"When I get home tonight I'm gonna hold her tight…read moreI'm gonna love her till the cows come home" (Lennon and McCartney) Another reason why I love Yelp! When I saw my Yelp friends Ana and Kim both review this very cool place, well I kind of made my mind up that I'd check it out too. I mean, how can you resist going to a store that has no employees, and you pay for whatever you buy on the honor system, either electronically or putting your dinero into a cash box. The store is small, but jam packed with frozen foods, ice cream, fudge, honey, jarred goods, coffee, goat and cow soap products, clothes, jewelry, a full dairy case of milks, eggs, and cheese, and more. We ended up buying a frozen portion of ground veal at a great price- just $7 for close to a pound. The purchase came at the perfect time for us because we needed it for our Thanksgiving meatballs recipe. So go take a ride to the country and check out this unique place. You'll have a blast poking around and looking at the many cows next to the store. In fact the whole experience is a pretty cool one.

The Cow's Coop is an adorable, tiny farm store in Canton. Upon arriving on their property I first…read morenoticed some cows, there were around five cows laying down catching the sun and one was eating. There were also some hens. In the center of the property is the store. There's no one working here. The store is completely self assist. Now, don't think of trying anything funny, there are cameras watching you. This store is precious! Here you can find cheese, milk, ice cream, local meat and eggs. You'll also find their own branded, handcrafted soap, candles, and skin care. Their soaps are beautifully made and smell delightful, and make excellent pairings with their candles. How do you pay if no one is working here? Well, first it's good to be honest, and trustworthy. They're trusting you to be alone in their tiny store, with their carefully curated and handmade products. By the door, there is a notebook, in which you can write what you're purchasing. You can pay by inserting cash into a red box, or you can pay on Venmo. Their prices are a bit higher. I truly enjoyed browsing through this little store. There are so many tasty looking and smelling items. Please take the drive and check them out for yourself.

Great local fare from veggies to vegan Jamaican Patties to hand crafted soaps! Friendly market…read moresponsored by local non-profit.

I've driven past this market in the center of Windsor for years on my way home from work and today…read moreI finally stopped to check it out. There are about 15 stands set up fairly close to each other. Quite a bit of fresh produce was being sold- corn, squash, beans, carrots, etc. Also saw some vendors selling salsa and honey. I ended up stopping at a stand for Beldotti Bakeries of Stamford. Well, their big samples of fresh bread with mozzarella and pesto may have had something to do with me stopping. The freshness of eveything was amazing. The cranberry walnut bread was fresh as can be, soft and chewy with a nice crunchy crust, I was instantly a fan, and took home a beautiful and large loaf for just $6. I enjoyed this Farmers Market, and prefer it to the Simsbury Farmers Market.

A cute weekly local farmers market close to my work that I love to head to in the summer for fresh…read moreproduce and other locally made products. It's centrally located to the 84 and close to the Capitol. The Firebox is nearby but they also have several food trucks that park during the warmer months. A great way to support your local farmer and small business.

Wonderful setup, wonderful vendors and quality local products…read more I went to the farmers' market last week to pick up some produce (fresh peaches for the grill!) and left with my fill of fruits, veggies, vegan goodies, handmade soaps and a renewed appreciation for the farmers and artisans in this fabulous community. If you have time, get your tush over to the market on Thurs afternoons. You'll find tents of live music, tons of local goodies (grass fed meats, cheeses, baked goods, etc), and representation from great organizations (even the Community Farm of Simsbury was there!) Such a nice late morning/early afternoon break!

This 5th generation farm has been in operation since 1888. They're open from May to October. They…read morepride themselves with growing produce with no herbicides or GMOs. It's located right on busy Route 44 with a spacious parking area. There is a playground in front of the building, which my toddler loved. The store was very organized and had many products. They had soap from The Cow's Coop. There were baked goods and of course produce; from watermelons, tomatoes, melons, garlic, onion, corn, and more. The shop was pretty busy; people were in and out. The products were fresh; we did get the tiny baby melon which was alright, it was not sweet at all. I'd probably get the larger one next time. They also setup shop at the Canton Farmers Market every Sunday in the summer. I love supporting small farms so this is a great place to get some fresh produce.

Bristol's farm has been operating since the 1800s, and the cultivation of the soil shows in the…read morequality of the produce. Excellent corn, peppers, blueberries, and tomatoes, and lovely sunflowers and squash to decorate your fall table. The service is always so personal and kind. We love to visit them here and in the Collinsville farmers market on Sundays.

I always return to popular places that I didn't connect with in the same way super fans do…read more Sometimes, I think I got it right. And sometimes, I have to admit I got it wrong. In the case of Tulmeadow Farm and Lacroix's Homemade (I'm posting the same update for both), I have to admit that I had it somewhat wrong. Both Tulmeadow and Lacroix's made @cticecreamtour's Top 15 CT Creameries. My original reviews for both Tulmeadow and Lacroix's were both good btw. I just didn't initially connect with the flavors I tried in the way that I did with my other CT favorites. Since those initial reviews, everything I tried at each has been a banger. At Tulmeadow, I recently had Red Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Marshmallow Toasted Cornflake, Chocolate Raspberry Raspberry Curd and the best flavor I've had this year -- Double Raspberry Crumbcake. The flavors all popped. The use of intensely flavored raspberry curd in a couple of the ice creams was next level. The colors were right on. The texture was top tier. Service was friendly and the farm setting adds to the experience. Tulmeadow is 5 Stars and I'm upgrading my earlier review.

I was recommended Tulmeadow Farm's ice cream by one of my most trusted foodie friends, so I was…read moreextremely excited to try it. That said, I don't often like high butterfat ice cream. It's also a textural thing for me. So there was a bit of hesitation as well. I thought the ice cream was excellent. They had great flavors to choose from. I went with the bestselling red raspberry chocolate chip, and then the burnt honey sea salt. Service was super friendly. I asked what the smallest size was that they could do two flavors in and they were more than willing to accommodate the kiddie cup, which was still plenty of ice cream for me. I think the sign said it's 3 oz, but it at least seemed like more to me. As good as the red raspberry was, I think I preferred the burnt honey. The flavor was strong went well with the naturally occurring cream flavor. There was a lot of parking on the side of the building. I think there was an indoor area, though I can't confirm if you can order ice cream inside. I used the outdoor window to order. I also found the prices to be reasonable. Great first experience. I would definitely recommend the ice cream. It did not disappoint, and I look forward to having it again.

MEAT. If you want to…read moreeat something that was mooing and chewing its own cud less than a week ago, get it here. Good produce too for those that aren't quite as ravenous for the bleeding flesh of local bovines. They've got most every steak-worthy cut - Tenderloin, Ribeye, Sirloin, Skirt, T-bone, etc. Burgers and Chorizo too. Their website states that their cattle are fed by both grass and grain, and are allowed to forage about the farm during their lives. So while their meat may not be labeled with any marketing-stunt nutrition buzzwords to make you think it's healthier, the cattle are clearly treated well at JT. You have the option of fresh or frozen, no change in price if I'm not mistaken. The frozen stuff is never held fresh for more than five days before freezing, and absolutely everything is vacuum sealed. Prices are good - I would say approximately on par with non-sale supermarket prices. But you'd expect that for meat this local and fresh. It's worth the extra few dollars and cents, right? "Right," you should be saying to yourself right now.

If you want if fresh and local you cannot beat JT's farm! Besides friendly service the meat is…read moreprime and grass fed! Honestly why buy at Big Y? As for the holidays they have what you need just give them a call!

Quick update: We stopped by yesterday to check out the veggie plants and found a good, healthy…read moresupply waiting for us in spite of a very busy weekend afternoon. They had lots of tomato plants, peppers, cabbage, cukes and lettuce all reasonably priced. We passed on the budding flowers -- just too soon in the season, we think. But they had a lot of choices, so we'll be back in mid-May. We also like their indoor store; they have some fresh-grown tomatoes that are tasty and sell some very good locally grown canned and bottled products (try their apple sauce - really yummy). Good folks.

This is a great farmer's market where you can find local produce and products. They have delicious…read moreapples and vegetables. Service is fast. It's popular and there were lots of customers there. There's plenty of parking. They have a greenhouse attached to the shop.

We went recently and the young man that waited on us was extremely polite!! The items we purchased…read morewere the best tomatoes and sweet corn we have had. Can't wait to go back for more.

The produce was fresh and plentiful to choose from. Friendly and reasonably priced. Always…read moregrateful to have fresh and local. Thank you!!!