Around Town

Retired New Canaan Lawyer Turns To Fungi Farming

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Pondering what to do after 50 years of practicing law, fourth-generation New Canaan native Richard Stewart turned to YouTube. 

It was 2019, and on the global video-sharing platform, he stumbled upon an unexpected hobby: growing culinary mushrooms.

“I knew I was ready to step away from law, and I needed something new to dive into,” Stewart told NewCanaanite.com on a recent morning. “I found a YouTube video that said you could gut your basement, grow mushrooms for 15 hours, and make $500 a week. That sounded like the perfect retirement plan.”

Stewart continued with a laugh: “Five years later, I’m working 50 hours and losing $500 a week.”

A member of the New Canaan High School class of ’61, Stewart has spent nearly 50 years living in New Canaan and now operates a small mushroom farm in North Salem, N.Y., called Stewart-Watson Farm. A graduate of Beloit College in Wisconsin, Stewart served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era before earning his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1972. After 11 years practicing in the courtrooms of West Hartford and Stamford, he returned to New Canaan to open his own firm, where he worked until his recent retirement.

Around Town

‘Taste of New Canaan Stroll’ Kicks Off Thursday Evening

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This year’s Taste of New Canaan Stroll kicks off at 5 p.m. Thursday at Stewart’s Wine & Spirits on Elm Street (tickets available here). Presented by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, the annual event sees participants choose their own self-guided foodie (and beverage) tour of the downtown. We put some questions to longtime participant and sponsor Doug Stewart of Walter Stewart’s Market and Stewart’s Wine & Spirits ahead of the Stroll. Here’s our exchange. ***

New Canaanite: For those who have not experienced it before, describe the Taste of New Canaan Stroll.

Around Town

‘His Legacy and Impact Will Live On’: New Canaanites Remember Don Hersam

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For Steve Karl, there’s a very short list of New Canaanites whose contributions to the community in business, civic matters, faith and philanthropy exceed what anyone conceivably could imagine in terms of commitment and longevity. They are “the rare residents who have created a legacy and body of work that the rest of us just sit back and wonder how they could possibly have that much time, that much energy and that much love for one place,” according to Karl, himself a lifelong New Canaanite. “Don Hersam was one of those extremely rare individuals,” Karl said this week, days after V. Don Hersam, Jr. passed at age 92. 

“He was the soul of the community,” Karl told NewCanaanite.com. “The centerpiece of the 06840 Mt Rushmore,” he continued. “He loved New Canaan, respected its rich history, and consistently endeavored to make it a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Around Town

PHOTOS: Bargain-Hunters Hit Sidewalk Sale on Saturday

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Hundreds of bargain-hunters visited the downtown Saturday for the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce’s annual sidewalk sale. Held on pedestrian-only stretches of Elm and Forest Streets, shoppers hit the downtown early as temperatures were expected to soar into the mid-90s amid a sustained heat wave in the region. “The street is full of all sorts of great merchants and organizations,” Chamber Executive Director Laura Budd said amid the crowds near Elm and Park Streets where two food trucks kept visitors fed. “It feels like a classic New Canaan summer day and we’re really excited to see all the people down here despite the heat. There’s a nice breeze coming down Elm Street so we feel pretty lucky.”

Nonprofit organizations, including Wildlife In Crisis, Staying Put in New Canaan and local party committees, set up booths alongside retailers and service businesses in curbside tents, many of them passing out water to downtown visitors.

Around Town

‘Who Knew?’ Column Launches on New Canaanite, Sponsored by Walter Stewart’s

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Jan. 21, 2022—NewCanaanite.com for Friday’s newsletter launched a new column by town resident and writer Laura Ault. 

Sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market, “Who Knew?” will appear each month in the third Friday newsletter. 

In it, Ault will unearth surprises she finds “in our little corner of the suburbs.”

“I’ll search for those great experiences that can only be had in New Canaan, from restaurants and shops to hikes and events,” Ault said. “And when I find something great, I won’t keep it to myself, as much as I may want.”

Ault is a creative director and founder of a mission-based marketing consultancy. A native of northern California and graduate of Colgate University, she moved to New Canaan in 2014 and lives on the west side of town with her husband, three dogs and two cats. Doug Stewart, vice president of Walter Stewart’s Market, said the local business is pleased to sponsor Ault’s writing about New Canaan, which recently included an article spotlighting five standout local foods.