above: Lori L Cochran-Dougall Executive Director of the Westport Farmers’ Market.
Photographs by Nina Sheffield Photography
Some evenings leave a mark. The kind where the setting is so extraordinary, the food so alive, and the company so right, that you find yourself pausing mid-conversation just to take it all in. The recent Westport Farmers’ Market anniversary dinner at Osprey Barns on Canfield Island was exactly that kind of night.
Hosted at the award-winning waterfront home of Jonathan Farber and Jen Senn, Osprey Barns is the kind of space that stops people in their tracks. Its dramatic industrial-barn silhouette, soaring ceilings, Crittall-style windows and breathtaking beachfront setting have made it one of the most sought-after private properties in Connecticut. On this particular evening, with the water glittering beyond the glass and the summer air carrying the scent of the sea, it was nothing short of magical. Guests arrived to find themselves in a setting that felt at once grand and deeply intimate, the perfect backdrop for a dinner built around community, craft and twenty years of extraordinary local food.
The evening was a fundraiser benefiting the Westport Farmers’ Market, Connecticut’s beloved nonprofit farmers market, now celebrating its 20th anniversary season. WFM has grown from a small local gathering into one of the state’s most respected agricultural and community institutions, connecting residents with local farmers, fishermen and food producers while championing access to fresh, healthy food for all. Executive Director Lori Cochran-Dougall, who has led the market for fifteen years, welcomed guests with warmth and gratitude, reflecting on two decades of farmers, families and a community that has shown up season after season.
“I have had the privilege of leading this market for sixteen years, and evenings like this remind me exactly why I love what I do. Jen Senn and Jonathan Farber gave us a setting beyond anything we could have imagined, and our chefs — Bill Taibe, Brian Lewis, Jason Epstein, Dimitri Pantzos, Diego Negri, and Daniel Moreno — delivered a dinner that left every single guest speechless. But what moves me most is the support of this community. Year after year, you show up for this market with open hearts and open wallets, and you make everything we do possible. This dinner was a beautiful, delicious, joyful example of exactly what the Westport Farmers’ Market brings to the table, and we are just getting started,” Cochran-Dougall shared.
Tomatoes by Chef Brian Lewis; Bill Taibe of Kawa Ni and hi’Amba; Diego Negri of Casa Me; Bespoke menus for the evening.
The kitchen was commanded by one of the most exciting chef collaborations Westport has seen in years. Bill Taibe of Kawa Ni and the new hi’Amba; Brian Lewis of Full House Hospitality Group; Jason Epstein, celebrated private chef; Dimitri Pantzos of Lyfe Hospitality; Diego Negri of Casa Me; and Daniel Moreno of Kneads Bakery Cafe came together to create a menu that was as thoughtful as it was delicious. Each chef brought their own voice to the table while honoring the evening’s central theme — the farmers and producers who make great food possible.
Guests began the evening with passed hors d’oeuvres and beautifully composed platters, moving through a family-style feast that unfolded course by course: seasonal dips and freshly baked breads gave way to vibrant vegetable preparations, then pristine seafood, then rich, beautifully crafted meat courses — each one drawing on the best of what Connecticut’s farms and waters had to offer at the height of summer. Jonathan Farber brought the same meticulous thoughtfulness to the beverage program, curating wines and a coffee service that carried the meal to its final, perfect note.
The reaction from guests said everything. Attendees were visibly moved — by the setting, by the food, by the rare feeling of being part of something that mattered. Conversations lingered well past the final course. More than one guest called it the finest private dinner they had attended in years.
But beyond the beauty of the evening, the purpose was clear. Every ticket purchased and every dollar raised goes directly back into the Westport Farmers’ Market’s mission — supporting farmer stipends, educational programming, and ensuring fresh, local food remains accessible to the entire community. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WFM depends on the generosity of supporters who believe that local food is worth fighting for.
Twenty years in, that fight has never felt more alive — or more delicious.
To support the Westport Farmers’ Market or learn more about upcoming events, visit westportfarmersmarket.org.