Sustainable Braintree Earth Celebration at the Farmers Market

Eileen Campbell, SB Recycling Leader, and Pat Morey, SB Community Garden Leader, will have displays at the market this week.

   We love to throw a party at the Braintree Farmers Market, hosted by Sustainable Braintree, and this Saturday, Sept. 10th, is no exception. Come and join us for our First Annual Earth Celebration in conjunction with the market.  We've set aside this day to honor our natural world and our place in it.  Bring your lawn chairs and blankets so you can hang out and enjoy Candy Stout as she sings selections from the Great American Songbook accompanied by Jon Wheatley on guitar and Jim Repa on reeds.  Each individually has devoted many decades to the joy of melodic swinging and beautiful music.  Stroll the market while you check out a variety of activities and useful information that will inspire you to help keep our planet happy and squeaky clean. 

    Join the Recycling Task Force in an exciting game of Recycling Bingo for children.  Kids will learn more about what they can recycle in Braintree while playing a nontraditional form of the old school game. We can all learn more about Single Stream with exhibits and information about items residents can toss in their recycling bins – it’s amazing how many items we used to throw in the trash are actually recyclable now. Some things that can’t go into Single Stream can be recycled or reused elsewhere.  Check out our info on the many other options for recycling, such as old cell phones, corks, sneakers, keys, eyeglasses, crayons, tools and bubble wrap. Be sure to enjoy the display of inspiring sculptures made from recyclable materials that have been created by Braintree High School art students.

   Our friends from Project Have Hope will have beautiful jewelry and craft items from recycled paper from artisans in the Acholi Quarter of Uganda.  These pieces are colorful and creative and get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you support and empower the women and children in this region of Africa.

    Find out how easy it is to compost with Sustainable Braintree’s Community Garden Task Force.  They will give you some ideas of how to start a compost pile and what ingredients to feed it to make a nutrient-rich additive to your garden.  They will also display some produce from the Community Garden at Perkins Park. 

    Check in with Sustainable Braintree’s Energy Task Force for fresh ideas about how to save energy, save money, and save the planet.  Find out first-hand how much we can make a difference collectively when we all do our part. 

    You will have a chance to meet a giant tortoise, along with some smaller reptiles, courtesy of the New England Wildlife Center.  Learn about this local non-profit group that rehabs injured wildlife and returns them to the wild.  If you've ever come across injured or orphaned wildlife these are the folks you need to contact.  

    The Braintree Conservation Commission is providing trail maps of Cranberry Pond and other information about finding nature in Braintree.    Additional information will be on hand about a variety of educational organizations and resources that help us learn about and enjoy our natural world. 

A wide variety of locally-grown tomatoes are now available at the market.

    It's also the peak of harvest season at the farmers market and the best time of year to purchase fresh picked produce from you local farmers.  All of the produce items available are brought here direct from the growers that are located right here on the South Shore.  When you purchase from small local farms it helps them remain sustainable and viable.  Look for the Braintree Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 to 1, rain or shine, at the Braintree Town Hall Mall, One JFK Memorial Dr. Braintree until the end of Oct. with a special Indoor Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 19th.  See you on Saturday.