Connecticut, U.S. Farmers Markets Growing in Popularity

In Europe, street markets are a common place people frequent and now the culture of farmers markets is growing nationwide and in Connecticut, according The Farmer's Cow, of Lebanon, which the Connecticut Conference on Tourism recently named 2012 Tourism Ambassador.

As of mid-2011, there were 7,175 farmers markets nationwide, a 17 percent increase over 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. That is about double the amount of markets there were in 2000, Farmer's Cow reported in a press release.

The Meat House is hosting a every last Tuesday of the month this summer. It features many vendors that sell products in the Route 44 store, including American Pie and , both of Simsbury, , of Woodbury, Leaps & Bones, of South Windsor, and many other local businesses.

at the municipal lot next to the LaSalle's building on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Here are some others in the region:

• Hill-Stead Museum Farmers Market: Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 1 through October 14; at the Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington.

• Simsbury Farmers Market: Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m., June 21 through October 4; on the Green at Simsmore Square, 540 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury.

• West Hartford Farmers Market: Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 1 through December 18; on LaSalle Road and Arapahoe Road, West Hartford.

Do you frequent farmers markets? Why and what do you like about them?

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