still a few tricks left in their bag. With autumn underway, the market will continue its new tradition of monthly themes to bring structure and fun to a season that doubles as a family-friendly outing, a place to meet friends and a chance to enjoy local music.

October will be “Spooky Month” at the market, and visitors can expect fall-themed crafts and maybe even a tarot card reader. Halloween will come early on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Katie Cariello, NECC food programs coordinator and market manager, said costumes are encouraged. Kids will be invited to go trick-or-treating around the vendors’ tables.

Looking ahead, November will be “Gratitude Month.” On Saturday, Nov. 8, the market will host programming in honor of Veteran’s Day and spend the month thanking their vendors and other community members.

Cariello is wrapping up her first season as the market manager and has enjoyed working with a small but collaborative team of vendors. “Our vendors are a tight knit group,” she said. “It’s always so lovely to see them collaborating together during the market.” Rather than competing for sales, Cariello and her team have observed a camaraderie that sets the tone for the community-oriented market.

For example, The Baker’s Wife — a small artisan bakery and mill in the Hudson Valley — has supplied bread to a few vendors so they can enhance the display of their products. You can also hear the vendors promoting each other, adds Cariello.

Attendance has spiked and plateaued at different points throughout the summer, but NECC said attendance isn’t always a good indicator of sales, with some vendors selling out on days when attendance was lower. Either way, Cariello and her team are grateful for the foot traffic through Veteran’s Park. “Customers of all kinds, whether they are weekly, visiting or come through once a month, all bring value to the market.”

But it’s not all about the produce and food. Cariello said one of her favorite aspects of the market is actually the NECC crafts table. “A point of pride is when a kid asks to stay and color while parents go purchase their vegetables and baked goods,” she said. “I’m happy we have created a safe and inviting place for families.”

With eyes toward expansion, NECC tested the waters this summer with a secondary market in Amenia, though the organization collectively decided there wasn’t quite enough momentum to continue with that initiative. “Launching a small town farmer’s market can be tough,” Cariello said, offering that while not entirely successful, there were positive aspects that came out of the pilot program. “A lot of good ideas were generated and the experience will positively inform community events moving forward.”

Cariello is grateful for the market’s longtime and new vendors and the relationships she has made in her first year at the helm. “They are the literal bread and butter of the program!”

Accessibility remains a central focus for the market, which continues to expand programs that make fresh, local food more affordable. Through the Double Up Food Bucks program, shoppers using SNAP benefits can double their spending power up to $50, turning $50 in tokens into $100 worth of market food. The market is also working to better support use of Farmers Market Checks, which are provided to seniors, WIC recipients and veterans. So far this season, the market is on track to redeem $1,000 in nutrition incentives — its benchmark goal — though organizers say more outreach is needed to ensure community members know these resources are available.

The NECC Farmer’s Market is always on the lookout for new vendors. If interested, an application is available on the NECC website and prospective vendors can contact the market manager at farmersmarket@neccmillerton.org.

Latest News

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Help Wanted

PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.

The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

To save birds, plant for caterpillars

Fireweed attracts the fabulous hummingbird sphinx moth.

Photo provided by Wild Seed Project

You must figure that, as rough as the cold weather has been for us, it’s worse for wildlife. Here, by the banks of the Housatonic, flocks of dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, tufted titmice and black-capped chickadees have taken up residence in the boxwood — presumably because of its proximity to the breakfast bar. I no longer have a bird feeder after bears destroyed two versions and simply throw chili-flavored birdseed onto the snow twice a day. The tiny creatures from the boxwood are joined by blue jays, cardinals and a solitary flicker.

These birds will soon enough be nesting, and their babies will require a nonstop diet of caterpillars. This source of soft-bodied protein makes up more than 90 percent of native bird chicks’ diets, with each clutch consuming between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars before they fledge. That means we need a lot of caterpillars if we want our bird population to survive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and the home for American illustration

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett

L. Tomaino
"The field of illustration is very close to my heart"
— Stephanie Plunkett

For more than three decades, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett has worked to elevate illustration as a serious art form. As chief curator and Rockwell Center director at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she has helped bring national and international attention to an art form long dismissed as merely commercial.

Her commitment to illustration is deeply personal. Plunkett grew up watching her father, Joseph Haboush, an illustrator and graphic designer, work late into the night in his home studio creating art and hand-lettered logos for package designs, toys and licensed-character products for the Walt Disney Co. and other clients.

Keep ReadingShow less
Free film screening and talk on end-of-life care
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
Provided

Craig Davis, co-founder and board chair of East Mountain House, an end-of-life care facility in Lakeville, will sponsor a March 5 screening of the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” at The Moviehouse in Millerton, followed by a discussion with attendees.

The film, which is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, follows the poet Andrea Gibson and their partner Megan Falley as they are suddenly and unimaginably forced to navigate a terminal illness. The free screening invites audiences to gather not just for a film but for reflection on mortality, healing, connection and the ways communities support one another through difficult life transitions.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.