By TORY DENIS
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BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Crew members with Harlow Farm were out working in the fields and greenhouses on Wednesday in Westminster and Putney, getting ready for the summer farm stand season.
Chad Parker of Saxtons River and Eli Eckley of Brattleboro, farm laborers for the organic farm, said on late Wednesday afternoon that they have seen no delays this spring in planting due to the cold weather, because plants are generally kept covered up.
Harlow Farm, an organic farm established in 1917 with a nearby local farmstand, is one of the dozen or so local farms and producers that take part in the Greater Falls Farmers’ Market, which is heading soon into its second season in the Bellows Falls, Vermont area.
GFFM manager Janice Leary-Jones said on Wednesday that she has not heard yet of any local producer, at least those involved in the market, that have had any delays due to cold weather.
“Most folks who grow in large scale grow in greenhouses,” and are not affected by the late cold snaps, she said.
The Greater Falls market, operated by the Bellows Falls-based Sustainable Valley Group, is on schedule to open for the season on June 1 and run through Sept. 28.
Applications to take part in the 2018 market were due by April 15, and Leary-Jones said that it looks like the market will have more participants this year than last year.
Last year, the market included about nine to 12 farmers and vendors each week. This year, she is anticipating about 10 to 15 a week, she said. That can depend on the growing season and which items are in season.
Vendors at the the Greater Falls market must also abide by a detailed set of food safety and consumer protection regulations set forth by the state of Vermont, and available through the market’s website.
New this year, Leary-Jones said she is reaching out to breweries and wineries to take part in the farmers market. That, and the addition of hot foods, were both mentioned in recent customer surveys as something market shoppers would enjoy having, she said.
To celebrate the upcoming season, the Greater Falls market is planning a farmers market season opening party from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on May 18 at Hetty Green Park, 2 Church Place in Bellows Falls. The event will not include a farmers’ market that day, but will be a family-friendly party and barbecue fundraiser for the market, and will include activities for children and live local music. There is no cost to attend the party.
“People would be supporting growing the market, and growing our local food system,” Leary-Jones said.
Many farmers’ markets in the region offer family-friendly nutrition programs. The Greater Falls market accepts EBT and debit cards, and will offer a Friends of the Market program again this year, in which people can buy the FOM card and receive access to weekly specials from participating vendors. These may include lower-than-usual prices by the pound on certain produce in season, buy-one-get-one deals, or other offers.
Participating market locations also include the Summer 2018 Power of Produce Club in which children age 5-12 can sign up to get “POP Bucks” to spend on local, fresh vegetables and fruit.
The Greater Falls market will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. Fridays from June through September at the Hetty Green Park. Beginning in September, the hours will be from 3 to 6:30 p.m., with change in hours based on the amount of sunshine available, Leary-Jones said.
Vital Communities, an Upper Valley alliance that bring citizens, organizations, and municipalities together to address local food, farms, transportation and other issues, offers a comprehensive list of regional farmers markets for 2018, including the markets in Claremont and Newport, New Hampshire, and Springfield, Greater Falls (Bellows Falls area) and nearby communities in Vermont.
In Claremont, New Hampshire, the Claremont Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Visitor’s Center Green. In Newport, New Hampshire, the farmers market will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Fridays at the Newport Common.
In Springfield, Vermont,, the Springfield Farmers Market will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, June 3 to Oct. 7, on lower Clinton Street near the bike / walk trailhead. No market will take place on Springfield’s annual Alumni Day.
For more information and to find other local farmers markets, visit http://vitalcommunities.org/valleyfoodfarm/.
For more information on the Greater Falls market, visit www.gffarmersmarket.com/.
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