Woodstock Farmers' Market
Cheese cases are all well-stocked with Vermont's finest at Woodstock Farmers' Market. PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY WOODSTOCK FARMERS’ MARKET
The Woodstock Farmers’ Market has evolved into a beloved destination on Route 4 in Woodstock and Route 100 in Waterbury. The market is proud to celebrate its 30th anniversary this May.
Patrick Crowl grew up in Baltimore. His dad, Jack, founded the esteemed publication, The Chronicle of Higher Education. Patrick recalls memorable family ski trips to Killington, a long drive up the Route 95 corridor. When he retired, Jack’s affection for the Woodstock area made it the perfect next place to call home. A love of good food and an appreciation for the abundance of local products here became the catalyst for starting the original Woodstock Farmers’ Market.
Patrick was happily living in Breckenridge, Colorado teaching skiing and hitting the slopes when the original store opened in May 1992. Patrick offered his dad “summer help” to get things started... Months later, tragedy struck on Thanksgiving Day. The market suffered a catastrophic fire and most of its interior burned. Father and son took a walk in the woods shortly after the fire, and that walk sealed the fate of this bustling, beloved, cheerful market. Patrick traded his life in the Colorado mountains for Vermont to partake in providing good, local food. Woodstock Farmers’ Market has become a community treasure that has blossomed and served locals and visitors to our state for decades.
Woodstock Farmers’ Market’s mission inspires its employees to be their best selves. Their job titles say it all. Patrick is Chairman of Fun, and his business partner Amelia Rappaport is Minister of Culture. Her tenure there is impressive, as she was hired by Jack Crowl as an intern out of New England Culinary Institute to work in the kitchen. She now leads the team with Patrick and third partner Brandon Little. Clever, charming signs hang above products inspired by talented creative art director Julia Shea-Pelosi, who adds a spirit of playfulness to the shopping experience.
Clever, charming signs hang above products inspired by talented creative art director Julia Shea-Pelosi, who adds a spirit of playfulness to the shopping experience.
(top left) Two happy employees at Woodstock Farmers’ Market ready to serve and smile, even behind masks; (right) Just one way that Woodstock Farmers’ Market connects with their local community
A solid commitment to “Feeding Our Community” is integrated into everything they do. Patrick shares, “We’re not only physically feeding our customers in a traditional manner, we’re feeding their souls, making life profoundly better in our communities. We take care of our planet with cutting-edge sustainable practices, we sit on [civic] boards, and we coach teams.” Community outreach is huge here. Their financial support of Meals on Wheels, VT Feeds, and Harvest for Hunger are just a few of the ways WFM gives back.
Perhaps what sums up this amazing market is the answer I received during my visit to the Waterbury location. Brett, the young man at the cash register, exuded enthusiasm and positivity the moment I stepped in the door. I asked him what he liked best about working here. A huge smile came across his face. “It’s so fun to work here. I laugh several times a day, I love working amongst so many great Vermont products, and we have fantastic customers.” When I mentioned I had to go check on my puppy in the car, he asked me to wait and returned with a huge brown dog biscuit with “Vermont” carved into it. “Here, I bet your pup would enjoy this.”
Woodstock Farmers’ Market is a happy place to work where 100 employees treat each other with kindness and provide a fun, memorable shopping experience. It’s best, however, to experience its magic yourself. Our Vermont communities are grateful to Jack Crowl, whose love of our state brought him to Woodstock, and to his son, Patrick, who gave up the slopes of Colorado to be the Chairman of Fun. And if that isn’t enough, along the journey, Patrick met his future wife at the register one day, and Amelia met her future husband when she hired him as a sandwich maker. Truly a place I cannot wait to return to often enough.
