Thanks to the Braintree Farmers Market Volunteers

Morgan Stidham and her father Jonathan help C.N. Smith Farm setup before the market opens.

    Now that the Braintree Farmers Market is but a fond memory we'd like to acknowledge some of the folks who have given their time to make the market a success.  Every single Saturday the market operates there is a crew of volunteers that come together to lend a hand to make sure the event goes smoothly.  The diversity of the team, which ranges in age from 10 to a wee bit shy of 90, has a common goal to bring fresh local foods and create a community atmosphere in Braintree.  Our vendors and farmers constantly tell us they look forward to our market every week because of how warmly they are greeted by volunteers and patrons which makes the Braintree Market like no other.  

   On the evening of October 22nd the market held a Volunteer Appreciation Soiree inside the Braintree Historical Society's barn and museum.  It was a perfect fall evening with a festive farm atmosphere.  The museum's current exhibit of antique farming equipment tied in perfectly.  All of the victuals and potables were graciously donated by the market farmers and vendors.  Their generosity was overwhelming with an abundance of tasty delights including sausages from Joe Beaulieu's Butcher Shop, clam chowder from Fresh Catch Seafood, cider from C.N. Smith Farm, crudite made from The Farmers Garden veggies, fresh picked salad fixings from The Second Nature Farm, delicious hummus, spinach pies and baklava from Homestyle Caterers, cheeses from Lawton Farms, fresh baked breads from Hearth Fired Baked Breads and The Great Cape Baking Company with spices from Ric's Pantry added to olive oil for dipping and spreads from Deborah's Kitchen, freshly roasted nuts from Fastachi and a variety of cranberries from Fairland Farms.  For dessert there were multiple pies from Ever So Humble Pie Company, delicious cookies from Jack's Cookie Jar and mouth watering mini cupcakes in several different flavors from The Cupcakerie.  We drew names for donated items such as an array of lavender items from Rhode Island Spa Products, a gift certificate from Nella Pasta, a variety of handmade crafts from Project Have Hope and sauce from Joslin Foods.  Thanks to Coastal Vineyards and Turtle Creek Winery for their contributions as well.  Even Mayor Joe Sullivan joined in with thank yous and acknowledgements for all the hard working volunteers

Angela Cavanaugh is our face behind facebook.

   All through the winter months the Farmers Market Committee is planning for the next season and how it can be even better than the last.  Thanks to Angela Cavanaugh for managing the Community Tent as well as our facebook page, Diana Althouse is our controller and keeps track of our budgets, Marie Vega and Susan Ryan coordinated the volunteer schedule which is constantly evolving and changing, Cathy Sloan-Gallagher has been working on the Visiting Vendors, Jim Curran helps with our website and Jonathan Stidham assists in many different aspects including setup assistance on market days along with his kids Morgan, Madison and Matt.

Bob James and Jim Smith from BEMA Braintree Emergency Management.

   During the market season the first team on the job are our friends at BEMA (Braintree Emergency Management Agency).  They're the ones that put out the traffic barrels and cones the night before and take them in as soon as the market closes.  This helps to keep the market safe from folks trying to drive through the market while it is operating.  Bob James is at the helm at BEMA and Jim Smith makes sure he gets the barrels taken care of before any of his other duties.  Jim and Bob are two of the our most dedicated volunteers.  We're thankful for all the BEMA volunteers that have lent a hand in making safety our number one priority.

Jim Regan is a loyal and hard-working volunteer.

   Jim Regan is our rock throughout the season.  He shows up before every market to set up the tents and assist the vendors and makes sure there is order in the chaos when everything comes together.  Once the market closes Jim makes sure everything returns to our storage area and makes sure everything neat and organized.  He juggles all this with his real work and family.  Jim is the man and we're grateful to have him on our team.

Eric Sugrue grew up in Braintree and now volunteers at the market.

   There are several volunteers that rotate by sharing tasks such as setups, tear downs, cleanup, putting out and taking in signs, managing the market, selling tee shirts etc.  Thanks to Eric Sugrue, Robert Fricke, Lauren Crook, Bob Casey, Pat Morey, Christine Sullivan, Stacie O'Callaghan, Ellen Fox, Linda Chapman, Eileen Campbell, Cheryl Edgar, Samantha Noone, Rick Gallagher, Mary Mitchell, Susan and Habib Karim, Bob Casey, Sandra Peterson and everyone that has lent a hand.  These are just a few of the folks that pitch in when help is needed.

   If you're interested in joining our volunteer team we'd love to hear from you.  Perhaps you have a particular talent that you'd like to share with us.  If so, please contact Marie at mariev@sustainablebraintree.org.