Sustainable Braintree Farmers Market News for 2013

Braintree Farmers Market location during the Blizzard of 2013.

The weather on the South Shore has been throwing us for a loop lately but, rest assured, plans are in the works for the 2013 Braintree Farmers Market 2013 season.  The market will be opening on Saturday, June 15th, from 9 to 1 at our location on JFK Memorial Drive, Braintree, MA.  The market will operate every Saturday thru October 26th with a Special Thanksgiving Market inside the Braintree Town Hall on November 23rd, 2013.

Planning for the next market season begins as soon as the market closes in November so we can ensure that each year will be better than the last.  We hope that all of our market supporters made it through the Blizzard of 2013 safe and sound and we look forward to seeing everyone again when the weather is more agreeable and the market opens in June.

Thanksgiving Market

Braintree Indoor Farmers Market has everything under the sun.

Braintree Thanksgiving Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, is being held on November 17th, from 9 to 1, inside and in front of the Braintree Town Hall, One JFK Memorial Drive, Braintree, MA.  Celebrate the end of the 2012 farmers market season with a full harvest for your holiday table.  Locally grown fruits and vegetables, many choices of local wines, fresh seafood, hormone & antibiotic free meats, local cheeses, honey, handmade pasta, eggs, artisan sauces, fresh pressed apple cider, preserves made from local fruits, award winning pies, scones, fresh baked breads, delicious prepared foods, several varieties of freshly-made hummus, gluten-free baked goods, all-natural spa products, plants & flowers, phenomenally delicious cookies, gourmet cupcakes, artisanal granola, Massachusetts-made ice cream, VT maple syrup, fair trade coffee, teas & chocolates, Project Have Hope.  Gift baskets, fair trade crafts including, locally made jewelry, kitchen wares and pottery will also be available.  All of our vendors, including those who visited us throughout the season with a few more more sprinkled in, will be on hand to spice things up. The market will be located inside the Braintree Town Hall.  Live music performed by Candis Stout and friends.  There will be a food drive hosted by a student of Bay State College seeking non perishable food items.  This is an annual mecca for those who love farmers markets!  For more information visit us at www.sustainablebraintree.org.

Sustainable Braintree’s Community Meeting will be held on November 15, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. at Cahill Auditorium in Braintree Town Hall.   This meeting is open to the general public.  Our featured speaker will be Bonnie Kavanagh, a second generation nurse and herbalist.  Bonnie’s presentation is entitled Chocolate "Food of the Gods and Goddesses". Join Bonnie as she explores the history and medicinal benefits of chocolate. For centuries chocolate has been coveted and craved by many and this informational lecture will leave those in attendance feeling good about indulging in this wonderful, sweet treat. The historical uses of chocolate are now being validated by scientific research and Bonnie will share some of this information for those in attendance. Samples of chocolate will be given out as well as a hand out for those who attend. Bonnie has over 30 years of health care experience as an herbalist and a registered nurse and is a graduate of the Rosemary Gladstar Art and Science of Herbal Medicine Program. Bonnie has been a past Council Member of the Northeast Herbalist Association and is a founding member of the Ocean State Herbalists Association. Bonnie is the co-author of "Rubies in the Sand; Recipes from the Cape Cod Cranberry Bogs" and currently works as an independent marketing representative for Fairland Farm/Cape Cod Organic Cranberry, LLC.   Following Bonnie's presentation the movie the Dark Side of Chocolate will be shown. This documentary exposes the ongoing use of child, forced and trafficked labor in the West African cocoa industry.   Fair trade Chocolate will be available to sample and for sale. 

Make a Difference Day/Pumpkin Festival

Make a donation and receive a free pumpkin compliments of Harvard Pilgrim Health.

On Saturday, October 27th from 9 to 1, rain or shine, the Braintree Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, invites everyone to the 4th Annual Make a Difference Day/Pumpkin Festival. This national day of giving facilitates neighbors helping neighbors. Please bring your quality used items to the Braintree Town Hall Cahill Auditorium, 1 JFK Memorial Dr., Braintree, to donate for this special day. Now more than ever, people in need would gratefully appreciate items that you may no longer need or products that are especially sought after. Our friends from Project Have Hope will also be joining us with their handmade beads made from recycled paper from the women of the Acholi Quarter of Uganda which makes a difference in their lives. In exchange for donated articles pick up a free pumpkin, while quantities last. Pumpkins are sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation's 9/11 Community Spirit Mini-Grant. Music will be provided by Karen Woodhall and Tom Glenn.

We're asking our customers to start putting aside quality used items to donate. Items that are being collected are: Fall and winter children's clothing, infant to high school sizes, for the Kid's Closet. Adult clothing, including interview and work attire, and household items, especially dishes and small appliances, for Interfaith Social Services' career closet and thrift shop. Baby items, including car seats, strollers, playpens, safety items, bedding, diaper bags, toys and puzzles-(NO  CRIBS), for Cradles to Crayons. Nov./Dec. seasonal items, books and DVD’s for the Senior Center. Eyeglasses for Lions Recycle for Sight, cell phones for cell phones for soldiers, material to make quilts for Children’s Hospital. Aquariums, Filters, Heaters, Food Bowls, Animal Toys and cages/crates, dry dog food, reptomin turtle food and bleach for the N.E. Wildlife Center.

New items are also needed and they are: Toiletries, including toilet paper, toothbrushes, shampoo and toothpaste. Non-perishable food and paper goods, especially paper towels and toilet paper, for the Margie Crispin Center. Laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, diapers, female sanitary items and baby wipes.  Birthday party Supplies for Birthday Wishes. Other miscellaneous items that are being collected are: soda can tabs for Shriners Hospitals for Children, box tops for education, codes from Coke products, Campbell's labels, Sunny D labels, Capri Sun pouches, old sneakers, in any condition, for recycle or reuse (no cleats), old keys for keyforhope.org and wine corks. Cleanse your soul and your closets for these noble causes and get a free pumpkin, grown by The Farmer's Garden and sponsored by a Mini-Grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, all in one visit to the market. Efforts like this really do make a difference in people's lives. This event is organized by Sustainable Braintree. Item reuse benefits the community & our planet. For more info go to: http://www.sustainablebraintree.org. See you Saturday.

Love your Local Veggies

Several varieties of produce are available at 2nd Nature Farm.

Visit one of the finest farmers markets in Massachusetts-the Braintree Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, which operates every Saturday through October from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall.  In the event of nasty weather the market is moved in front of and inside the town hall.  Now is the season for root vegetables and a good time to get out the crock pot for soups and stews.  The growers are harvesting turnips, carrots, beets, onions, potatoes and more.  Last week Second Nature Farm brought in 36 different varieties of locally grown produce from the fields.  Joe Beaulieu Butcher Shop always stocks many more choices of meats than you can purchase at grocery stores.  If he doesn't have what you're looking for he can probably find it for you.

The Indoor Thanksgiving Market is gearing up for Saturday, Nov. 17th, when all of our regular vendors, Visiting Vendors and a few more will unite in front of and inside the Braintree Town Hall.  Candis Stout will be on hand with jazz musicians to perform pieces from America's Songbook. Each year this market gains in popularity as it's a great time stock up for the holidays and say goodbye to your favorite vendors until next year.  Bring your visitors from out-of-town and show them this unique community event that has something for everybody.

Cream will be joining the market for the rest of the season with their Massachusetts-made ice cream.  Look for their brand new cart filled with fall inspired flavors like Pumpkin, Cranberry Harvest and Apple Crisp available in pint and half gallon sizes.  Each flavor is so delicious you'll want to pick up one of each to sample with your other market goodies.

This coming Saturday the market is introducing another new Visiting Vendor for the very first time.  Join us in welcoming Morning Bird Botanicals.   Michelle Angelides makes and sells natural honey-and-honeybee-based skin care products.  Michelle is also a beekeeper and uses her honey for products like Pucker Up!™ lip balm, Bees Knees Honey Soaps™, soaking salts, body butters and lotions and Scent Sticks for Men™ and women.  This vendor will be with us for this Saturday, Oct. 13th only, so please try out her products and let us know what you think.

Fall Harvest at the Market

Fresh picked locally grown peppers are now available at the market.

The Braintree Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, is still operating full tilt at the Braintree Town Hall Mall every Saturday, from 9 to 1, until Oct. 27th, with an Indoor Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 17th.  Corn is still being harvested and predicted to be available until the end of Oct. at The Farmer's Garden.  Fall is also the season for apples and that's the specialty at C.N. Smith Farm.  Second Nature Farm has been catering to the large demand for kale and tomatoes.  So there's no need to travel long distances for these locally harvested, healthy foods.  In case of inclement weather the market moves to the front of the Braintree Town Hall and inside Cahill Auditorium.  To the casual observer the farmers' market looks effortless, but it takes an enormous amount of hard work and coordination from volunteers, farmers, vendors and the Town of Braintree, so please support this treasured, local event.

Check out our Sustainable Braintree Farmers Market Moolah!

Our Market Moolah Program has been very successful considering this has been it's first season.  Purchasing market tokens and using them with our vendors makes shopping at the market more convenient by eliminating the use of cash sales only.  Jonathan Stidham is the volunteer in charge of the many stages the market needed to go through to receive approvals to get things up and running.  He most recently applied for a wireless terminal that will accept SNAP/credit card and debit payments through a government program coordinated by the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources.  The market has been approved to receive a new machine which we should see within a couple of weeks.  This will make token payments easier without having to run a phone line outside to the terminal.  Thanks Jonathan.  And thanks to all of you who have supported us in creating this new program at the market.

Volunteers Needed at the Market

Jim Regan is a dedicated volunteer at the Braintree Farmers Market.

The Braintree Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, is a non-profit organization that is primarily run by volunteers that value this community event and recognize the importance of supporting local farms and small artisan businesses and the convenience of bringing healthy, freshly-grown and made foods to our neighborhood.  The market season operates for 21 Saturdays and we're always in need of volunteer help to keep things moving smoothly.  One half hour of volunteer time on any given market day makes a huge contribution.  We are especially in need of volunteers to help with the morning set up and the afternoon tear down.  If you understand the significance and appreciate having the market in your community and would like to help out with other like-minded volunteers please contact Marie Vega at mariev@sustainablebraintree.org or drop by the Sustainable Braintree tent at the market to sign up to volunteer. 

Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration

Join us this Saturday, Sept 8th, for our Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration in conjunction with the Braintree Farmers Market.  We'll have interactive displays for Recycling, Energy and the Community Garden in conjunction with the farmers' market.  Music by Tiffany Rozenas & Family will add to the festivities so bring your blankets and lawn chairs and hang out for awhile.  For more information please visit us at www.sustainablebraintree.org.