The root of a town controversy
New Milford farm-stand dispute raises questions about local operations
NEW MILFORD — An anonymous complaint regarding a local farm stand has prompted health concerns and a flurry of controversy on social media, and it could lead the town to take a closer look at how farm stands operate.
Joe Quaranta, the farmer at the center of the issue, is now asking for a change to the zoning regulations that would make it easier to have farm stands in town. The issue, discussed during Monday’s Town Council meeting, has been referred to the zoning commission. While they did not mention Quaranta by name, town officials did discuss the controversial incident.
“It’s all about food safety,” Health Director Michael Crespan said Monday.
The health department received an anonymous email a few weeks ago raising concerns about the meat and baked goods sold at the Boardman Bridge Farmers Market, neither of
which are allowed to be sold at farm stands under state and federal regulations. The email included photos the sender claimed to be screenshots from the Boardman Bridge Farmers Market Facebook page, Crespan said.
That Facebook page no longer exists.
Crespan went to investigate the validity of the claims, but the business was closed and he had been unable to speak with Quaranta. The department has not issued any violations or orders to close.
“The main purpose of the visit was to start a dialogue and share information,” Crespan said.
In an interview Tuesday with The News-Times, Quaranta said he told Crespan his wife runs the farm stand and wasn’t there. She then called the department that afternoon to set up a visit but no one was available to come out that day.
Quaranta declined to say what is sold at the farm stand, but added he has a dairy license and a safe to serve license, which has been shared with the town’s health department.
The Quarantas started the farm stand this summer to raise money to cover donationsto help first responders and local organizations during the coronavirus pandemic they were making through their organization, Helping Hands for Heroes.
Quaranta got involved with the farms this spring as a way to meet the food shortages at local grocery stores and food pantries. He asked local farmers if he could team up with them and grow vegetables on their unused land to help grow food to donate to the community.
“People sought refuge in what we were doing there,” he said.
Quaranta posted about Crespan’s visit to the farm stand on Facebook, which he described as “trespassing.” The post drew the ire of some members of the community who were critical of the town looking into the business.
The Quarantas have started an online petition asking to add farm stands to the right to farm ordinance, which has already received more than 1,600 signatures.
The ordinance was established in 2008 as a way to protect farms as more people from out of town moved into the agricultural community and might not like the noises or smells associated with farming operations. It was last revised in 2010 to add composting.
Quaranta criticized the zoning regulations, saying they do not streamline the process for farmers who still need to acquire additional permits to sell goods.
Crespan said there have been no changes in the town’s farm stand policies and inspections and the comments saying otherwise on Facebook are wrong.
Farmers are allowed to sell their fruits and vegetables if they are sold as harvested. It gets more complicated when something is done to them, such as baking with them. More licenses and permits are needed for this and to sell cheeses and meats. A commercial kitchen would also be required for prepared foods sold.
Mayor Pete Bass said he supports farmers and the right to farm, but he also supports the public’s right that goods provided by those farms are safe to consume. He said they do a lot to work with the farmers so they’re meeting regulations, but the town must investigate health complaints, especially during the coronavirus health crisis.
“We don’t want people going to a hospital with a food-borne illness,” he said, adding the concerns weren’t about Quaranta’s fruits and vegetables, which are already allowed to be sold at farm stands.
Some council members questioned why the town council was discussing the matter during its meeting at all on Monday since it concerned an ongoing investigation and an anonymous complaint.
Bass said they wanted to correct the misinformation being shared on social media and because they’re received a lot of questions from residents about the matters raised. He and other council members said it was also important to remind residents of the current regulations and that the town is continuing its long history of being farm friendly.
Many who spoke Monday reiterated the importance farm stands have in providing fresh, healthy food to the community, which has been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We can’t emphasize enough that we want farm stands,” Bass said. “We want that sustainable food.”