Farmer-entrepreneurs Kate Farrar and Anja Rothe are creating a different kind of holiday makers market this weekend: Farm & Friends, a cooperative gathering at Foxtrot Farm & Flowers in Stanford. “It’s a cooperative market, no vendor fees,” said Farrar, owner of Foxtrot, where she grows flowers without pesticides for weddings, a seasonal CSA, and wholesale clients.
While many holiday markets charge vendors as much as several hundred dollars, all Farrar and Rothe ask is that participants help promote the event. “It isn’t pay-to-play,” said Rothe, whose Pine Plains-based firm Fat of the Land creates seasonal and place-based herbal medicine. By lowering the barrier for entry, Farrar said, they can welcome “micro” businesses.
The idea took shape over the summer, rooted in an existing friendship. Rothe had once worked with Farrar, weeding and harvesting flowers in exchange for a CSA share. “I loved learning about growing flowers. We bonded about our love of bringing beauty into the home and became close friends,” said Rothe. By August, invitations went out to farms and food producers. By September, all 23 vendors had signed on.
The market runs Saturday, Nov. 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with light refreshments served both days. The lineup reflects the diversity of regional agriculture, small-batch artisanship, and creative expression.
Among the vendors:
- Ilse Coffee, a specialty roaster from North Canaan, Conn. “They have a strong relationship with small batch growers and are very talented roasters,” said Farrar.
- Sugarshack Mushrooms in New Paltz. “They grow culinary and medicinal mushrooms,” said Farrar. “Their mushrooms look like works of art.”
- Ten Mile Table, a new wine and spirits shop in Wassaic, run by Erica DeSilva, who with her husband operates the Lantern.
- Dutchess County Combworks, led by beekeeper Meg. “Meg is a local beekeeper, with a deep care for the bees and the land,” said Farrar.
- Trip Club, a Kingston textile studio offering what its Farm & Friends page calls a “textile exploration of the pleasures of nature in all its forms.” On Sunday morning, they will host a community dye bath. “Bring any item of clothing that you want for the indigo dye bath and go home with a tie dye,” said Farrar.
- Anyi Herb Farm, in Hillsdale, a queer, trans and BIPOC-centered herb farm.
- Fat Apple Farm, Pine Plains, raising Red Devon cows, Icelandic/Soay sheep, pigs and chickens through rotational grazing, and producing maple syrup.
- JRN Pottery (Josh Nathanson), with one-of-a-kind hand-built ceramics incorporating botanicals and found textures.
- Thistle Pass Farm, Millerton, growing vegetables using regenerative practices.
- Buttermilk Bean, a farmer-run dry bean cooperative in Ithaca. “I used to farm with Kristin Loria,” said Farrar. “She works at Cornell doing research on plant breeding to cultivate grains and beans that are good for growing in the Northeast.”
- Chaseholm Farm, Pine Plains. “I belong to their CSA,” said Farrar. “My household’s favorite is their yogurt and Stella cheese, but we love it all.”
- Sharegooods, a vegan pop-up bakery based in Millerton. “It’s really good,” said Farrar.
- David Wurth Pies (formerly Crossroads Food Shop), appearing Saturday only. Full pies require pre-order, but slices will be available. “He’s got a cult following,” said Farrar.
- MM Design, owned by graphic designer Melissa McGrath, using art as a channel to connect with the natural world.
- Double Ewe Lamb and Wool, founded in 2025, a queer disabled fem-led farm focused on sustainable small-ruminant shepherding.
- Alyisia Mazzella, an artisanal Catskills candlemaker. “She hand dips her candles — a true craftsperson,” said Rothe.
- Mudgetown Chocolate, a tiny-batch craft chocolate maker in Sharon, Conn., and Millerton.
- Paige Simpson (Paige of Content), printmaker and designer.
- The Soup Stand, with seasonal soups made from scratch.
- Wild Folk, a regenerative community farm and apothecary.
- Board Man Bagels, founded in November 2024, offering sourdough bagels and vintage clothing, with half of proceeds donated to Gaza relief efforts.
- Fat of the Land, Rothe’s herbalist-formulated provisions, including elderberry syrup. “This time of year, our elderberry syrup is one of our best sellers,” Rothe said. “Some of the elderberries are wild, others raised on a friend’s native plant farm in Connecticut. It’s also made with local honey. It supports the immune system.”
- Foxtrot Farm & Flowers, Farrar’s “mom and pup” firm — Pepper the dog included — selling willow and winterberry wreaths, winterberry branches and dried bouquets, with a focus on ecosystem health and native plants.
Sunday’s communal indigo dye bath will be paired with a raffle benefiting TriCorner F.E.E.D. in Millerton, which partners with local farms to offer food on a sliding scale. Winners will be notified Monday.
Farrar and Rothe see Farm & Friends as the start of something annual, a pre-Thanksgiving gathering designed to sidestep the crush of post-holiday markets and give smaller producers a more equitable platform. Said Farrar, “I hope not to be overwhelmed or underwhelmed — just whelmed.”
Foxtrot Farm & Flowers is located at 6862 Route 82 in Stanford.