Local Produce at Four Quarters Brewery Farmer’s Market
Produce from Last Resort Farm and fresh bread from Bank Street Bakery.
Local craft beer and local produce collide on Sundays, when Four Quarters Brewery in Winooski hosts their farmer’s market.
In addition to serving great food and beer, Four Quarters Brewery hosts local farmers, bakers, and vendors to sell their goods in the brewery.
“I'd say we probably started at the end of the summer, last year,” says Johnny, a bartender at Four Quarters.
He likes how the farmers market benefits both the brewery and the local vendors who use the venue to sell their wares.
“It works really nice for both of us, because you'll get people that come in for the farmers market and see the brewery,” said Johnny, “and vice versa as well, probably mostly we get people that come for the brewery and be surprised to see a farmers market.”
The vendors are also good for business, especially on a Sunday morning, when the brewery might not be as busy as it is on other days.
“If we just take an isolated Sunday? If we did not have them, yeah, we would have less business. I would say,” said Johnny.
The market is great for the vendors, too, as Silas of Last Resort Farm can attest to. He has been coming to Four Quarters since last fall to sell his produce, longer than just about any other vendor.
“It just seemed like a it was a mutually beneficial thing,” said Silas, “it hasn't been super packed tight, but it's been busy enough to sustain us.”
Last Resort Farm sells produce at several farmers markets in the area, and the Four Quarters market was a good addition to the roster.
“We do the Winooski market, but we also we have a pop up stand that we set up in front of Great Harvest,” said Silas. “We do that on Saturdays at the same time as the Richmond farmers market, and then we also have a pop up that we set up at Wake Robin.”
Silas likes this market because he is a Winooski resident, and likes to sell his produce in the community.
“The farm’s in Monkton, and my folks still live there,” said Silas, “I live here in town so it's kind of my community.”
Selling his goods in the city is also good for publicity. Even if Silas doesn’t sell a lot, he gets the farm’s name out to more people.
“Farmers markets are always beneficial in terms of marketing too,” said Silas. “And then also good beer.”
Setting up a farmer’s market inside of a brewery may seem unusual, but it seems to be working great for Four Quarters Brewery, and the vendors who sell their goods there.
