Every Friday, the North End Farmers Market includes a farm-fresh and rbst-free (bovine growth hormone) milk purveyor — Shadow Valley Farm of Somers. With plain and chocolate milk in refillable glass bottles, it hearkens back to a time in Middletown when all milk was delivered fresh to the kitchen door.
A careful observer of the weathered dairy barns around Middletown may be curious about the city's agricultural heritage, evidenced by two quirky items for sale on eBay.
A Hillside Dairy vintage 1 quart glass milk bottle is selling for $12.99; and a Daniels Farm pasteurized milk Sunday milk cap is more affordable at 99 cents — according to the seller, it was designed to be inserted into the top of the bottle.
There are still vestiges of dairy farming around Middlesex County — we've visited Deerfield Farm in Durham for raw milk and cheese on Parmelee Road. It's a splendid little place where the kids can check out the cows and goats and a tiny farmstand offers fresh dairy daily.
Farm lovers will be happy to know that in Middletown on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Wadsworth Mansion Open Air Market features fresh cheeses, wool and alpaca yarns, milk and dozens of other vendors, such as Cold Goat's Farm, The Farmer's Cow, Hunter Hill Alpacas, LLC, Killam & Bassette Farmstead and Cato Corner Farm.
Also Sunday, the GMO Free Farmers' Market & Education Fair takes place at Bushnell park at 10 a.m. The event includes organic farmers from around the state, genetically modified organism-free food vendors, education and live music.
Read more about Middletown's dairy history:
Daniels Farm: Milk boxes, Integrity and Wide Open Spaces
You Queried, We Investigated: Middletown History
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