Notes from Brockport/Sweden

A monthly look at preserving Brockport/Sweden heritage

We are celebrating our agricultural heritage in the Village of Brockport with a harvest festival on October 25. Town Historian Kathy Goetz is preparing an attractive, readable tri-fold brochure listing farms and farm markets in our area. It should be available at the event. It, as well as the abundance of "locally grown" crops for sale at our local grocery stores, serves to remind us of the bounty of nature and the hard work of area farmers. Among those to be featured in the brochure are Sodoma Farm Market and Lori's Market Basket.

Andrew Sodoma, grandfather of the present owner, came to Rochester from Ukraine in the early 1920s with his wife. Today, the R.J. Sodoma Corporation, located at the corner of Routes 31 and 260, sells cabbage, squash, cucumbers, peas, corn, apples and strawberries raised on their land near the canal. At Thanksgiving time, they feature pumpkins and other seasonal items. Christmas trees close out their season. The market operates from mid-April to December 24.

Lori's Market Basket began as a roadside stand in 1982 in front of her parent's house on Route 31. It remained there until 1995 when Lori Passarell opened her market at its present site. Ninety percent of the produce is raised on the Passarell Farms on Telegraph Road. Passarell Farms is owned and operated by Lori's husband, Dale. They pick and sell all seasonal crops. The market is open everyday from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

As we learn more about our history, we will appreciate the large role that agriculture - from implement manufacturing to product - has played in the story of western Monroe County.