Summertime in the city means that farm stands and farmers markets are sprouting across the city’s neighborhoods.
In Mattapan, the Urban Farming Institute (UFI) has launched its Farm Stand Fridays, which will run from noon to 5 p.m. through Nov. 21. Community members are invited to Fowler Clark Epstein farm at 487 Norfolk St. to purchase fresh, locally grown veggies, herbs, and fruit.
“We call it a farm stand because, unlike a farmers market, you’re coming to the farm where the food is grown,” explained UFI Boston assistant farm manager, Matthew Ellison. “We don’t have other vendors coming; it’s our own produce that we grow here that you can buy directly from us.
The farmers’ market at Peabody Square’s Droser plaza outside the north entrance to Ashmont station will be held throughout the summer on Friday afternoons beginning on July 11.
Photo courtesy Greater Ashmont Main Streets.
UFI empowers communities like Mattapan by growing and distributing food in and around urban areas.
“We try to focus on crops that are meaningful to our community,” Ellison said. “Things that we are especially known for are our Callaloo, Scotch bonnet peppers, and Okra. We try to make sure we have different crops that people will come for.”
The goal this year is to produce more than ever.
“We are always playing around with different varieties of things. I think it’s more of just trying to get the volumes up, keep up with demand,” said Ellison, who noted that people show up to the stand hours before it opens to get their hands on fresh Callalo.
“Focus on getting the stuff out there so we don’t sell out as early, so even if you come later in the day, we still have all the stuff you like,” he said. That’s really a goal for this year.”
The UFI stand accepts cash, credit, EBT/SNAP, HIP, and Farmers Market Coupons so that just about anyone can purchase groceries, enjoy the greenspace, and connect with their neighbors.
While UFI was the first to open its stand this summer, two more farmers’ markets are opening up this weekend.
On Friday, the Greater Ashmont Friday Market will kick off its 17th season of fresh produce, specially prepared foods, local crafts, food trucks, and live music at Peabody Square’s Droser Plaza, right next to the north entrance to Ashmont station. The market will be held each Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Unlike UFI, the Greater Ashmont Friday Market does not grow its crops but, rather, it invites vendors and entrepreneurs to sell their products there.
While the market has proven to be a great resource for fresh produce and food education, Greater Ashmont Main Street executive director Elle Marrone hopes this year’s Friday market will become a place to deepen or form new connections.
“All of our local stakeholders need to, and should feel welcomed to, come out and enjoy the space as their own and help to direct the future of this and other public spaces in the neighborhood,” she said, adding:
“This year, the real attraction is that we are setting up a pop-up cafe area so we will have shade, tables for toddlers and adults, and a misting fan.
“Whereas in previous years it was a place where you could shop, there was nowhere really inviting you to sit down,” she said. “This summer we’re going to encourage you to shop and to stay.”
In years prior, the market has welcomed older neighbors, residents from the Boston Home, and families with young children; the addition of the cafe will only make this space better for all who come by.
“During the summer months, when families with young children are not accessing school lunches and meals, being able to buy a week’s worth of groceries subsidized is extremely important for food security in the neighborhood,” said Marrone.
The Greater Ashmont Friday Market also accepts Farmers Market Coupons and is in the process of establishing its own coupon program.
Accessibility is also important at the Mattapan Square Farmers Market, which opens on Saturday for its 19th season. Hosted weekly from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the corner of Cummins Highway and, Mattapan Square, it is a hub for fresh food and community resources.
“All the food is grown by local farmers, said manager Vickey Siggers. “We’re fortunate enough to have farmers that come to our market and sell produce that the community is really familiar with and loves to cook at an affordable price,”
She added, “None of the produce is flown in or shipped in.”
Popular products include Callalo, Lalo, Okra, Scotch bonnet peppers, Collard greens, spinach, and herbs.
In addition to the food, Siggers and her team offer a variety of community resources.
“We try to make sure that we are bringing resources that the community needs,” said Siggers. “Sometimes they are not sure where to find out about how to use their SNAP benefits or Healthy Incentive benefits, or the city of Boston Coupon Program.
“What we’ve done in the past is have those food access organizations come to the market, usually on opening day or the following Saturday, so that people can come and pick up their coupons.”
Other organizations that visit the market are Heart of a Giant, Mass Save, Boston Public Health, and Blue Bridge.
“Just sort of having those other resources there that often times the community may not know about is extremely important,” Siggers said. “We really try to make sure we’re listening to what people’s needs are and make sure those things happen for anyone who comes.”
In addition, from July 12 through Oct. 25, market goers can participate in health and fitness activities while shopping.
Next Saturday (July 19), the Codman Square Farmers Market will open in the Rev. Loesch Family Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Like those who visit Mattapan Square, shoppers in the park can join in on the action, too. Instead of just purchasing food, community members are invited to participate in food demonstrations each Saturday at noon.
“We started the farmers market to bring healthy food options to a neighborhood that just didn’t have access to healthy food options. We have a lot of corner store bodegas, fast food restaurants, and we’ve been working really hard to bring in healthier food,” said founder Cynthia Loesch-Johnson.
“We’ve created space to have food demonstrations each week. In the past, we’ve done [them] because we have relationships with local chefs, [but] we’ve never had the resources or capacity to have it every week. It’s really important because how will young people learn how to prepare these meals or utilize these different fruits and vegetables?”
The demonstrations, conducted in partnership with Franciscan’s Children Hospital, will feature local nutritionists and chefs.
In addition to the different food demos each week, every Saturday has been assigned a specific theme. For example, Aug. 9 is National Health Center Week, so the Codman Square Health Center will be at the market showcasing all the center’s resources.
Like the other markets, Codman Square wants to be accessible. To achieve this, they have partnered with the City of Boston’s Office of Food Justice to provide families with assistance in purchasing their farm-fresh food.
“We’ve been a part of the coupon program since its inception in the city, and it’s just a valuable and needed service. We have families that rely on SNAP and rely on HIP,” said Loesch-Johnson. “The federal government is making cuts to those programs, so our phone is ringing off the hook for access to the coupon resources we have. We’re trying to come up with ways to make sure we’re getting the food to families that need it.”
She added, “Our goal is to actually transform our merchants’ district and to make sure we have access to these healthy food options within our merchant district all year round. We have a big picture goal, but within the interim, the farmers market is one of the ways we make sure that our families have access to healthy food options.”
The market has also become a space to socialize, organize, learn, and support other community members.
“The response has been extremely positive it’s like a staple event in the community. Every year, residents want to see us continue the market,” said Loesch-Johnson.
