Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Volunteers Make the Market Work

Rick Gallagher grew up in Braintree and now volunteers at the market.
The Braintree Farmers Market is an extremely vibrant market in large part due to the commitment of our community's support.  The market is hosted by Sustainable Braintree which is a non-profit environmental organization and the market is organized and operated primarily by volunteers who share the vision and importance of this community event.  Volunteers come in all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds and we all have a desire to keep the market in our neighborhood.  Volunteer Market Shifts last from 1 to 2 hours so that folks don't need to take too much time from their busy schedules to help us out.  If you'd like to volunteer you can sign up at the Sustainable Braintree Market Tent while the market is operating or email our Volunteer Coordinator, Marie Vega, at mariev@sustainablebraintree.orgVolunteers don't just work-they make it work.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

We're Here for You!


Summer Squash & Peaches are now available at the market.
Nicole Maniez, yoga teacher and licensed acupuncturist from MVP Health & Wellness and the Lane Center, will be offering Family Yoga for all ages this Saturday, July 21st, from 8 to 9 am in front of the Braintree Town Hall.   Please join her for a fun and mindful activity for the whole family! You will leave this class with a smile on your face and relaxed body. Please bring a yoga mat and wear loose clothing. A few yoga mats will be available for those that don't have one.

The Braintree Farmers Market will be on the cutting edge this coming Saturday as Patti Small rolls in with her On the Edge Sharpening truck tricked out with her mobile blade sharpening workshop on board. Patti makes her presence know throughout Eastern Massachusetts by keeping an active schedule with local farmers' markets.  If you like to support small businesses this one is about as small as it gets since Patti is the CEO and the only employee.  Her tools of the trade include a whetstone, ceramics and a variety of polishing stones.  Load up your knives, scissors, shears, salon scissors, gardening tools and just about anything that needs sharpening.  Drop them off with Patti as you arrive at the market and pick them up when you leave.  It's like having brand new knives all over again.

Visiting us again this week is Stir it up Cuisine with their taste of the Caribbean Pepper Jelly and Pepper Jelly Cheese Torte.  For those of you who met them at the Strawberry Festival you know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't tried them yet this Saturday is your chance to spice up your life!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Breakfast at the Braintree Farmers Market

Unbelievably delicious granola from The Providence Granola Company.
Good morning sunshine and hello breakfast at the farmer's market.  While visiting the market you may have realized that the assortment of vendors have a wide variety of products to explore.  The market has been designed to provide our visitors with a one-stop shopping experience with all locally grown and made items.  There's no better place to find your breakfast foods for the morning, or for your entire week ahead, than the Braintree Farmers Market.

Start with a sampling from The Providence Granola Project.  This is one of our newest vendors and they provide us with a wide array of healthy granola and muesli choices with flavors like Ginger Zinger, Mochaccino Hazelnut, Cherry Chocolate, Pina Colola, Maple Rosemary and Keith's Originola.  The very first year they started their artisan business they won a "Best of Rhode Island" award and some of the area's premier restaurants started putting them on their menus.  Along with their outstanding products they are also very proud of their refugee employees that are the backbone of the company.

Fresh picked local berries right from the grower.

 Add creamy homemade yogurt from To Dine For to your granola.   This popular new vendor has a wide assortment of Middle Eastern delights that will have you coming back each week to try something new.

 On top of the yogurt add fresh fruits from our growers.  Each week brings new varieties of berries and fruits that are in season to the market.  Try something new each week to keep your taste buds on the cutting edge of flavor.  It's amazing how something so simple can look so beautiful, taste so good and be so healthy!

Honey direct from the beehives at C.N. Smith Farm.
For a sweetener try the local honey from C.N. Smith Farm.  This is raw honey, meaning it hasn't been heated to make it look nicer on the shelf, which preserves it's natural enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and other natural nutrients.  Pasteurized honey is known to be just as unhealthy as as eating refined sugar.  Purchasing locally sourced raw honey is an alternative way to treat seasonal allergies.  Many folks consume raw honey that is made near where they live because it contains small amounts of pollens when consumed build up their immune system to help ward off allergies.  

This season we are thrilled that The Cupcakerie is providing market customers with hot and iced coffee.  We've had many requests for this convenience so join us for your morning brew made from locally roasted New Harvest Coffees.  Enjoy your java while checking out the market or sit and relax in our cafe area on the green.

So get into a healthy breakfast routine at the Braintree Farmers Market.  If there's something you can't find please ask us at the Sustainable Braintree/Market Manager Tent and we'll point you in the right direction.