Directions to C's Farm Market

The neat blue building

Good news for me. I found a new store in my general region. Oswego is a small city directly south across Lake Ontario from Kingston...ok, maybe SSW by S from us. We like to go there for the fort and the seafood in summer. In winter we go to see snow...in winters like this one at least.

Well, today we stopped by C's Farm Market. Owners Dave and Maria Johnson were off on vacation but after having had an email exchange a few weeks ago I thought there was a chance this would be a small business with some beer nerds behind it. I was right. Like the Galeville Grocery with its general grocery trade, CFM adds beer to another on-going line of business - wholesale fruit and vegetable. When I walked into the place I was presented with a good select line of great micros in addition to the macrobrews that were advertised on the outside walls of the neat blue building.

I was shown around by knowledgeable and keen staff and started spotting some surprising products - like Wachusett IPA which I have not seen outside Massachusetts. Even though the store is quite modest in size, I also saw old pals like Middles Ages, Brooklyn and Southern Tier from New York, Victory from Pennsylvania, Unibroue from Quebec, Smuttynose from New Hampshire and Allagash from Maine. Then I noticed the Dogfish Head and Rogue selections from Delaware and Oregon...and then Old Horizontal Barleywine from Victory...and then Old Chubb neither of which I had seen in New York. I asked "where'd you get the Old Chubb?" It's a Scots 8% wee heavy in a can from the Oskars Blues Brewery in Colorado. I was told Dave likes to go hunting for interesting stock at various wholesalers. Good hobby, Dave. Keep it up, Dave.

So I loaded up and had a great old chat about the shop, how they were moving more and more into the beer trade and that next time I could call ahead with an special orders. This is good day trip material. Rudy's on a summer Saturday afternoon with a stop at C's before a drive home listening to Prairie Home Companion before hitting the little ferry for Canada at Cape Vincent. If you make it there, stop in at King Arthur's for either a steak in the restaurant or maybe a growler to go from the pub.