| MARCH 9, 2010 -- The Northeast Connecticut Farmer's Market will make its Brooklyn debut in June with the opening of a farmers market on Wednesday evenings.
Betsy Molodich, president of the farmers market, and a member of Ekonk Community Grange, said the group voted Friday to move its Danielson Farmer's Market, which was from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at the Killingly Public Library, to the Ocean State Job Lot parking lot in Brooklyn.
"The town of Brooklyn is behind us and they're willing to help us," Molodich said. "Everybody's really excited."
Molodich said Brooklyn had approached the group about holding a market there two years ago, and since there is a market in Danielson on Saturdays and the two locations are so close, the group decided to make the move.
For Brooklyn, it's the latest in the wave of agricultural support that has been growing in the region.
Brooklyn is one of six Eastern Connecticut towns that has been participating in the AGvocate program since June. Funded by a state Department of Agriculture grant, the program aims to improve the farm-friendliness of towns, and appears to have had some success in Brooklyn so far.
Voters at a town meeting created an Agriculture Commission in December, and Molodich said support from the new commission has been strong.
First Selectman Austin Tanner, a former dairy farmer and owner of Creamery Brook Bison, said the support behind agriculture goes beyond Brooklyn.
"I think it's a growing trend everywhere," Tanner said. "People want to know where their food is coming from. It's a back-to-agriculture movement."
Resident William Spink said he is looking forward to having a market in town and has been keeping tabs on the process.
"It's going to have everything: fresh vegetables, fruit, pies," Spink said.
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