Market News - May 4, 2010
From the Market Manager
Welcome back to our fabulous farmers’ market, our 13th year. Just in case you were wondering why this is volume 12, not 13 of the newsletter, it’s because I started writing it in the second year. We are so grateful that when we asked the Springfield Parks Department if we could have our market here in Forest Park that they enthusiastically said yes. So here we are with more room for parking and more room for our vendors. We have more room for a few more vendors also. Some are here today, and others will join us as the season progresses. We didn’t add any new produce or plant vendors (except for New England Wild Edibles who will be bringing cultivated wild mushrooms) because we’re well served with what we have. But--you will notice that we have some interesting additions.
When we started our market we had 5 vendors. Outlook Farm is our only vendor who has been with us from day one. Today, with the popularity of farmers’ markets having grown to over 200 in Massachusetts, and over 5,000 throughout the United States, I am contacted by more vendors than we can accommodate.
We are well served by the farmers that we have, and they all have the capability of bringing more of what they grow to our market if we need it, so it isn’t necessary to add more.
Just yesterday someone asked me about the prices at our market. I said that they are sometimes less than the grocery store, and sometimes more.
It is important to take into consideration that small production farming is always more expensive than large production farming. That said, it is also good to think about the value that you receive when you purchase something from a farmers’ market.
If you purchase produce, what you buy will stay fresh longer as it is fresher when you purchase it. If you purchase plants, the plants are local, grown for this climate. Baked goods are baked the day you purchase them or perhaps the day before, and they aren’t filled with preservatives. Our two dairy farms are both family operations, having been in their families for generations.
There IS a difference in what you purchase at a farmers’ market. I have often had someone tell me that the best meal of his or her week is on Tuesday night.
Becoming a regular at a farmers’ market allows you to enjoy the food of each season. We are so used to having anything we may want in the supermarket at any time of year, that we sometimes forget what the real season for any item may be.
Having peach juice slide down your chin isn’t the neatest eating experience, but it certainly is one of the tastiest. You don’t get peach juice sliding down your chin unless you are eating a native peach. And, you have to wait until sometime in the summer to get them. They are worth the wait. Ditto for many other items also. The memories of sweet corn, local blueberries, and more are sufficient reason to wait for the local produce, and to eat “in season.”
Census
The U.S. Census Bureau is now sending folks around to the homes of those who didn’t send back the forms that were sent to each home in March. The Census has been done since 1790 and it is in our Constitution that everyone is to be counted every 10 years. ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU GIVE IS CONFIDENTIAL. None of the specifics are released for 72 years. If you’ve ever tried to do some genealogy you know that there is some information that you can’t get from the Census that is less than 72 years old.
A very important reason to cooperate with the census worker is that grant money for all sorts of things such as roads, education, hospitals, and Congressional representation are determined by the population count. Each person is “worth” about $2000 to his or her community. So, if a census worker comes to your home, please take the 10-15 minutes necessary and let them fill out the form.
EBT/Debit/Credit Cards
We have a system at this market that allows you to use your card/s here to receive wooden tokens that you use just like cash. Just come to the market table, get your card swiped, and receive your tokens. You can write a check also. If you don’t use them all one week, hold onto them because they are good all season. EBT tokens can only be used for food while the others can be used for anything. They make great gifts also.Community Garden Plots Available
Applications are now being taken for family-sized garden plots in Concerned Citizens for Springfield’s Beaumont St. community garden. The fee is $15.00 per season. Plots measure 15 x 20 feet and will be rototilled. The community garden program is one of CCS’s blight remediation efforts in the Forest Park neighborhood. In selecting gardeners, first preference will be given to Forest Park households who lack access to a yard. To ensure that the garden remains an asset to the neighborhood, gardeners must commit to keeping plots clear of weeds and to picking up trash and debris from the tree belt and gutter in front of the garden.
For further information, call CCS garden coordinator Sheila McElwaine at 788-8898.
