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Farmers Markets Run By Nonprofits Thrive In Massachusetts

Photo Courtesy Watertown Farmers Market

In Massachusetts, nonprofit organizations are running farmers markets in addition to other programming intended to benefit the local community. Garden & Health has compiled a list of three such operations to visit next time you’re in The Bay State.

Mass Farmers Markets

In 1978, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Extension Service, and several farmers launched Mass Farmers Markets  (MFM) to enhance community spirit, support local, sustainable farms, and improve individual health.

The nonprofit now acts as the primary statewide partner for more than 200 farmers markets in Massachusetts.

The organization not only advocates for them but also provides guidance on sustainability planning and marketing strategy for all operations. It also offers operational consulting for new markets and ​​advisory services for their managers. 

Photo Courtesy Mass Farmers Markets

MFM also operates five markets across the state. They provide more than 50 local farms, bakeries, and other producers with a consistent customer base, as well as urban dwellers with healthy, local food and community gathering spaces. 

In Boston, The Copley Square Farmers Market is held every Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. from May 17 through Nov. 26. The Fish & Farm Market is held at the Boston Fish Pier every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. from June 22 through October. In contrast to the other markers, its biggest draw is its seafood vendors.  In Somerville, the Davis Square Farmers Market is held every Wednesday from noon until 6 p.m. from May 22 through Nov. 27. 

In Cambridge, the Central Square Farmers Market is held every Monday from noon until 6 p.m. from May 20 through Nov. 25.

It has featured such unique initiatives as a Youth Grown Tomato Contest. The Kendall Square Farmers Market (KSFM) is held every Thursday from noon until 6 p.m. from May 23 through Nov. 21. Located between MIT and the Kendall Canal, a center of innovation that enables shoppers to arrive via kayak. 

Photo Courtesy Mass Farmers Markets

An emphasis is placed on incentivizing and providing access to healthy food. Each of these operations participates in statewide programs that provide monthly funding to buy nutritious food, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). 

Most of the markets also participate in SNAP Match, which doubles the value of every dollar spent on SNAP purchases up to $15, and the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which refunds their EBT cards for between $40 to $80 spent on fruits and vegetables every month, depending on household size. In 2021, MFM even conducted research to understand why some consumers do not take advantage of these benefits, looking for the next steps to encourage their use. 

MFM has also created some programs of its own. The Eat Fresh Farmers Market Coupon Program is modeled after the FMNP.

From June 1 through Oct. 31, sponsors hand out $5 coupons with customizable codes for tracking and reporting purposes. Shoppers can use the coupons at more than 500 farmers markets and farm stands across the state to buy fresh fruits, herbs, honey, and vegetables.

KSFM, in particular, has also teamed up with BioMed Realty to fill boxes with produce from Crimson and Clover Farm, meat from Stillman Quality Meats, fish from Cape Ann Fresh Catch, and mushrooms from My County Mushrooms. It also uses additional rotating products that are local and seasonal. Based on a Community Supported Agriculture system, SNAP recipients can sign up to receive mini-, small-, or family-sized boxes between May 23 and Oct. 31. 

Plus, the Eat Like A Local campaign goes beyond farmers markets, developing a guide to the “produce and products that put New England cuisine on the map,” including farm-to-table restaurants and specialty grocers. 

Photo Courtesy Mass Farmers Markets

Last but certainly not least, MFM places particular emphasis on diversity. For example, it teamed up with the Cambridge Community Foundation to bring a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Incubator Initiative to the Central Square Farmers Market. 

Launched this past May, it supports 18 local BIPOC farmers and food entrepreneurs through November. The program takes care of the fees they would normally be charged as vendors; connects them with tents, tables, and other essential materials; and supports their long-term growth by helping them develop new skills, network with influential people, and improve their marketing. 

It will also meet a need in the diverse community of Cambridge for a wider range of food from different cultures. For example, Cocobelly Bites brings Jamaican food, Roshona Bilash brings Bangladeshi chutney and ghee, and Tiani Gardens brings tropical vegetables. 

Photo Courtesy Cocobelly Bites

Live Well Watertown Farmers’ Market

Live Well Watertown is the result of collaboration between residents of Watertown and the local health and planning departments. Its goal is to encourage wellness and healthy living, which it bakes into the community through collaboration and educational programming. 

The program that has existed for the longest period, Eat Well, sees community “chefs” teach locals how to cook with fresh and local ingredients, including the annual Soup Fest and Fall Fest or this year’s Gluten Free Extravaganza. All the recipes from past programming remain available online for the benefit of the community, as well. Meanwhile, Stress Less offers programming aimed at building skills to improve emotional health, and Watertown Cares is a substance use program focused on prevention, education, treatment, and support. 

Move More encompasses several active living programs.

One of these, the Watertown Walks program, consists of weekly 30- to 40-minute walks with local professionals, offering new connections and opportunities for learning. 

The Public Arts and Culture Walk has included visits to local art galleries and studios, while the monthly Walk with a Doc/Just Walk has featured medical professionals educating participants about prediabetes and strokes. Other activities have included snowshoeing, yoga, and qigong programs in the winter and a Spring Get Out Your Bike Event. 

Photo Courtesy Live Well Watertown

Live Well Watertown also operates its own farmers market, which is open every Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. from June 12 through Oct. 23. Located next to City Hall, it features various produce, meat, baked goods, artisan, and specialty vendors who are chosen based on their ability to serve the community and offer an “engaging mix of products.” Farms must sell products they grew themselves, while specialty food producers and farm wineries must sell products they created, prioritizing those using ingredients they grew or sourced locally.  

Every week, a different musical guest takes the stage to entertain shoppers, and a new artisan comes to the market to show off their wares.

For example, Venier Design Knife Sharpening shows up once a month to help guests get their knives back to pristine condition. 

The operation aims to be as environmentally and socially friendly as possible, with weekly Sustainability and Community Guests. This year, guests have included Friends of Bees, which provides education about local pollinators, and Resilient Watertown, which is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. 

Community booth guests included the Watertown Free Public Library, bringing used books for sale, and state legislators like Representative Steve Owens and Sen. William Brownsberger. The market also encourages community members to bring reusable bags and to ride a bike or take the bus instead of driving. On BikeFest days, free bike checks are offered to attendees. 

Photo Courtesy Watertown Farmers Market

Like many other Massachusetts farmers markets, it accepts the SNAP and HIP programs, with three HIP-certified farm vendors: Dick’s Market Farm, Farmer Tim’s, and Stillman’s Farm. The market matches SNAP purchases up to $15 through SNAP Match. It also accepts SFMNP and WIC coupons. Last year, more than $50,000 in free food was distributed through this range of programs. 

Vendors like Dicks Market Garden Farm, Clear Flour Bakery, and Farmer Tim’s also donate food to the Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry and the Watertown Community Fridge on a weekly basis. A bin is always available at the manager booth for shoppers to donate non-perishable items to the City Watertown food pantry. 

Photo Courtesy Watertown Farmers Market

Arlington Farmers Market

Finally, a nonprofit called Arlington EATS, located in Arlington, Massachusetts, aims to eliminate local food insecurity and hunger. It was formed in 2017 by a merger of an original organization with the same name and the Arlington Food Pantry, which was launched in 1991 out of concern about rations due to the first Iraqi War.

Like the first version of Arlington EATS, it continues to operate a snack and a summer lunch program for children in public schools.

That was not the first time the organization stepped in to help in the face of an emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization partnered with local agencies to start a home delivery program that ensured people had access to food. Moreover, with its headquarters on the first floor of a four-story building, the space above its offices has been turned into affordable housing.
 

Photo Courtesy Arlington Farmers Market

Arlington EATS also operates two different markets, enabling it to distribute more than 15,000 pounds of food to 450 households every week. The Arlington EATS Market acts as a “safe space for anyone in Arlington who needs food,” where they can set up a weekly appointment on Mondays between 2 and 7 p.m., Tuesdays between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and noon, or Saturdays between 9 a.m. and noon. Mondays also offer special hours for seniors over age 60 with free van rides provided. 

The Arlington Farmers Market, held on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. from June 12 through Oct. 30, was launched in 1996 but only came under Arlington EATS’s management last year.

It also emphasizes food security, with a goal for all community members to be able to shop together and purchase produce and products of the same quality, regardless of their background or income level. 

Even before it ran the market, the nonprofit launched the Fresh Bucks Program, a SNAP Match program that provides SNAP recipients with vouchers that can be used to buy fresh, local produce, meat, and bread from farmers market vendors. It accepts SNAP and HIP, with HIP-certified vendors including Busa Farm, Dick’s Market Garden, Kimball Fruit Farm, and Nicewicz Farm and Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons. The organization even attended HIP Advocacy Day at the state house to push for HIP funding. 

Photo Courtesy Kimball Fruit Farm
It also promotes sustainability in other ways. For example, Zero Waste Arlington set up an information booth and handed out drinking water over this past summer. Such local collaborations are key to providing community members with important information to make local change.

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