North Canaan resident launches online hub linking shoppers with local farms

NORTH CANAAN – As consumers in the Northwest Corner often piece together groceries from a mix of grocery stores, farm stands and seasonal markets, a North Canaan mother is trying to make shopping a little easier. Sonya Reeve, a mother with a background in technology and sales, said she hopes to ease the interface between local farmers and buyers.

“If you do a two mile loop, you're going to have probably 60% to 70% of your grocery order filled right from your neighbors,” Reeve said. “That's kind of cool.”

When she noticed the gap between local consumers and producers, Reeve took matters into her own hands by launching NOCA Exchange, an online platform connecting farm producers and clean eaters across the region.

Just weeks old, the platform is still in its experimental phase, she said, but she’s looking forward to its future as more consumers and farmers join.

The website currently features a map and directory of farm stands and farmers markets across the region. Through an accompanying Facebook group, Reeve, local farmers and community members share updates about what products are in season and available for purchase.

As of June 12, Reeve said NOCA Exchange, named after her home town of North Canaan, had about 17 farms on board, ranging from flowers to beef and beyond, plus a Facebook audience of more than 70.

The end goal, she said, is hopefully “a little resource for somebody who might want to go for a cruise on a Sunday afternoon and hit a back road” in search of wholesome goods. “Because who knew that there are turkey and quail eggs for sale in East Canaan, just off of 44!” she exclaimed.

Ultimately, Reeve hopes the Facebook group will promote connections between farmers and buyers, but she’s letting the community steer.

“We’ll see where it goes!” she said.

NOCA Exchange not only features small farm stands but also established, popular farm-sourced markets like Freund's Farm Market & Bakery in East Canaan.Alec Linden

Reeve recalled that the idea had an unlikely genesis: a conversation at a CrossFit Gym.

“It took months before I realized that a member of the gym’s wife owned Beavertides Farm in Falls Village, and they did beef and lamb and beeswax,” she said. “It just spurred some curiosity.”

After learning another acquaintance happened to own Howling Flats Farm in North Canaan, Reeve said she realized that there was a gap between the wealth of farm-produced foods and buyers in the region.

“Maybe some people know,” she said, “but I think a lot of other people don't, so this is just bringing awareness to that.”

Reeve said the core of her interest comes down to her own family’s values of “making smarter choices, trying to support the community, and prioritizing grassroots movements wherever we can,” and that she believes others in the region feel the same.

Part of the appeal of buying local is seeing where your food comes from, an increasing rarity in a world dominated by global food markets.

“I can go to the stand and largely see the field where the item was grown,” she said, “and there's just something kind of magical about that.”