News + Events

Boy W Flowers

GET A LIFE - I’m hooked: Take the time to go to a local farmers’ market

By Loretta LaRoche
The Patriot Ledger

This morning I went to the farmers’ market in downtown Plymouth. I was so excited to buy fresh tomatoes, corn, and various other fruits and vegetables grown by locals.

Some people get excited by their iPhones; I find ultimate joy in slicing a big, juicy tomato and eating it with just the right amount of salt.

I must say I got away from this kind of experience over the years because of a demanding career and a variety of other responsibilities. However, I have the good fortune to have a dear friend, Sue Sherman, who rivals Martha Stewart when it comes to cooking, decorating and anything that can be made from scratch.

Sue drives all over the place for fresh foods and has asked me numerous times to go to the farm stand with her. I finally went with her after dining one night on a plethora of vegetables at her house that brought me to ecstasy.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Poor thing, I guess this is what single life has done to her.” You have to realize that I come from an Italian family that put food in the same category as a way to spiritual salvation.

I might sound crazy, but I have often been disappointed after bringing home vegetables from the grocery store that looked like they had been a part of Madame Tussaud’s museum. They looked like the real thing, but when you bit into them, you found that they were waxy and pretty much tasteless.

What’s a little scary about this stuff is that it takes a long time to rot. That just doesn’t seem normal. A lot of us have forgotten how great it is to buy vegetables that have just come out of the earth and have the residue covering them. We have gotten so used to everything looking pristine and picture-perfect that it’s hard to think that a tomato that is bumpy and multi-colored could be OK. We walk up and down the aisles in stores and everything is lined up and color coordinated, and we forget that nature just doesn’t function that way. Yes, I know it’s convenient to shop in a store that has everything you need. Who wants to go from pillar to post searching for vegetables that were just picked? Well, I guess I do. I’m hooked.

I asked Sue what we were going to do in the winter. She said we just won’t eat tomatoes or corn, but we can make soups, homemade bread and relishes, and maybe a quilt or two. I’m kidding about the quilts, but I’m up for the rest, and I hope you take some time to go to a farmers’ market near you. You’ll love it.

Author, humorist, PBS star and Fortune 500 trainer Loretta LaRoche lives in Plymouth. To share your pet peeves, questions or comments, write to The Humor Potential, 50 Court St., Plymouth 02360, send e-mail to getalife@lorettalaroche.com, visit the Web site at www.stressed.com, or call toll-free 800-99-TADAH (82324).

^ Back to top

State Awards Nearly $5,000 to Plymouth Farmer's Market

State awards nearly $5,000 to Plymouth Farmer’s Market

By Kathryn Koch
Saturday July 26, 2008

As he stopped by each of the vendor’s booths at the Plymouth Farmers’ Market Thursday afternoon, Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Doug Petersen got a close look at some of the best fresh vegetables, flowers and pies Plymouth has to offer.

Petersen’s tour of the farmer’s market at Stephen’s Field was an opportunity for him to personally announce the awarding of a $4,925 marketing grant to Market Managers Barbara Anglin and Dean Rizzo, the husband and wife team whose idea it was to start the market five years ago.

The $4,925 DAR Agricultural Marketing Program grant will help Anglin and Rizzo with their efforts to market the market. A smaller grant they received last year helped them create a Web site, plymouthfarmersmarket.org, and buy signs.

“This grant will help us complete the Web site by expanding it with additional information and enhance our marketing efforts with more signage and promotional literature to get the word out about the Plymouth Farmer’s Market,” Rizzo said.

The Web site promotes both the market at Stephen’s Field and the new Farmers’ Market downtown on Court Street Saturdays this summer. Rizzo said everyone who works on both markets appreciate the state’s support demonstrated through the awarding of the grant.

“It really allows us to do a very professional outreach effort to continue to promote local agriculture and the many things we have at the Plymouth Farmers’ Market for people to enjoy,” he said.

Petersen has been on his summer long tour of about a dozen farmers’ markets in Massachusetts since the middle of June. With 23 new markets added this year alone, including the one held Saturdays in downtown Plymouth, he could spend hundreds of hours on tour if he visited them all.

“It’s the place to be these days if you want local, fresh food,” he said as he looked around the busy marketplace.

Petersen said thank you to everyone at the market on this rainy afternoon for being there to help local farmers. Town Manager Mark Sylvia had the same message for the shoppers.

“We thank all of you for buying locally,” Sylvia said.

The DAR has awarded nearly $300,000 in agricultural marking grants to 36 organizations proposing innovative marketing programs in keeping with the state’s goal of promoting Massachusetts agriculture and farm products.

Petersen asks that residents actively support the state’s efforts to raise awareness of the products the state’s farmers have to offer by signing up for the “Ag Tag” license plate. The state needs 1,500 pledges before the Registry of Motor Vehicles will make the specialty license plate available.

^ Back to top

Familiar Faces

Top Ten Tips for Making the Most at The Farmers' Market

From the Mass farmers markets news update

1. Don't Buy Anything! Until you've walked the loop of the market, that is. Ok, perusing the market is more fun while munching on a cookie or some sweet berries, so go ahead and grab your favorite immediately - but otherwise, take the time to check out everyone's market stand before deciding what to buy. After all, pricing, variety and quantities can vary from booth to booth and you don't want to shortchange yourself of the best selection and the specials of the day.

2. Find the Worm. The best stuff goes first and the early bird gets it all. Its not just the best looking produce that goes - sometimes it's a vendor's entire stock! Cookies, breads, popular fruits, eggs, steaks, pork chops - once they're gone, they're gone. One of the drawbacks of open air markets is that it isn't possible to "check the back" for more. Get there early for the best selection.

3. Be Questionable! Ask a lot of questions. Ask vendors for their names, the names of their farms, where their farm is located and how they grow the produce you eat. Ask them for their recipes, ideas and opinions of the food they grow. Ask for produce you love but don't see - sometimes farmers grow particular crops and they don't bring their harvest to the farmers' market because they don't think there is a demand...once the farmer learns you're looking for something, they'll be able to help you. Similarly, farmers decide what to plant the following year based on what people have been asking for during the farmers' market season- let them know what you like! Market managers have lots of resources as well. We carry tons of information on cooking tips, nutritional values and recipes - if you don't see it out on the table, just ask! Need help juggling your shopping bags or want to know if there will be anything new next week? Ask!

4. Contain Yourself! Bring sturdy shopping bags, coolers, boxes - even wheeled suitcases or baby prams! Most vendors do offer plastic shopping bags, but they tend to be flimsy and not very dependable. Not only do you want to avoid chasing escaped cabbages down Main Street, but plastic bags have a nasty way of cutting the circulation off in your hands and you can't sling them over your shoulder like a good quality canvas bag. Plus they're pretty bad for the environment, something we need to tend to if we're going to keep farming and eating. Suitcases and prams sound silly, I know, but they do help since there aren't any shopping carts at the farmers' market. Wheeled coolers are the best thing though, since you will also need to think about keeping some foods cool in the summer months. That's right...

5. Keep Your Cool, Man. Keep a cooler with you on market days - either in the trunk of your car, bungeed to the back of your bike, or under your desk in your cubicle. Drop some frozen ice packs in the cooler as you head out the door and keep it shut until market time. Greens and other produce will often perk up in a bath of ice water if you forget to keep it cool , but that piece of swordfish you bought could make you sick (not to mention unpopular) if you aren't prepared to keep it chilled until you get home. If you are going straight home, that's not usually a problem...but even if you intend to go straight home, you can allow yourself to get sidetracked by sidewalk sales, mimes in the park and fender benders without much worry if you have a cooler.

6. Cash In. Have you seen that credit card commercial where everything in a garden shop is like a forgotten scene from "Singing in the Rain" until some chump pulls out cash, the record skips, and the whole scene falls apart? The farmers' market version is the exact opposite - everything gets held up if there's a shortage of cash and coins. While some vendors are able to take credit cards and personal checks, the majority of vendors only take cash. Credit card use often comes with a minimum charge and verifying transactions is slow and primitive outdoors. Large bills are hard to break and exact change is always appreciated. (Short on cash? Massachusetts Farmers' Markets participate in both the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program which provide eligible recipients with vouchers they can bring to market and use to purchase food. )

7. Kid Around. Children love farmers' markets. What a wonderful way to introduce the kids you know to the origins of their food, the true flavors of heritage and heirloom foods, and healthful eating patterns. Ever hear that you should only try to shop the perimeters of the supermarket? That's because that's where merchants place all the whole foods like produce, eggs, milk, meats and loaves of bread. Most of what you get at the farmers' market is "perimeter food" - minimally or unprocessed foods. That's good because it's hard to fit a lot of glitzy advertising aimed at children on a blueberry or on the side of a cherry tomato. The stuff in the center aisles of the grocery store - well, there's plenty of room there for a cartoon clown to sell "Corn Syrup Crunch" to your kids. Besides, you don't want your children to grow up thinking that peaches are supposed to be hard and bland and tomatoes mealy and deadly!

8. Weather it out. We do. The farmers' market is there rain or shine. Really. Farmers embrace the weather - sunny days are nice, but don't mean much for crops unless they're complimented by rain. Wear good shoes, sunglasses, sunblock, hats, dress in layers and carry an umbrella for protection from rain or sun. Bring a water bottle for yourself and some for the kids too - it can get hot out there, especially if your market takes place on asphalt. And if you do get caught in the rain, duck under the market manager's tent until the storm passes.

9. Try, try, try again! Sample everything vendors are willing to offer and make a point to try something new each week. Definitely try funky things you've never even heard of to expand your edible options, but also take the time to retry the old staples. Apples, tomatoes, squash and lettuce may all be familiar foods but the varieties are endless at the farmers' market. Don't be turned off by a warty looking summer squash - it's definitely fresher than the zucchini at the supermarket. You may discover some old heirloom variety that our great-grandparents grew for its buttery flavor despite its hideous appearance. The limited variety of foods available in most supermarkets has more to do with their ability to withstand the stresses of extended warehousing, lengthy shipping, and resistance to crop failure than flavor and beauty - and that goes for livestock and eggs too!

10. Bulk Up! As you ask questions and learn about what is in season week-by-week, you will inevitably want to increase your consumption of local foods. You may even want to proclaim yourself a "locavore" and give local-only eating a try. You will then have to make peace eating raspberries for only a short few weeks of the year and pine for them for eleven, long, fruitless months. Or you will have to learn to freeze them, jam them or otherwise save them for variety and enjoyment all year long. You don't have to go to the farm to get a bumper crop - just ask your farmer to bring a crate of them the following week! Most farmers are eager to sell bulk loads of your favorite pickings and bulk buying often translates into bulk discounts.

^ Back to top

The AG TAG!

Show your support for local farmers by purchasing an "AG TAG" specialty license plate. A minimum of 1,500 plates reserved is required before the RMV will begin this special plate production - help us achieve our goal!

Ag Tag

Support your local farmers and Mass Farmers' Markets by purchasing the Massachusetts Agriculture specialty license plate. Proceeds from these plates will go to the Massachusetts Agricultural Trust Fund. The Trust will fund programs and services that help farmers remain on the cutting edge in today's market, like innovative practices, research, improvements in managing resources, marketing, training and education. Proceeds will not be used to subsidize individual farmers or the state's Department of Agriculture.

By purchasing this plate, you help preserve 520,000 acres of open space and the beauty of Massachusetts, our heritage, and local farming families. You protect 13,545 jobs and the value local agriculture has on our economy while reaping fresher and better tasting food. And you help shrink our carbon footprint by reducing the distance our food travels to market (normally 1,300 miles).

Total cost to transfer registration to an "ag tag" is $60 ($20 RMV fee to swap the plate plus $40 for a specialty plate). Renewals are $81 every two years ($41 RMV registration fee, and $40 for the specialty plate fee that continues to go to the Trust Fund).

A portion of this sale can be targeted to Mass Farmers Markets. All proceeds will go to the Agricultural Trust for distribution. To target $15 to Mass Farmers' Markets check the box next to our name in the downloadable form [PDF]. Otherwise, proceeds will stay with the Trust for future programs.

Make checks payable to Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles for $40. Complete the downloadable form [PDF] or pick up a copy of the form at your farmers' market manager's booth and mail with your check to: Massachusetts Agricultural Trust, c/o Anna Waclawiczek, MDAR, 251 Causeways St., Suite 500, Boston, MA02114-2151. $28 of this price is tax-deductible. Please note: we will send checks to RMV when we have sold 1,500 plates. That may take up to one year. Your check will be outstanding in your account for that time.

^ Back to top

To market, to market…

By Casey Meserve, Wicked Local Plymouth
Thursday July 3, 2008

Double chocolate buns have chocolate chunks, chocolate dough and big grains of sugar sprinkled over their crusty tops.

They smell like heaven and taste sinful.

There were other smells too, and sights and sounds at the Plymouth Farmers’ Market. The cowbell clanged to open the market; a fiddler played an Irish jig; people who lined up early before the opening rushed in to their favorite vendors. Yellow sunflowers, pink gladiolas, red geraniums and blue hydrangeas stood at attention in pots or hung in baskets.

The day was warm and still, and the rain drizzled down, but not a spirit was dampened.

Jen Healy bakes bread in her kitchen and sells it as Jenny’s Bread. She’s the one who makes the double chocolate buns, along with traditional New England anadama bread made with molasses and organic cornmeal ground at the Jenney Grist Mill, and a crusty peasant bread she says is great for dipping.

Market Manager Barbara Anglin, her husband Dean Rizzo, and their son Mason have been running the market for four years at Stevens Field on the waterfront. This year they’ve expanded to another day and location – Saturday mornings through the summer on the lawn of the 1820 Courthouse. They’ll be putting up the tents on either side of the new Hollywood East sign.

“It’s just been great,” Anglin said about the young season, as she accepted a canvas bag full of bread, and chocolate buns from Healy’s daughter. “I preordered them and got a special delivery,” she joked.

There are plenty of other vendors. Freitas Farm of Middleborough is selling the makings of strawberry rhubarb pie, while Blue Blinds Bakery of Plymouth sells the finished product, along with a variety of fresh bread.

Earth Sisters of Rochester sells handmade scented candles, votives, and soaps to get the garden grime off hands and the ticks and fleas off your dog, naturally.

Jennifer Poirier drives all the way from Holland to sell fresh goat cheese and gelato. The Shepherd’s Gate had a crowd of people, all dipping bits of bread into a variety of cherve, feta and mozzarella.

Martha Stone and Sue Shannon, of Stone Soup and Side Dishes, served customers cranberry walnut pesto and quick stir-fries at their booth. They sell their soup, their sides and their pesto in plastic-like biodegradable containers made from corn.

Kingston’s Phil Walter brought tears to his customers’ eyes with his Caribbean rubs and hot pepper jellies, while across the market Tiffany Rozenas played another jig on her fiddle.

In all, despite the rain, the market is proving that locally produced food is cool.

^ Back to top

Update from the Plymouth Farmers' Markets:

The cow bell rang in a robust 2008 market season in Plymouth! Opening days were wild with many, many people coming to Stephens Field on Thursday afternoon and to the Courthouse Green on Saturday morning to greet the farmers, bakers and candlestick makers (all the other specialty folks!) Thank you to all who have come to support local farming and who appreciate the efforts to bring you fresh and seasonal foods throughout the growing season.

To make the markets a complete local, seasonal shopping experience for the hungry people in the Plymouth area we have the following openings and are seeking regular or rotating members in these categories:

Thursday market is seeking:

  • Specialty growers: berries, fruits, brazilian vegetables, honey and beeswax
  • Herbal crafters who use their dried flowers and herbs for wreaths and other creations
  • Wool spinner and/or weaver.
  • Lobster or fish

Saturday market is seeking:

  • Farmers with cheese, dairy or meat and other specialty growers
  • Jams and Jellys
  • Wool spinner and/or weaver
  • Herbal crafter

Please contact Barbara Anglin, market organizer, to apply. You will not be dissapointed, these markets are hoppin busy!

email or 508-732-9962

^ Back to top

Market inspiration

Mind your budget at the farmers’ market
By Matthew Card, www.culinate.com
June 16, 2008

While I heartily endorse shopping at the local farmers’ market, the prices throughout the spring are often quite dear, and the tab for a week’s worth of perishables can be shocking. How do you eat well from the farmers’ market without blowing your budget?

First of all, shop wisely and buy produce at the peak of its season. When asparagus first debuts, you’ll pay a pretty penny for it. But come back a few weeks later, when practically every vendor is selling it, and you’ll more than likely find more competitive prices. The same goes for cherries, tomatoes, and well, just about anything.

Also, shop around. I like to take a first pass through the market before buying anything to see what’s most abundant and which stands have the best-looking and most reasonably priced produce.

And third? Take only as much money as you want to spend. Since most vendors accept only cash, if you stock your pocket with a limited amount, you’ll find it easier to stay within your budget.

In the northern U.S. at this time of year, when fields are still getting up to speed, the most attractive and cheapest vegetables tend to be leafy greens. I typically pick up a bunch or two of delicate greens (especially spicy arugula, which goes far with its potent flavor) for sandwiches and salads, but heartier braising greens are something I stock up on and prepare several nights a week.

Swiss chard might just be the best bargain at the market, as both the floppy leaves and succulent stems are edible. That said, the stems are tougher than the leaves and should be trimmed from the leaves and cooked independently; sautéing is best for the stems, as it maximizes their earthy, beet-like flavor.

For a simple, nutritious, and economical meal, I’ll pair garlicky sautéed chard with eggs and cheese in dinner-worthy fried-egg sandwiches. Farm-fresh eggs from the market are a world apart from supermarket eggs, and are well worth purchasing for their richer flavor and more intense color. And if you’re lucky, somebody at the market will be selling locally made cheese — a splurge perhaps, but usually worth it. Nothing finishes a fried-egg sandwich like a blanket of tangy melted cheese.

I love the delicate flavors of spring’s finest offerings, such as green garlic and fresh peas, but their prices — and the large amount necessary for a full meal — can make them the stuff of special occasions. To keep these favorites of mine in weekly rotation, I’ll stretch reasonably small amounts of each in pasta dishes designed to carry their flavor. One such dish matches simply sautéed garlic greens with pasta, peas, and herbed ricotta, the richness of which perfectly picks up the garlic’s subtle bite and the peas’ sweetness.

Most local markets now have at least one purveyor selling fresh meats — seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, or pork. The meat easily bests that of anything store-bought, and chances are it was raised in a more sustainable fashion. Flavor and ethics, however, come at a price, and farmers’-market meat is typically a third again what it costs at the supermarket.

Instead of buying tender chops and steaks, I purchase cheaper cuts like pork shoulder or Boston Butt that are rich in flavor and can be tender if properly prepared, such as braised in a stew or simmered in a robust ragu. When it warms up too much for me to tolerate a simmering pot, I’ll slice the meat thinly and soak it in adobado, a Mexican-style acidic marinade laced with chiles, garlic, and herbs. These thin cuts of flavorful meat can then be quickly broiled or grilled, tossed with lime juice and coarse salt, and eaten over rice or stuffed into soft tacos with salsa and crisp radishes (from the market, of course).

In this fashion, a little bit of meat can easily feed a crowd and keep dinner within budget.

Matthew Card is a contributing editor to Cook’s Illustrated and writes a monthly column for the Oregonian.

^ Back to top

Eating good in the neighborhood

By Kyle Sutton, The Patriot Ledger
Posted Jun 25, 2008 @ 07:18 AM

Maybe it’s the comfort of knowing exactly where your food is coming from, or the opportunity to meet your local farmer in person and get to know their growing techniques first-hand. Perhaps it’s just that the produce always is so fresh.

Whatever the attraction may be, local farmers' markets continue to sprout up along the South Shore.

In Plymouth, the boom has been so good that it led organizers to launch a second farmers' market, in addition to the one held Thursdays through October at Stephen’s Field. The new Saturday market begins this Saturday at the Courthouse Green on Court Street, a decision market manager Barbara Anglin hopes will draw residents and visitors to the downtown area.

"We were so surprised right from the very beginning five years at how hungry the people of Plymouth are for fresh, local food," she said.

Much of the appeal for coming out to the farmers' market is because of the decline in farm stands, said Anglin, where he said many people went for their produce.

"A lot of them make reference to memories of fresh corn and homegrown fresh tomatoes," she said. "People are busy and people are working so not everyone is able to grow their own."

Early season showings at the Plymouth farmers' market will include greens, lettuce, sugar snap peas, rhubarb, seedlings, small plants and "berries galore," Anglin said. Mid-July brings hot sellers such as tomatoes and corn.

The "fresh" idea has also caught on at Middleboro food retailer Cirelli Marketplace, which launched its first farmers' market last week and will host one every Friday through October. The plan is not only meant to introduce residents to local growers and crafts, manager John Santos said, but on the business side, it will give Cirelli the chance to source those items to sell in the store.

Santos said the farmers' markets will initially focus on crafts vendors through June and July, and will introduce produce such as melons and squash as they come into season in July, August and October.

"The idea of getting the story from the guy who made it ... somehow makes it taste better and feel better," Santos said. "There’s that added value from the product."

And with the recent salmonella outbreak in tomatoes, which has forced many commercial food chains to pull the item from their menus altogether, consumers are even more concerned with knowing where their food is coming from, market workers agreed. Consequently, they’re turning to their local growers.

"(The food is) coming literally from the field to the farmer’s truck and then you take them home," Anglin said. "There’s far less opportunity for them to be contaminated."

Much of the interest in locally-grown food also stems from the rise of the Slow Food movement, a response to the fast food market that pushes for a more sustainable food system favoring quality and environmental sustainability.

"People are choosing to come to the market for a variety of (reasons)," said Sylvia Schuler, a volunteer for the Hingham farmers' market. "I think a lot of it is rolled together"

At the Hingham market, which began its Saturday showings in late May, the seller has been strawberries, along with plenty of leafy vegetables, Schuler said. The hype, though, is for certain other red-fleshed plant that otherwise may be hard to come by.

"People just can’t wait until the tomatoes come in," Schuler said. "They’re ripe as anything."

^ Back to top

June 16, 2008

Locally Grown Foods are Delicious

Written by Michelle Conway, The Duxbury Clipper

The two trendiest words in the food industry right now are “terroir” and “locavore.” A locavore is a person who chooses locally grown and produced foods. Terroir is a bit trickier to explain; it refers to the unique qualities that a foods environment lends to the flavor and experience of that food. A great example of terroir on the South Shore is Island Creek Oysters, whose delightful flavor is dictated by the chilly tidal waters of Duxbury Bay. Eating an Island Creek makes you both a locavore and a devotee to terroir. How trendy!

Another great way to be a locavore is to head to your local farmers' market where you will find spectacular produce all of which has been grown less than 80 miles from your kitchen, with most of the produce coming from within a 30-mile radius. Fresh fruits and vegetables land on your table within 24 hours of being picked providing optimal flavor and nutritional value. Being a locavore is also good for the environment; local food travels fewer miles than nationally trucked goods.

Sweet delicious summer is here and area Farmers' Markets are bursting with fresh produce. Most are open once a week in central locations for three or four hours at a stretch. While the main focus is on insanely fresh fruits and vegetables, farmers markets offer a wide variety of locally grown and crafted products and the opportunity to meet the growers.

The weekly market at St. Stephen’s Field in Plymouth is perched on the edge of Plymouth Harbor where the smell of the ocean air lends a heavenly salty scent to the bountiful produce. With two dozen farms and vendors, this small market is jam packed with local goodies: fresh breads, hand made desserts, unique pestos, artisan goat cheeses and fudge, all accompanied by a quirky beat provided by area musicians.

Each Farmers' Market has its own unique personality, some offer music, others have artisan crafters, but all provide the best summer produce available in the area. What fun to search the local markets until you find the one that suits you, all while being a terroir lovin’ locavore!

Tidbit: Growing your own produce? www.carltongarden.blogspot.com is a terrific blog chock full with gardening tips accompanied by gorgeous photographs and stories about a garden loving dog named Skippy. Visit www.slowfoodboston to learn more about local efforts to support sustainability and bio-diversity through education and events. Slow Foods motto is “taste, tradition and the honest pleasures of food."

Local Farmers' Markets

  • Cohasset: On Main Street in Cohasset Common. Open on Thursdays from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Season runs from June 12–Oct. 16.
  • Marshfield: In the field adjacent to the Marshfield fairgrounds, on Route 3A. Open Fridays from 2-7 p.m. Season runs from June 6 to Oct. 31.
  • Plymouth (Courthouse Green): On Court Street. Open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Season runs June 28 to Oct. 25.
  • Plymouth (Stephen’s Field): At Stephen’s Field, just south of Plymouth Center on Route 3A. Open Thursdays from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Season runs June 19 to Oct. 30.
  • Brockton: At the Brockton Fairgrounds. Open Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Season runs July 12 to Oct. 25.
  • Brockton (City Hall): At City Hall plaza. Open Fridays from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Season runs from July to October.
  • Carver: In Shurtleff Park, on Route 58, across from town hall. Open Sundays, from noon-4 p.m. Seasons runs June 8 to Oct. 26.

^ Back to top

June 13, 2008

TOMATO WARNING REMINDER: KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM

This week's Food and Drug Administration warning to avoid certain tomato varieties which may carry salmonella, is a reminder, as tomato season begins in many parts of the country, that eating from sources close to home that you know and trust is one way to avoid exposure to widespread foodborne illnesses.

"With the growing number of salmonella cases linked to huge farms and packing plants, now more than ever it is important to know who is growing your food and the conditions under which it's grown," says Tracey Ryder, co-founder and president of Edible Communities, Inc.

For many proponents of local eating, the next best thing to homegrown is locally grown on a small family farm. "If there is a problem with a locally grown crop, consumers can trace their food back to its source very quickly," says Ryder. In the current case of salmonella in tomatoes, FDA officials have been trying to locate the origin of the outbreak since May. "We've seen this exact situation before with industrially produced food," says Ryder, "and we're likely to see it again."

By Bruce Cole, Edible Nation

^ Back to top

Our Sponsors