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Recently, I joined Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and state Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt on a tour of four Easton farms to showcase our agricultural diversity — including small women-operated businesses — and holiday shopping opportunities.
Shaggy Coos Farm & Creamery is New England’s southern most dairy. It is a women-operated business, managed by Brittany Conover, founded on principles of raising livestock humanely and without artificial aids. Shaggy Coos bottles its own cream-line milk on property. Its farm store is stocked with dairy and meat (pork, beef, poultry, turkey) and egg products. Shaggy Coos, which is open seven days a week and uses the honor system, recently added gelato to its lineup of products.
Silverman’s Farm, owned by Irving “Irv” and Nancy Silverman, celebrated 100 years in business in 2020. The 50-acre farm features a pick-your-own orchard, animal farm and country market. The manager is Jake Conover, husband of Brittany Conover at Shaggy Coos Farm. Its farm market is open daily and offers jams, jellies, local honey, maple syrup, milk, eggs, cheeses, bread, apple cider, apple cider donuts and more. There are 16 varieties of fresh-baked pies always in stock and the greenhouse stocked with seasonal annual and perennial plants. Silverman's also offers decorated wreaths, fresh cut trees, roping and evergreen bunches for the holidays.
Originally a dairy farm, Maple Row Farm, has been in Easton since 1769, and eight generations of the Edwards family have run the farm, including current General Manager Scott Edwards. Maple Row has been growing some of New England’s finest Christmas trees since the 1950s with nine varieties available for cut-your-own purchase. It is open every day until Christmas.
Easton Grows, LLC is a state-licensed hemp producer leading a pilot program for regenerative farming and sustainability. It is also the first hemp producer in Connecticut to cultivate on municipally owned land, a one-acre plot of land leased through the town of Easton. Focused on becoming a cultivation center, healing garden, and destination for agrotherapy, Easton Grows donates 20% of its profits to reinvest back into the community. Its hemp flower is available exclusively at Franny’s of Westport and is grown locally outdoors using organic farming practices.
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