Sweet Corn and Award Winning Tomatoes

By Janice Williams, Executive Director

Roslindale Village Main Street

Each Saturday as I arrive at Adams Park in Roslindale to assist in the set up of the Roslindale Village Main Street’s Farmers Market, I get excited about the hours ahead, because soon the park will be bustling with vendors and customers. The Farmers arrive and unload crate after crate of freshly picked vegetables, fruits and flowers. They stack them neatly on the tables for customers to see and choose. Local entrepreneurs set up their tables in hopes of selling a wide variety of products from glittering hand made jewelry to spicy Thai sauces.

While customers come mainly to adorn their dining tables with sweet corn and award winning tomatoes (our farmer Peter McArthur won a best tasting award in the Boston Tomato contest this year), the real event that unfolds is urban sociology in progress. I watch, listen and participate in a wide variety of sociable scenes. Mom’s with energetic toddlers talk to each other while the kids enjoy the freedom of playing on the grass. Dogs are thrilled that other dogs come with their owners to the market. Neighbors meet and take a few minutes to talk casually and get the latest gossip. Students from the Boston School of Modern Language come to see the culture of Roslindale and Boston. Individuals come to sit on the benches and do some serious people watching. Local artists and musicians discuss upcoming gigs and opportunities and to listen to the Farmers Market Jazz Band, students from the Power School of Music.

The RVMS Farmers Market is small compared to other markets. We continually work to grow the market. We have seen an increase in customers since our move to Adams Park this season due to better visibility. RVMS is pleased to welcome Brookwood Community Farm to our market. The organic farm is located in Milton (once part of the General Samuel Parker estate) and now managed by the Department of Conservation as part of the Blue Hills Reservation. Through the Community Supported Agriculture program, area residents may purchase a share of the farm and receive a weekly basket of fresh produce. Volunteers are also welcome to help grow and harvest a variety of crops and take home some of the fruits of their labor. For info call Farmer Judy at 617-980-2368 or visit www.brookwoodcommunityfarm.org.

While there are over 6,000 working farms in Massachusetts, not all of them have the resources to do farmers markets. The competition is fierce for farmers and Roslindale is a small demographic. We will continue to seek farmers who might join us in our new location and invite vendors of other food products such as jams, honey, breads, etc. to try us.

The benefits of a local farmers market as you can see are many. Additionally, the RVMS market supports the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) which assists low income people to purchase fresh produce.

Local markets have been around for a long time. In 1742 Peter Faneuil built a marketplace and public meeting hall in the center of Boston. Today in cities around the United States and in other countries farmers markets are a year round venue and an important economic factor. There are approximately one hundred and twenty farmers markets in Massachusetts. Boston has more than 20 farmers markets. The Boston Public Market Association wants to secure a $10 to $12 million-dollar facility, preferably along the planned Rose Kennedy Greenway to establish a year round market. For 2006, the Boston Public Market began operating markets in two locations- on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at Dewey Square in front of South Station and on the Old Northern Ave Bridge at Fort Point Channel.

RVMS has sponsored the Roslindale Farmers Market for over 17 years because we believe that it supports our mission of creating events that bring people into the business district for the overall health of the community. We hope you stop by to do a little shopping and some socializing. The next special event at the RVMS Farmers Market is the Harvest Festival on Saturday September 30th. In addition to the usual offerings, there will be activities for kids and a full day of performances from local musicians and dancers.

For further information contact Janice Williams, Executive Director of Roslindale Village Main Street at 617-327-4065 or email director@roslindale.net or visit www.roslindale.net.