CitySeed Wooster Square Farmers' Market — Local services in New Haven

The irony was delicious: In a neighborhood famous for Frank Pepe's and Sally's legendary pizza, you couldn't find a decent tomato.

That absurdity sparked what four frustrated Wooster Square neighbors started in 2004 — a farmers market that has quietly become one of Connecticut's most successful experiments in food equity and community development.

Twenty-one years later, the CitySeed Wooster Square Farmers' Market occupies the spacious parking lot of Conte West Middle School, its neat rows of white tents stretching beneath mature maples like a temporary village. On a recent overcast Saturday, the market hummed with the unhurried energy of genuine neighborhood infrastructure rather than weekend entertainment.

"Whoa, honey, this is good," a customer told me, echoing a Yelp reviewer's rapture over Andrew's Local Wildflower Honey. Andrew Coté, a fourth-generation beekeeper whose urban hives stretch from Westchester to Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria, represents the market's remarkable vendor quality — serious producers, not hobbyists.

The Jitter Bus, a converted coffee truck, anchors one end as the unofficial town square. Customers queue for Saturday caffeine while dogs socialize and families browse Seacoast Mushrooms' impressive fungi display. SoNo Baking Co. draws its own loyal following, their tent positioned strategically near the school's covered walkway.

This isn't farmers market as lifestyle accessory. CitySeed doubles SNAP benefits for fresh produce, serves 55,000 customers annually, and generated a record $1.58 million for farmers and food entrepreneurs last year. The organization's Sanctuary Kitchen trains refugee women as chefs, creating jobs while expanding New Haven's culinary landscape beyond Italian-American traditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the market's move from cramped Wooster Square Park to the school parking lot — a stroke of accidental genius. The paved surface ensures accessibility, wide aisles accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, and vendor setup becomes far more professional.

"The neighborhood is not like it was," notes longtime resident Teresa Scarpellino, 95, who witnessed decades of change. But CitySeed has found ways to honor tradition while embracing evolution. In a district where cherry blossoms bloom near century-old pizza ovens, where refugee cooks serve alongside Italian grandmothers, the market embodies New Haven's complex identity.

The producer-only policy means everything sold was grown by the person selling it — no resellers or distributors. This stricture, unusual among farmers markets, creates authentic connections between consumers and the land feeding them.

By 10 a.m., regulars arrive with reusable bags and shopping lists, their purposeful browsing revealing weekly routines rather than tourist curiosity. Children pet friendly dogs while parents select vegetables from 50-plus Connecticut vendors, many of whom have anchored the market for years.

What began as four neighbors' quest for fresh tomatoes has evolved into something rarer: a profitable social enterprise that actually strengthens community fabric. In an era when "authentic" often signals manufactured nostalgia, CitySeed offers the real thing — a market rooted in genuine need, sustained by community loyalty, and expanded through principled growth.

As I watched customers stream between tents beneath threatening clouds, nobody seemed worried about rain. This market clearly serves needs deeper than weekend leisure. In Wooster Square, Saturday morning shopping has become Saturday...

Great farmer's market!! People are very nice but prices are very high. Understood that farmers need to make a living but, people on a fixed income should have access to quality produce as well. The SNAP program helps in a way but, it's still too expensive for families to shop at a farmer's market. A dollar for an ear of corn and people are paying it because they can. Does the average family know how far $12 can go in someone's food budget? Also, has anyone noticed the vendors that are absent in poorer neighborhoods of New Haven at the farmer's markets? Wooster Square is the wealthy, historic district and every farmer/merchant is present. Dogs are being walked around, being fed but, how many people in need are there? Take a guess. When feeding your family fresh produce at such a cost, it becomes a treat. Going to the movies is a treat-not eating healthy food. Eating fresh produce should be a given. Our children need our guidance in making healthy choices. We can do it!!...

Ok so at 1st I was very intimitated by the set-up and the array of people😬, honestly it wasnt like the other markets EVERYONE was so chic, attractive, and fashionably correct and to top it off they were super nice, did I already say they were "Uber-Hott?? If I jad to pick this market would most definitely be at the top of my list it was so busy I didnt have a chance to check out...