Yard To Table

Our Guide from Farm to Market to Table - Lori Cochran-Dougall

• Trevor Crafts and Ellen Scherer Crafts • Season 1 • Episode 6

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In this episode  of Yard to Table  Trevor and Ellen talk with the trail blazer Lori Cochran-Dougall, Executive Director of the Westport Farmers Market (WFM) in Westport CT.  Lori is the current force behind WFM, first envisioned by actor Paul Newman and Chef Michel Nischan in 2006. The WFM is rated the best Farmers Market in Connecticut and plays a huge role in fostering community while supporting small businesses and local farmers. Listeners will hear how Lori makes all that come together with her expertise and passion while also learning how to shop at a market, the importance of shopping local and learning "who grows your food". And of course Trevor will attempt to sneak in an accent and launch a continued appeal to Ellen for chickens at Stonebrook House.

Follow the Westport Farmers Market on Instagram and support the Market all season long on Thursdays 10am – 2pm at the following locations:

SUMMER MARKET
50 Imperial Ave, Westport CT
May - November

WINTER MARKET
Gilberties 7 Sylvan Ln, Westport CT
November - March

You can  donate to support the Market here...

And you can listen to Ellen read Jesse Spray Crafts poem on Cosmos Flower here!

And to see what's happening with Ellen and Trevor at Stonebrook House follow @stonebrookhouse on Instagram today!

Questions? Ideas? Things you need to say? Message us!

Trevor:

Well, hello, Ellen.

Ellen :

Well, hello, Trevor.

Trevor:

Here we are yet again.

Ellen :

It's so weird to see you.

Trevor:

It is very bizarre to see you that I just saw you like 11 seconds ago

Ellen :

in our home studio. It's so strange to see you,

Trevor:

That is true, but now I'm now I'm seeing you in a different way, because I'm seeing you as the co host of the fantastic and wonderful yard to table.

Ellen :

Was it the earphones that gave it away

Trevor:

and the fact that you're speaking into a microphone.

Ellen :

Oh, yeah. Well,

Trevor:

that was a dead giveaway.

Ellen :

Well, I am very excited. It's a beautiful day here in Weston Connecticut.

Trevor:

Yes, it is lovely. And we have a fantastic guest today, one of my, one of my most favorite people. You know, here's the thing I do have to say, because I don't want to, we've had amazing guests so far, and we will have more amazing guests. It's like, you know, you can't say you have a favorite child. We can say that because we want to have the UNO girl. There's no There's no other yeah ones coming.

Ellen :

It's when she chooses the parent in our house,

Trevor:

we don't have any other kids coming, right?

Ellen :

No, no no, that ship has sailed. Good word, yeah,

Trevor:

thank you. But all of our guests have just been so great

Ellen :

well, they're really the people who just help foster our initial welcoming here and our love of the area in which we have settled as a family. And I think they're also the people that provide that continuous inspiration and positive energy that we love so much.

Trevor:

And I think it's one of the cool things, is that the people, if you've been following along with us on the podcast, of course you have, and of course everybody has. Thank you, listeners. But I think that it really is the microcosm of what we do experience. Yes, there is so much positivity. There is so many people that are so welcoming and so interested in what we're doing at Stone Brook, having that yard to table lifestyle, having everybody come together, it's, it's really here, yeah, you know. And it's nice to be able to just highlight that a little bit.

Ellen :

Yeah, and with our friends and for today's episode, we're talking about Farm to Market.

Trevor:

Ah, yard to farm to market to table to farm.

Ellen :

That whole thing. It's a giant, it's a circle. Yes, it's a system.

Trevor:

I'm not going to do it. No, please don't. We're not licensed for that song.

Ellen :

No, I don't want to pay rights. You know, we talk a lot about how farmers markets were such a huge part of of our life. You know, these farmer market we lived in Los Angeles. We would go every Sunday, and it had all of the families that we would know and see, and we thought, and it was pretty epic. It was pretty epic for us. And then I think it's so interesting because it was so important to us for our daughter to grow up really understanding what a farmer's market was, and to experience that meeting the people who were selling the food, and yeah, and, you know, and then we came here, and immediately...

Trevor:

it was really one of our first stops. You said, oh, let's there's a farmer's market here. I said, oh, let's go,

Ellen :

Yeah, and we did, and we found the Westport Farmers Market, which was amazing,

Trevor:

ultra fantastic. Little accent there for you.

Ellen :

And so Westport is right next to us. Yes, we're in Weston,

Trevor:

not really a sister city, but it is the very closest cousin that lives down the street.

Ellen :

We share beaches, and we share their beaches

Trevor:

, we share their beach, we totally share their beach,

Ellen :

which is part of the reason we chose Weston so Westport has beautiful beaches on the sound. Campo Beach is our little beach that we go to that we love so much. It has a vibrant downtown, and it has this farmers market that has been recognized as the best in our state of Connecticut, which is pretty incredible. We didn't even know we all love all things local. And there's a very local, famous blogger. His name's Dan woog, and his blog is 06680, that is the Westport zip code for those of you that are not in the know. And he had a great quote about our guest today, which I wanted to share. She is well known and beloved as executive director of the Westport farmers market, and she made it not into just a place to purchase great fresh produce and organic goods, but a true community gathering spot. Very true, amazing with entertainment and education too. Every Thursday, the market pulses with life and good vibes, and it's all thanks to our guests today, because all of that is true and more, from her business savvy to her warmth and ability to foster community, to her tireless support of all things local and the people who grow our food, we couldn't be more excited on the podcast today to have a pioneer we feel as a pioneer in the modern farmers market. Movement, Executive Director of the Westport farmers market, Laurie Cochran Douglas,

Lori:

We have to start off by saying it's so hard not to just smile when, when I'm with the two of you, it's very, really so fun, and I do want to be your favorite?

Trevor:

Well, we're accepting donations. We're accepting donations later on in the podcast, and we can talk about that later.

Lori:

Great.

Ellen :

Well, we smile and we see you too, and it's and again, it's just that welcome. You know, we were new we were new residents of West and new growers to the farmers market. We felt welcome the minute we walked in, even before we knew you we it just was such a wonderful space. And we're talking about, like, how we met. I think where did, where did we first meet? I was it at the fundraiser?

Trevor:

I think so, yeah,

Lori:

I think it was the fundraiser. Yeah, I first remember you there, and then afterwards I saw you at the market quite frequently.

Trevor:

Yeah, I think all things track back to Liz Rubin, friend of the podcast, all things start with Liz,

Lori:

community organizer, curator, correct, yeah. Corraller,

Ellen :

yeah. Persuasive, every all of that great stuff. Yeah, that's right. And we came, we came to the first fundraiser, and everyone since been it was just so incredible to see, you know, all the people there that were supporting what is also a nonprofit, yes, farmers market, we are, which is very unusual, right?

Lori:

It is. It's not as unusual now as it was when we were starting. So once, when I first took over the market 15 years ago, we were not a 501, c3, we actually were had a fiscal agent, which was gvi Green Village initiative, and they very kindly took us under their wing. We were going to put an office at Wakeman town farm. I remember going to look there to thought we may bud into that, because gvi was running Wakeman at the time, and we ended up under some really great guidance of people that were involved in the town, we were able to get our 501 c3, and we were actually one of the first 150 farmers markets in the country to become our own 501, c3, incredible, independent of a fiscal agent. So it took a I mean, hats off to the people who got it done, and we're really grateful, because what it did is it gave us the ability to strengthen our educational outreach, and then also, of course, to raise money. But it really made it so that the programming that I had wanted to implement, we were able to do so.

Trevor:

how did you, I mean, you're not from Connecticut originally, correct?

Lori:

No, Virginia,

Trevor:

Virginia, right. So how awesome. That's where I, you know, I it seemed a little, you know,

Ellen :

I apologize in advance if Trevor starts doing your accent,

Trevor:

Virginia Beach. Get a little about Virginia Beach.

Ellen :

But was that right? Lori,

Lori:

like, no southwest Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia.

Trevor:

I can't, I don't have a Virginia accent in my armamentarium. Oh, really, I don't Virginia Beach.

Ellen :

Oh, no, please don't encourage that.

Trevor:

It's a show of accents. We go down a path, but give us the brief history of how you got there. Because it's, it's not hey, I want to start a farmer's market today, or, Hey, I want to join and become the executive director. It's not like something as crazy as, hey, let's move to Connecticut with all of our family members and have a historical homestead like Stonebrook. I mean, those are crazy people, and you're not that

Lori:

we weren't too far off. We weren't too far off.

Ellen :

This is why we like each other.

Lori:

My we actually moved here from Jackson, hole Wyoming, where we had spent 20 years, and we came here to finish raising our kids. Our eldest son has some special needs, and it was just a better place for us to be. And so we arrived here. I came a little later. My husband and kids were here, and I came, not gonna lie, kicking and screaming. Oh, Ellen too. Yeah, exactly. He was like, you've got to get here. And at the time, I was a marketing director for an international conservation development firm, and came here, didn't know what I was going to do. Thought of I was starting to interview. I worked for a company in Stanford for a consulting gig, and I went from at the lunch like skiing our local town mountain or going for a hike to being on the tram. It's not a tram. Being on the train, no one talking, no one going out for lunch, no one leaving the building and then getting back on the train and coming back. And I it really. There's nothing wrong with it, and I honor everybody who does it. I just was falling. It wasn't your deal. I didn't even understand it. I didn't now I could do it. Then I had just thought, are these robots like I feel like I'm in the matrix? Yeah. And so to the wisdom of my husband, who just seems to be such an amazing support, he said I had chaired the board of the farmers market in Jackson. I had a job, a career. Job, but I was on the board for a long time, heavily involved, and I had turned the model there around. So it went from a pay to play board seat to the market was self sustaining. It was generating income to support additional programming. There's a thread here. Yeah. Love it. And and so he said, You know, I want you to take a break maybe just see if there's a farmer's market where you could volunteer. And so I actually Googled farmers markets, as we do. The Westport Farmers Market showed up. And I went down there and walked up to the lady, pointed somebody, and said, Are you running this? And she they said, she said, No, the lady over there. And I went up to this woman who's since become a friend, who lives in LA now, Sherry Brooks Benton, and said, Could I help today? And she said, Sure, why don't you volunteer? And at the time it, you know, no dig on her, but it just there were vendors. Were spread out. There. Weren't all there. One of them left midway through, two of them were fighting. The dining tables didn't have table calls on them. I just thought, What is going on? But I was so happy.

Trevor:

It was a super different vibe from what you had done in your last farmers market.

Lori:

It was a super yes and and later to come, you know, it ended up being that, well, I got to finish that, this one story, and I'll come back to the squirrel part that's important of that. But I went up to so at the end of the day, they go over and they're just throwing the chairs and the tables into the storage unit, which we call the office.

Ellen :

That's not good for you.

Lori:

And I said, Do you mind if I stay and organize the unit?

Ellen :

I love so much.

Lori:

I couldn't leave it. I was like, I can't do it. And she goes, Well, better yet. You come back next week and I'll pay you$10 an hour. So I got in the car.

Trevor:

Now you're in the money

Lori:

completely

Ellen :

That was about your salary at the international country.

Lori:

So I jump in, I get in the car, and I called Nate, and I honestly, like, sorry to be cheesy, but I every time I tell this, I feel it. And I remember calling Nate and saying, I'm so excited. I just got a job. Well, he thought I'd taken a job in the city, working for Ogilvy or somebody, and another one that I was interviewing with, and I was like, no, no, I'm gonna make $60 a week on Thursdays. All right? You know, we have three children, right?

Trevor:

Cool, cool, honey. Cool.

Lori:

Well, this is right after I'd said I think I was going to be a school bus driver, so I was having a little bit of an identity. It would be a very strict bus

Ellen :

I would take you as a bus driver, but I'm glad you went in a different way. So tell us more.

Lori:

So I start coming back. Sherry was going to leave the role. I become close with the two women at the time, the Select woman, Shelly Kassen, Gordon Jasloff, with the Select men. And then there was a woman who was the fairy godmother of the market, Rebecca Howe. And they really were. They just kept coming to me and saying, why don't you take it over? We think this is what you should do. And my ego was in play. I thought, I don't want to work for a farmer's market. I maybe I'll serve on the board, or I'll volunteer whatever, but I have a career to go have, and my friends were going to be CMOs and and I yeah, she just said, they said, Well, can we call you in the in the beginning of the year? And I said, Yeah, call me in the beginning of the year. I'll make a decision. But I said, I don't do it for free. I will give you a model. I will map it everything out. I believe in getting paid. I don't totally believe in volunteerism. I mean, I see it here and there being valuable, but like, entire organizations cannot run off of it, right? It's just not an it's not stable. And so they called January 1. We were in London. They called january 1 at 10am there and said, Please take it. And I just took it. And so we I we had no money at all. We ran the market. We started it on my credit card and Rebecca's credit card, and

Trevor:

we can relate to some of that.

Lori:

And then we implemented the friend of the market program. And I said, just trust me, I will have all this money back in the bank. We will figure this out. And within a year, I had started the winter market, and we had started the Gillespie program.

Ellen :

Well, and listen, there's so much exciting stuff to talk about, and just what you just said. So, so friend of the market, what is, for our listeners, what is friend of the market? What is that program?

Lori:

That's a great question. So friend of the market is our top fundraiser, and it, what it does is it offsets the vendors fees, and you can give us a donation of $40 if you're kind, you can give us more. And we in exchange, you get a bag, and so you bring this bag to the market every week, and then all the vendors give you a weekly discount to say thank you. And we have not raised the vendors fees for eight years, Wow, and so and the purpose of that, if I just add, is that we bring some of the largest numbers of shoppers to any farmers market in the state, especially with the most economic development and viability out of the majority of shoppers. Yet we are ensuring that these small mom and pop businesses. And small farmers take the most money home they can. So if they, even if they sell $9,000 and in that market, the most they will pay is $65

Ellen :

That's incredible. That's crazy. That's incredible.

Trevor:

There's so many things. It's so much to talk about, because that's you talk about them, the vendors, the farmers, the growers, the people that are there, that we go up to and we interact with. Why not charge them more? I mean, I'm sure a lot of markets do. They did tell us a little bit about what is the experience of a farmer that comes to Westport farmers market versus going to another farmer's market in the state or, I mean, even out of state. I mean, because I can imagine that,

Ellen :

or who's applying to become a vendor, because you have some of the strictest guidelines, right?

Trevor:

Tell us about that becoming a part of the market.

Lori:

So do you understand? Tell you, tell you the experience from a vendor's perspective,

Trevor:

yeah, like, what's it like as a farmer? I'm a farmer, and I want to bring it in. I've got the maple syrup in the in, up in the up in the hill, and I want to come in, and I want to sell those trees, maple syrup, and maybe get a bunch of chickens. We can see a couple of them now, you know what I mean,

Ellen :

just throwing them in there, yep, throwing them

Lori:

in there, we can talk maple I had 95 buckets, and my husband was like, oh, it's gonna be so easy. It only runs for three weeks. It's all a lie.

Trevor:

Yeah. That is a lie. Yeah, I will tell Okay, so let's go back to pretend farmer. And I'm bringing in. I want to, I want to, totally want to be at the farmers market, because I love the action and the fact that all these people come and what's that like?

Ellen :

I want to sell my product, yeah. What's that like as a grower?

Lori:

Well, from a vendor perspective, it's, it's hard to get in. I mean, I'm pretty grueling about who you are, where you're coming from, what, what your boots gonna look like, your product, I visit all farms, all businesses, prepared food vendors have to submit their invoices to us every other month so that I know they're buying from farms, and they have to be from approved farms by me, like I don't I don't like junk farms. But if you're a farmer trying to get in back to your specific question, it's probably hard, because you've got to be able to keep up with our numbers. You have to have growing practices that I agree with and can verify, and you've got to have the persona and ability to come and want to educate the buyer and want to talk to the customer. And one of the things that I really am adamantly against, and the people at our market can tell you, is that this misnomer of being a farmer outside of the area and coming into Fairfield County and raising prices because they feel they can't, you know, there's this belief, oh, they're all these people kind of thing, right? Completely. That does not happen in our market. It is we will, you will very quickly be removed if that is caught happening and they know. So one of the reasons that they pay so low in fees, yeah, we could charge them up the ninth but that money that they're making is going directly back into communities, is going directly back into Connecticut. I We can raise the money within our community to cover all of the external programming. And they, they what they do by being sustainable and viable and successful businesses is priceless.

Ellen :

I love that. I love that. And I know you're so passionate about the farmer

Lori:

I am and sympathetic. I think in some ways I am, yes, I mean, I honor them, and I think they're brilliant, and I the thing that I'm sympathetic about is that I think they should be our celebrities. I think they should be the ones that we are. Everything starts with them, and if we don't, there's not a thing you do in your day that can't be done because of a farmer. You have to eat, yeah, and everything we put in our mouth is grown by a farmer. Yeah.

Ellen :

Was it last year or two years ago, there was that wonderful one of the many programs that the farmers market does is usually some sort of photography competition, or on multi levels for kids and for adults, but there was a an intentional photography Art series that you did about who grows your food, right? And that's where photographers really went into went to the farms and took pictures of people in their in their yards, in their farms, doing their everyday work. And what is it like to be a small farmer, small grower in Connecticut?

Lori:

Gosh, I'm not one. So

Ellen :

what do you see when you visit?

Lori:

I what I see when I visit is, oh my gosh. I'm be honest. I always leave a farm envious. I am so envious of their actual, true connection to the land, yeah, and they, they have this piece about them that I want. I'm jealous of that in their knowledge, their knowledge of science. I mean, you get this from your yards. Me too. Like it is very difficult, yes, to make it all work, and they're making it work. Restaurant acres,

Trevor:

and they're doing it at a scale that we don't even get close to completely.

Lori:

And you look at Fort Hill Farm, Hungry Reaper, I mean, you go to their farms and they've got eight people working the land, or four people working the land, and what they can do is prolific, and everything's beautiful and tastes great. I don't know about you, some of my stuff may look good, but then it tastes terrible, and then some looks terrible and tastes amazing. And that's very true. Yeah, they just have this recipe, but what I see is there is a growing support, and some of the things I've found that I really appreciate is there's an organization called the new farmers Alliance. It was the young farmers Alliance, but they've renamed it to new farmers Alliance. That group really has some good legs under it that I think is being very supportive within the community. I have spearheaded and started the Farmers Market Association in the state, and I'm hoping to strengthen farmers markets and bring in some strong guidelines and get more support on a state and national level for our agriculture here in Connecticut, and I've been very graced with the support of our government here.

Trevor:

That's so important.

Ellen :

That's critical. You obviously have this very broad background in both nonprofit and business, and I heard you talk a little bit about preparing the vendors the farmers. Do you think your business background helps with that? Like for them, how to because you've also become sort of a incubator for some small businesses as well, right, that have grown out of the market.

Lori:

We do every couple years have an incubator program. I mean, I try to always have continuing education available for our farmers, or not just farmers vendors, so all vendors have opportunities for free ongoing education. And we do have an incubator program. I'm tough on what it looks like from the external behind their social media. What they post about social media. I mean, you know, it's just, I want them to be the best versions of themselves, but they're also representing our brand, where they're there. And one of the things I feel I've done a good job at is creating a community, family vibe within the market. So our vendors really rely on one another. They also are smart. The old guard. Tell the new guard what I like and what I don't like. So how to how to make it work? Which is great. That's great. And you know, we're really tight, especially this group right now. I'm so honored to be working with such talented people and and I wish I was good at the nonprofit sector. I have a feeling that most EDS and true nonprofit professionals think I have no idea what I'm doing, and I don't. I really do run this as a business, and I'm grateful to have a treasure and business be financial people that help guide me in what it needs to be in regards to the IRS structure. But look, if I was going to be honest, I think this whole methodology we have in this country of doing good doesn't make money is nonsense.

Ellen :

Oh, I love that. That's so true.

Trevor:

100% and I think, you know one of the things you said a minute ago, and I think this is where having a true business understanding, and not that you came from something that had, like, a lot of supply chain and things like that, but really struck me, the people that are making prepared foods at the market, you're going that extra level to make sure that they're buying local I had no idea that you did that, that's amazing, because that really brings the local market, truly local, you know? I mean, in other markets around the country, probably, you know, there's somebody that's coming in and selling something, and you don't know where it comes from. And I think that is it. It is so important that that happens, and I don't think it happens in a lot of other places, is my guess that maybe not be the case.

Lori:

You're pretty right? And could I tell you why? Yes, please. That's why we're here. Because when you walk through the door that market, I honestly want you to know you can trust everything in it. Yeah, it's under my name. I am the head of it, and it's under a brand that I'm backing. And I want you to know that I'm I care about your family, I care about your community, and I really am going to make sure it's healthy food for you.

Trevor:

And I mean, that goes right to your right to the slogan,

Ellen :

who grows your food? Grows your food. Yeah.

Lori:

Do you know?

Trevor:

I do? I do now.

Unknown:

Well, you know, even your foods have to use. Local was so we were doing our little research before the interview.

Trevor:

I didnt Do that research, apparently, because I just found out about 11 seconds ago that this was the

Ellen :

we always go to type, honey, you and I,

Trevor:

I'm a wing it, yeah, you're wing it,

Ellen :

we know. But it was interesting. When I was, I was looking at that, and I, we've talked about our market in Studio City, you know, it went a full city block. And in Los Angeles, it was huge block. And I remember the first time we went to Westport, it was, obviously, it was on the Imperial lot, which was, it's a great location. And I. I was thinking to myself, Oh, this isn't as big as Studio City, but when I think about then, as a customer of the market, when we were in Los Angeles, I didn't think about that stuff. We thought we're like the bread basket in California, right? So everything here has to be local, right? And it wasn't really till our daughter was born and we started thinking more thoughtfully, and that's what I've come to love about what you do with the Westport farmers market, because it is that self sustaining system. If everyone is supporting then everything grows and people are rewarded for their actions and their effort, and they're going to continue to do these things that we so desperately as a society need them to do, which is grow healthy organic food and support these small businesses. So it clicked for me in learning that

Lori:

In your first podcast, your launch, when you did such a eloquent job of speaking about how Connecticut has a beautiful growth cycle and has a beautiful season cycle. And I think at times, people forget that we are an agricultural community 1,000%

Trevor:

very much. So yeah, and I think one of the things that I found so fascinating about how you structure is you have the summer market, and then you have the winter market. And that's also, again, coming from California, with a lot of our experience there, there is no winter market. It's just the market because it's the same temperature all the time.

Ellen :

It gets to 70 and people put a sweater on.

Trevor:

It's bad. It's not winter. That's not winter at all. I like winter. I like snow, but I think that's such a it's such a wonderful thing to keep it going, because we only have a short, shorter, you know, growing vegetable, growing window. But there's so much more. And I think there's something so fun and cozy about I love both of the winter market that's just, there's, it's, it's got this wonderful

Ellen :

you're going in and out of greenhouses, at Gilbirtie's,

Trevor:

and it's warm, but it's still outside, and it's cool.

Ellen :

Can you get a better vibe than that? I mean,

Lori:

I'm like, the vendors love it. I love it. We all settle in for the winter, and if it's snowing and it's just coming off the greenhouse, it's magical.

Trevor:

so for listeners, the winter market is at a wonderful place in Westport called Gilberies, and

Lori:

Its been there for 102 years.

Trevor:

102 years, let's talk about local let's talk about history and legacy. 102 years amazing. How long have you been there with the winder market?

Lori:

This year will be our 15th year.

Trevor:

Wow. That's awesome.

Lori:

I remember I walked up to Sal gilberty, who, if anybody knows I have a total crush on, including his wife, knows my husband does too. So it's just, he's just so knowledgeable and sweet and amazing. But I walked up to him at some agricultural fair or something, and said, Hey, would you take a chance on me? I'd love to start a winter market in a greenhouse at your and he said, sure. Do it. Don Just tell me when we've grown from one greenhouse of 15 vendors to now that we're able to have a 30, we'll have 30 vendors there this year. Amazing. We have ongoing get growing every week. Greg, by the way, get growing is our youth program of edge focused on education, and kids can come every week to do a project.

Trevor:

We're gonna get into all of the programs in just a second. I do have to tell one fun winter market story. Let's hear it. So last Christmas, Ellen and I were shopping around, as we do at the Winter market, with pre holiday shopping, pre holiday shopping, a little bit, a little bit of this, little bit of that fill in stockings.

Ellen :

We had done our pre orders like we're supposed to do vendors and yeah,

Trevor:

we also went to Fato A Mano, which is a fantastic Baker wizard, Baker of The Year. Baker of The Year. Yeah, Martha Stewart, all TV shows, all sorts of stuff. A Westport Farmers Market graduate, part of the incubator, right created, and it got really busy in this one area. And I was like, Well, we had a time slot. We had a time slot. We all we signed up for time slots and to get these amazing panettone which are just redonkulous. They're amazing. And I think we were going for a lemon pistachio.

Lori:

Oh, I'm getting hungry.

Trevor:

get one if you're in the area. And there was Lori. She was like, you two, meaning us. Now we know Lori quite well at this point in time. She's, we've done events at the house together. We've done stuff. She's like, when's your time slot? We're like, we're we're 1010, see the paper says 10. No, come back in 20 minutes. The lines too long. Come back in 20 20 minutes. It was, it was, but that was the kind of traffic copping that was necessary. We said, Yes, we saluted, and we walked into the back and we shopped more.

Ellen :

But I, what I love about that story is it's twofold, right? She's looking holistically at all of her vendors. Number one, she's looking at fire codes.

Lori:

Exactly

Ellen :

as people who do events and production. We totally appreciate that, by the way, and she knows, by the way, she could tell us that, and we'll walk away. We're here to support copy that we got it. But the other part was that you, I knew also that you were like, I want to think about all the other tables that are in this area that are also selling what they've brought for the day. So it just, I think it's such an encapsulation of who you are, from a, you know, a strong leader, to somebody who's caring about everybody who's in the market, that you that you support and also that you care about safety.

Lori:

Great, you're getting me chose up there. But yes, you're right. I do, and sometimes I can't be nice,

Ellen :

you can't, and that's okay. That's what I learned, a fun story.

Trevor:

It's one of my favorite.

Ellen :

the farmers market, so 15 years in the winter market, which is incredible. And of course, we've just talked about how much we love it. But what is the story originally, of the farmers market? When did it start? And kind of has a famous beginning, right? Does? Yes.

Lori:

So it originally started with Paul Newman, who everyone knows Westport legend, for those who don't know, legend, very kind, family, great organization, Newman's Own, and a gentleman named Michelle nichon, who is another national icon in my mind of how much he's done for food insecurity, that he owned a restaurant. They jointly owned a restaurant together called the dressing room, and they had decided they wanted to have access to fresh local food. They had also gone to Shelley Kassen and Gordon joslaf, who were the Selectmen and woman at the time, and they were also interested in doing a farmer's market. So the synergy was just perfect at that moment, from as the stories go, I wasn't here, so, you know, I'm always a little bit on the hearsay of these but the legend has it, the legend has it that Paul walked into town hall and said, Let's make this happen. And Shelley and Gordon just being very town focused, and community building said, All right, let's do this. We're gonna come together and figure this out. So they started it at the dressing room. They had a very successful open opening. I think 500 people came. I believe they were there for a few years, and then the traffic got to be a little much. I don't know if you've ever been back there, but it's just a tight in and out and trying to get through from a safety so they moved it over to Imperial Avenue, and at that point, sadly, Paul was getting sick, or was sick, and Michelle Nisha had started Wholesome Wave and dry and and also was doing the dressing room. So they had said, Okay, we've done the farmers market. The town can take it. And Shelly and Gordon and Rebecca, how they really just kind of grabbed it. And they found Sherry Brooks, Brent Benton, who's insanely talented, and she they kind of ran with it. And they did that, I think, for two years, and then they were gonna close it. You wanna know the truth. So the year I came along, they had decided that they were gonna close it. There was a lot of in fighting truth be told, the money that was in the account was taken by another vendor or something. I mean, it was kind of crazy stuff, yeah, and they knew they needed to wipe the slate clean. So there had been, yeah, they had talked about closing it and so then, but then I got here,

Ellen :

It was like, the perfect timing. It all kind of came together. And that's like, fortuitous. What are the numbers like in terms of attendance? What do you what do you like summer's the big numbers. We have a lot of people who come for vacation, right?

Lori:

We're rolling these days, yeah. I mean, I am, yeah.

Ellen :

That lot is cracking.

Lori:

It is on. I highly recommend coming from 12 to two. The 10 to 12 is that's a lot, yeah, and it's beautiful and amazing and the people, but that is the aggressive shopper, that person knows what they want. They know the vegetable, and they've all gotten to be friends, so they all hold each other's lines and they know, and it's really fun and amazing. But the 12 to two is a little bit calmer, and I feel like more newcomers are coming during the that window. Our numbers right now, in the summer, we're probably about 3000 a week. Wow. Rainy days, 12, 1500 the winter market, I haven't been able to get us over. 1750 I'm right at that window, but we have three parking attendants, and we have a parking issue. We just don't have enough parking there. But I think Gilbert is looking at putting some more parking in so we might be able to bump up. That's cool. I mean, it is, it's it's amazing. And I know support is unbelievable.

Trevor:

Just being there, you feel the energy of everybody is happy, you know. And I think that's another thing that we've always found about people that like to grow, like to know, their growers like to make, you know, make things and do it is that there is this just general air of real positivity at the market, which I think is the thing we all need a lot of

Ellen :

we're inspired. There's, it's creativity too. I mean, it's, you know, we constantly say where we come from in terms of entertainment and building stories. You know, we see so much art and creativity and growing and making and and cooking and,

Trevor:

oh, what can I use for this? If I get this, I can bring this other thing. And what if I get this? You. Think they have that. And then, oh, I could add that to this other Yeah, you know, whatever it is,

Lori:

I wake up. I'm no joke. I wake up so many days and think, Is my energy for this gonna stop? And when does it stop? Because you're supposed to have your exit strategy, right, right? I've had 15. I mean, I've had them all. And every something else just sparks it. And I see it, and I see that we can contribute, and what we actually are doing for one from an economic perspective, one from a socio economic perspective, and then from a community perspective. And it's, it's inspiring, and I do want to talk about plastic at some point. That is one thing.

Ellen :

Let's talk about plastic and lets talk about programming. But let's, let's go plastic.

Lori:

Well, plastic, that's a good that'll be a good one, because that's inside the market. But I really do one of the things, since there are going to be listeners to this all over the world, I really like to bring it home that farmers market. I'm going to preach right now. Farmers Markets have a responsibility to the people that are shopping there. They have a responsibility to make sure that the food is grown in the place that's supposed to be grown. The prepared foods are made from healthy ingredients that are going to support your health, for your community, as well as your body, and then also the product that it's served in. Is incredibly important. Our planet is overrun with plastic, and if anybody's about to turn this off? Turn it back on, because I'm not. I'm not going to make you feel terrible about yourself, but I am going to tell you, when you walk through the door of a farmer's market, we have the responsibility to serve you, and we have a responsibility to serve the environment. You should not see plastic. You should not see Styrofoam. If you do, we are not doing a good job for you. Now, at our market, we are 98% plastic free. I have not found another and the only plastic that is in our market is consumer protection mandated. And I have taken, I mean, I've had farmers and people come kicking and screaming, but because we have a strong market, they're able to do it. And if from hell or high water, I'm going to work my butt off to get this implemented at more farmers markets.

Ellen :

I think you just said a key thing there. They're implementing the non plastic strategy. It's not hurting margins and profits. So as long as we can continue to make a connection between doing what's right for the environment, doing the things that we know are sustainable for the planet also don't equal a loss for particularly for small businesses. Let's get real, right? I mean, that is that's important, but the viability and the success of the market allows people to be allows you to be able to implement that right completely.

Lori:

And I and that is not missed on me, that our success of our market is one way that allows them to have that. But I could run price points for you at any given day, and the subsidized plastic numbers you're going you're still going to be paying as much, right? You're you bulk buy, you get in a group, you bulk buy paper, and you know exactly...

Ellen :

And its US made. I love that. Well, let's talk a little bit. We mentioned, we talked about food insecurity, and I know that's a big theme in programming for the market, but let's talk a little bit about the outreach, because you are a nonprofit and you're also helping other nonprofits in the community, particularly around food insecurity.

Lori:

It is we always start with the farmer for all of our programming. So the naming of our programming, you guys are welcome to give us feedback, because I think we need it. But so all of our programming external from the market, does start with the farmer. So it is the titles of our program are farmers to school to community, farmers to kids to community, and farmers to veterans to community. And those are the three that we'll talk about right now. There are some other ones that have more to do with arts and education, but those three work with three organizations that are pretty prolific in our community. One is the Gillespie and homes with hope, which is located in Westport, and that is a homeless shelter. The Gillespie is a homeless shelter, and homes with hope is a rehabilitation I don't know what the exact term for that is, but they do a lot of good. How's that? And then homes for the brave is focused on veterans. And we actually work with the only female veteran home in our state, and there are 14 beds in that home, and that program I could talk forever about, I think that's pretty amazing. And then we also work with the she Cardinal Sheehan program, or center, excuse me, Cardinal Sheehan center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which is one of the largest inner city after school programs.

Trevor:

So how does that interact with the farmers market? Is it just?

Lori:

it's a great question.

Trevor:

The farmers are donating food to the to those, to those places, or, how does it tell us a little bit more about how does the how does the help happen?

Lori:

Great question. We actually always start by buying food. We do not ask for farmers to donate. That's awesome. Yeah. We truly believe that you pay the farmers for their right, for their. Wears. I won't be I won't lie. I do think organizations know not to come ask me anymore. But for years, we would have organization after organization ask me for massive donations from farmers. I do think the word is out not to do that, but, but we always start we pay the farmer a fair wage for the product, and then it ends up in the hands of either students cooking meals and serving it to their local homeless shelter or to a chef that is teaching female veterans how to cook because they have been away from kitchens for so long and sitting down to have a meal with them, showing them the value of a true meal together. And then at the table, at the table, exactly. And then, or to the kids, where we're taking fresh food and putting it in their hands and having them have access to a whole chicken or rutabaga. I was thinking, like, what's that vegetable? What Is that weird looking vegetable,

Trevor:

Ah, that old classic chicken and rutabagas.

Ellen :

But it's so important because, again, it's about, it's what, it's this theme that you continue to pull through across the whole really ecosystem of the farmers market, which is, if the farmers, they are getting paid for what they're doing, and then that means they grow more. It means they can do more. And it it helps all of these. There's so many ripples, yes, ripples, yes, that it continues to sustain our community in such a in such a large way. Sorry,

Lori:

I would say to your point about the winter market. Trevor, you said it perfectly. It's like, how did it grow from there? It's exactly that this continued success of us supporting these real farmers who really grow our food. They've been at they've been able to hire, I'm not hire, I'm sorry, build out greenhouses to be able to grow more food for the winter, because the demand is there. That's right.

Trevor:

I mean, I just think it's so fascinating that and wonderful that you put yourself in the position of being a farmer. You have this opportunity to be in a in a market where you can sell a lot of produce, because you're not at scale, where you're going to be able to sell to a big grocery store chain or something like that, and there's an opportunity to give some of your food to place that needs it, you know, a program that needs it, you're probably going to feel, Oh, I guess I should just give them some of this food, because you're in a position where you don't have all of the power, right? You're there as a guest. So you're like, Okay, I'll just, yeah, you can have all of this. It's fine, but it's probably not really fine. It's probably really hard to do that. The fact that you're buying that,

Ellen :

well, that Lori sets the process, she sets this up to the individual, yeah,

Trevor:

is just such an awesome I'm sure, breath of fresh air for them, because they can feel good about what they're doing. It can be a real extension into the community, and they can still hit the numbers that they have to hit in order to make sure that we can all continue to enjoy the things that they make. It's just so cool.

Lori:

Do you know that in our country right now, we have the largest amount of farmers on food subsidies? Yeah, it's since World War Two. Pretty horrific, incredible, horrific, and horrific. And I do look I food insecurity is incredibly important to me, and it's, I think we have to combat it. I do think that until we start putting the farmer first, we have a very we have a huge hill to climb, and I'm not sure that we can climb it if we're not understanding that the farmer has to be valued for what they're doing.

Trevor:

It's interesting. We, you know, we obviously here, we're very much about yard to table, about Super local and ultra local. And it really changes if you do something in your yard, if you're building something out. It really changes your perspective on how hard it is to do anything. And we were talking about a little bit before, but it really at least for me and I know for Ellen, it has really changed. We always liked farmers, appreciated farmers, understood the value chefs, yeah, but it really changes your appreciation for how hard it is, because when the cucumber beetle comes into the thing, and then it's all and you're like, Oh, I got rid of that one by injecting the thing

Ellen :

Vine borers!

Trevor:

And then the Fleas, and I'm like, Why does my cute Why does my zucchini look like garbage? Oh, fleas. I didn't expect that to come. You know, it's, it's an endless onslaught that prevents you from getting anything done. You know how hard it is, and you know how hard they work, and how hard and how important it is, and I guess, to a certain extent. And ask you about this. Do you see the market as sort of like an extension of that sort of yard to table? Education, education,

Lori:

100% I mean, I you the majority of shoppers that are there, especially that 10 to 12 window, are growing some fresh hour. Yeah. Or have grown something, or have a strong knowledge about the plant, right and or how things are harvested, and they can that. And I'm not going to say the 12 to two dozen either, but there is throughout the market, there is this beautiful, educated conversation happening. There's also a thirst for knowledge. Of the people that are there want to know what their ingredients are going to taste like. They want to know the impact of it so and to that point, I don't know about you, but I'm right now in my head, I'm envisioning the romaine that I purchased from Fort Hill last week and the romaine that's in my garden. Yeah, they are. I don't even know if they're from the same.

Ellen :

Both organic, but not the same,

Lori:

same. It's so. So I So, yes,

Ellen :

don't have the heart of a farmer. I do my best. But I mean, like you were saying, the conditions, they go out, in the heat, in the rain, in the slug, we need more education around what that experience is and really why it's so valuable to us. And I think that's what you know, such as

Trevor:

Its not riding in a cool combine tractor, which would be amazing.

Lori:

You know, what I find is I maybe I'm wrong, and I would love your take on this, but I find that people have this misnomer that they they don't know how smart farmers are.

Trevor:

Yes, I could see that. Oh, 100% Yeah, no, for sure,

Lori:

They are... They're some of the smartest business I mean, the math that they have to run, it's a lot the guessing game they're doing with the weather prediction science. I mean, they are and so I understand why they're insular. They it's hard to break through. I'm honored that they have given me a voice and they allow me to have a voice. I've worked very hard for it. I don't take it for granted at all, but I get why they're insular a little.

Ellen :

Yeah, when you're thinking about from the customer perspective, if you would want to educate a shopper who's going into a farmer's market, say it's January and there are ripe tomatoes for sale, what are the things that a shopper should be looking for? I know there's some terms you've taught me when we're thinking about it's not the Westport farmers market we're talking to, but if someone is a just going to a farmer's market for the first time, and they're going and what are the things that they should look for or ask that's,

Lori:

oh my gosh, another good question. You guys should have a podcast.

Trevor:

We will talk about that. We will talk about that.

Lori:

So first of all, when you go into a market, relax, give yourself a little breath of just being in line. And the number one thing I would say is, if you feel uncomfortable. That's amazing. Like, that's a good thing. That's okay.

Ellen :

I love that. Sit in your discomfort, in your discomfort,

Lori:

and people are going to talk to you. You're going to be spoken to at a market. It is not going to be the cold, isolated grocery store. It is going to be a warmer experience. So that would be the first like, be ready to talk and be ready to engage. The other thing I would say, and I what you're talking about, is called jobbing, jobs. So what? Yeah, so what Ellen very wisely brought up is, if you, let's use May

Trevor:

She is very wise.

Lori:

She is very wise.

Ellen :

Thank you.

Unknown:

She so are you, by the way, and she so, let's say May, because this actually just happened in Connecticut. In May, a bunch of markets open up, and there's watermelon, there are 10 different types of or five different, sorry, I'm exaggerating, but there were five different types of tomato, there were full zucchinis. There was broccoli at three different markets that opened in May, not in my yard, not in your yard, and for what oil is going for, not in a greenhouse? Yeah. So now with us important, right? And if you don't know the seasonality, I mean, look, we all basically know the seasonality. We have an idea of what's growing and what's not. And if you don't, then you can look it up online. But if you're seeing watermelon in May, they're buying it, and that's called jobbing. And what that is, is when a farmer is buying product, more than likely on a wholesale so you have no idea how this product has been treated or where it has come from and selling it as their own. Now, the sad part about this is, right now, everybody's probably thinking, Well, damn that farmer. Well, the reality is, is that we, the shopper has put the pressure on the farmer to have them believe that their product that they're growing in May isn't valuable enough. Yeah, and we have to change that. We have to say your greens are gorgeous. Your dandelions are gorgeous. We want you. We do not want Mexican products flown in that we're then going to sell at a farmer's market here that we're already paying subsidies to in our taxes. So don't do it like we just need to be support, more supportive. And also, Department of Agriculture in the state of Connecticut's coming down pretty hard on Jobing as they should. Yeah, it really hurts other it really hurts other farmers. I am not exaggerating that at all. It is a complete detriment to what when another farmer jobs, what it does to real farmers.

Trevor:

But I. Think it's, I think one of the things, just to get mildly esoteric for just a moment,

Ellen :

do, do? Do?

Trevor:

Wow, that's a lot.

Ellen :

That was the esoteric. Oh, that's esoteric music.

Trevor:

Find some better esoteric music. Fine.

Ellen :

It was a good start as a show tune. That's in my heart.

Trevor:

But we all live in such a fast paced all of it's available instantly universe. All of us do, whether we like it or not. That is the reality situation. You can buy something online and you can get it the next day. You can go to a grocery store and you can find dragon fruit easily every day of the week. No equivocation. 24 hours a day. 365, and when we moved from California here, I think just having that seasonality was the beginning of an awakening of knowing that this isn't in season, or we shouldn't be using this, or we should get a canned version of that, because it, you know? Yeah, it's, it's very hard, you know, I get it from a from a farmer standpoint, like, well, they really want tomatoes, and I have to sell something, so let me see if I can eat for it. Yeah, small amount of margin. It's really, again, back to the farmers. It's really hard on them. It is, but it's something that we as consumers, I think, can do our best to try to keep that yard to table mentality, it's not growing in your yard,

Ellen :

and also eliminate food waste. When you think about when you're bringing all the stuff in that is not seasonal, you know, and then what, what you're we're doing, which is outside of really consuming the things that are being grown in the capacity we should be consuming them at that time of year. It just creates this huge, you know, amount of food waste. And thinking about this, as we were talking, you know, when we moved here, we had a pre planted asparagus patch in the garden. And I had never in and neither had you, Trevor, never, ever seen asparagus grow from the ground. And I was like, what?

Trevor:

it was Adam's needle. I thought was an entirely different Plant

Ellen :

we were like, I mean, very no pun intended green

Trevor:

It had already gone to like, frons.

Unknown:

this weird? But in the middle of it, there was, like, asparagus that just you cut. I was like, what?

Trevor:

Oh look, there's asparagus, and what's this other plant? Yeah, also asparagus.

Ellen :

But I will tell you now, after harvesting our own asparagus, planting more, I don't buy asparagus. We have not. I mean, you know the taste of that asparagus from our garden in early spring for as long as we can sustain. It is so different and good. And now I'm like, well, magical. And this is, I'm like, asparagus season, so I'm gonna, this is what I'm supposed to eat asparagus. Now, of course, if there's, like you said, greenhouses and supporting all, that's great, but I think about that very seasonally. And to that point, you know, for a shopper again, are there key things they should be looking for at certain times? Or you talked about greens in winter, right? Or coming into spring, is there kind of like some because not everybody knows what to buy in spring, summer, fall, from the market.

Lori:

So fall, you're going to be looking for more the root vegetables are coming in, the sweet potatoes. You obviously have spring potatoes, but you're going to have the bigger tomato potatoes, excuse me, and the squash. You have all the winter squashes coming in, the apples and pears have just come in as your beautiful tree is probably fruiting at the moment. And I think those are some of the bigger ones you're going to see. You will see the cauliflower and the broccoli. So a little more of those. You almost think of it. So spring is kind of bright and fluffy. So you're gonna see tenderlings and bright, fluffy veg, light, leafy things. The summer is gonna get the summer's bright, right? Lotta color. You're gonna see your eggplants and your tomatoes and your corn, and so there's a lot more color popping in the summer. And then you get into the fall, which is starting to get cooler, and you want you know you're starting to snuggle in a little bit. So think of those more Amber colors, like the delicata squash, the butternut squash, the honey nut squash, the and then you go into winter, and you're really going to be looking more at root vegetables, and greenhouses are going to grow greens for the most part. And then spring to you get the first spring carrots, which I think are some of the best things on the planet,

Ellen :

and delicata, our first year

Lori:

first year delicata.

Ellen :

This year is our first year. Yeah, give you one. It's so good. Salad yesterday, we

Trevor:

did some apples. With the exception of the chicken. Everything was from here.

Ellen :

We're not getting chickens.

Trevor:

It's a theme

Lori:

super, super fancy ones

Trevor:

me too, by the way, we'll talk after the podcast. But what I think is so funny is think about winter or late fall. Think about food in that time. Chances are you're thinking about like a hearty. Soup? Yeah, yeah. Thinking about like, a, like a, like, a light salad with flowers on it, right? So go to what your imagination says. Think about the things you know you want to have, like, a warm, hearty, big bowl of soup with things you know that's what you want. You don't want something that's out of season. Your body doesn't really actually want that.

Lori:

Your body's not really craving it, no. And you're right. I do believe if we lived more within the more seasonality, there would be less food waste. And that's a really smart concept on it, too. Yeah.

Ellen :

Well, we've been very we've gotten very vigilant in our own home around food waste. I think we become very conscious of it. I know our community, we have a wonderful food scrap program that was started here in Weston in this past year, then some very early compliance with a lot of families. But I think it's a concept that we think we all need to start embracing. We think about recycling. We have to start thinking about food waste and what that means.

Lori:

I think Weston is doing a really good job. You can take it to your you can take it to your dump. I mean, how easy is that that's super easy.

Ellen :

Yeah? Smart, yeah. You want to ask your magic question, or do

Trevor:

I have a magic question? So there's a magic wand that you now possess, and you can wave that magic wand and make all of your Westport Farmers Market dreams come true worldwide for the Westport farmers market.

Ellen :

It's your magic. Go ahead.

Trevor:

Can I ask my magic question? I was building up to something here. Actually, I wasn't. That was the question. If you had everything

Lori:

Feel like you need a little song behind I should again.

Trevor:

Did you just do Smoke on the Water?

Ellen :

Im not paying for the licensing on that.

Trevor:

You just said, do do do,

Ellen :

I think you've heard it wrong.

Trevor:

Did I Okay?

Lori:

I think that I did not hear that.

Ellen :

Thank you. Laurie, okay,

Trevor:

I see how this podcast is going. What's the future of the market? What do you see? What are the things that, if you can tell us that you want to see, that you're working on this is such an amazing thing in our community. Where is it going?

Lori:

Well, if I have my druthers, I do foresee the market having a very strong influence and role in some other area, markets, okay? And I think that we are, there is an opportunity for markets that are on opposite days, that are in other communities, to come under the umbrella of our market and our model. We have an endless pipeline of shoppers. We have multiple different vendors who could be, who could be a part of these markets. And actually, this area really deserves the highest level of markets available, and what that could do from an economic development perspective in our state, for agri tourism, agriculture grants, and, yeah, that's one of the things I see. Love that happening. The second is the Farmers Market Association I tapped on earlier really does need to continue and strengthen, and I hope within the next five years, it has a very strong lobbying arm. And what we're hearing in Hartford is that agriculture is not on the forefront. There is a lot of big ag talk on the floor, but we're not hearing much about small to mid sized farmers. Interesting. If I can change that, I'm going to work really hard to change it totally. And our farmers in the state need some additional financial support, and from a government perspective, and well, it's just financial support. Really must be real. I was gonna add something, but I was like, that's an add on. That's not real. They really need they need money.

Trevor:

They need our love, which they have. They have but

Lori:

and then finally, for the Westport farmers market specifically, I do really want to continue to curate this younger generation that's coming in. And there's two components of that. There's a staffing component of it. We are really lucky to have some young professionals who want to be a part of this, and I'm working hard to build out a business model that can pay them to be a part of it so that this is a structured profession that they could go into. And that is one of my biggest goals.

Trevor:

That's amazing.

Ellen :

I love that, because then then that is the succession plan, that is the success. How does it can? How does it sustain, if you don't have people that are coming in being trained, earning a living, wanting to take this on just like you're taking care of the farmers. That only makes sense. I love that.

Lori:

Yeah, that's it. And then maybe get a bathroom in the parking lot, just little things,

Ellen :

absolutely,

Lori:

3000 people, no bathroom.

Trevor:

Nature Calls

Lori:

Hint Hint Westport.

Ellen :

We do love the 12 to two slot, usually, because we can never get in because we're usually working. And then we're like, let's go over and get some lunch. So I will say that, you know, a bathroom there would be nice as well. You know, because you're rushing out the door, it's a wonderful lunch spot. It's fantastic. So what else can can people do to support the market besides shop?

Lori:

Well, shopping coming is number one. Follow us on social media. My powers that be would be so excited. I just said that, and then our

Ellen :

Your social media feeds on fire.

Lori:

Thank you. Thank you.

Ellen :

Good stuff. Yeah,

Lori:

we really appreciate it, and you all have given me such great feedback as well, so I do appreciate that. And the other thing is, all of our programming does exist off of donations, so we really do need money, and we are learning our voice around that. We are figuring out how to communicate much clearer and and how to have our direct ask. So if you are interested in agriculture, you are interested in community, we are a great organization to get involved with,

Ellen :

and it's a 501, c3 listen up. Listen up.

Trevor:

Well, we always ask, what's what's growing up in your yard there?

Lori:

Ooh, that's good question. Well, as I was demising with you and your beautiful garden that I just pulled all of my cucumbers today, I gave up. I said, I'm done.

Ellen :

You lasted longer than we did, sister. Oh, yeah,

Trevor:

we yanked a while back.

Lori:

It's amazing.

Trevor:

Yeah, we had 100 plus cucumbers this season. It was crazy.

Lori:

But now cucumbers did well, but in the last few weeks, just jumped off the cliff. Yeah, but I will say I had a friend that gave me these beautiful orange Cosmos last year, the seeds. And actually, I'm gonna bring y'all some. I know you have Christine, but yeah, still, these are beautiful, and I just always want to share.

Ellen :

But, you know, I'm a flower girl, yes,

Lori:

I know red, red your color, yeah. But these are, these are orange. I'm a flower nerd.

Trevor:

I didn't say it was a bad thing labeling.

Lori:

I mean that. So right now, I have two favorite things in my yard just jogged my memory. I have a dinner plate, white Dahlia. And I just, I feel like I want to date her. I'm in love with her.

Ellen :

You saw the one I put on the table, right? I know, so pretty. The cafe au lait. I feel like,

Unknown:

Yeah, beautiful. I just keep looking at it and touching it, and I just think,

Ellen :

I get drawn in. I get drawn in

Unknown:

I'm so in love. And then the orange Cosmos, they're really tall, and they're beautiful, and they're just that last pop saying, Hey, thanks for the season. This has been amazing. I love that. Love it.

Ellen :

I have to send you this poem that your great grandmother, right? Is your great great grandmother,

Trevor:

great grandmother.

Lori:

I love his family stories.

Ellen :

So much good stuff there. I know. Well, the fun part is Jesse crafts. Jesse spray crafts, we had the same birthday. How weird is that? Oh, I know it's pretty fun. And she was a poet, and she wrote a lot of poems about growing up in rural Ohio, and they had a family farm, and the your grandfather put her poems together in a book, and it's very seasonal, so you read through it, and it's about harvest and summer. We used a poem about peonies as one of our readings at our wedding. It was called Peony match, and which was beautiful, but she's a beautiful poem about Cosmo, so I'm going to send it to you. I would love to see her. And I'm a new Cosmo fan this year, because I thought it was like, these things are very Ferny, and I don't know, and then all of a sudden, they just went to boom, and I'm like, Okay, now I'm in love.

Lori:

I don't know how tall they got. I know tall, right? So I know, I know they're strong, they look whimsical, but they just

Ellen :

Yeah, I would love those seeds. We're huge fan. I'm gonna send you the poem. It's just Yeah,

Trevor:

yeah. We did a little, a little Cosmo video against the against the poem on@stonebrookhouse on Instagram,

Ellen :

Ellen reading, Jessie spray crafts, if you're looking for a gentle moment,

Lori:

I never want to leave here.

Trevor:

Well, we have taken up so much of your incredibly valuable time.

Ellen :

We're so grateful and proud to have you on this podcast. Thank you so much for being with us.

Lori:

Thank you for having me.

Trevor:

Oh, you're the best, and we will see,

Lori:

am I your favorite?

Ellen :

I can't leave everyone

Trevor:

I cant legally say that Laurie,

Ellen :

she's another one of my sheroes.

Trevor:

She's so she really wants to be the favorite. She really does, and that's okay, because, but you can't pick a favorite. She was our favorite today. She is my most favorite market ruler and leader, for sure. 1,000% 10,000%

Ellen :

Absolutely. And for our listeners, so you know how to get to and go to the Westport farmers market will drop links in the show notes and also references to any of the good information the fabulous Lori shared with us today

Trevor:

All those awesome services that she does in the programs. And it just, it's a long list. It's going to be a long list. Hope you like reading, as opposed to just listening to yard to table.

Ellen :

And anyone who's local, the farmer's market is every Thursday, every Thursday in the summer, on the Imperial lot in Westport, and in the winter at Bill verdes greenhouses. So cool. They're both amazing. Both amazing, getting very excited. Thanks for being with us and having a seat at our table.

Trevor:

Yard. To table is a production of macrocosm entertainment. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe anywhere you listen to podcasts and for tips and more information, follow us on Instagram@stonebrookhouse.

People on this episode

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Ellen Scherer Crafts

Host
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Trevor Crafts

Host
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Lori Cochran-Dougall

Guest