Harvard Farmers Market » how to shop a farmers market

Bagel Alley, Nashua, NH

jensundeen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:04:03 +0000

From the first day they joined us three years ago, Bagel Alley has been worshipped by every shopper at the HFM. We love everything about them. Their canary yellow hummer. Their rock and roll tunes. Stories of their travels. And most especially their bagels. HFM shoppers have been known to go to great lengths to get them off season, including driving up to the Alley itself in Nashua NH come January when the freezer has been emptied of these delicious round goodies. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner; perfect for bagel-pizza; topped with Globe’s salmon and Applefield’s onion and tomato slices; or on-the-go for a post soccer snack. Welcome back, Brett and friends!

The Biscuit, Somerville, MA

jensundeen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:50:43 +0000

Love love love these guys! This is the third year The Biscuit joins us, and our Market wouldn’t be the same without them! Their tables are just filled with sweeeeet baked goods…croissants, scones, pies, cruellers, breads, biscuits and more! These super-friendly folks from Somerville get up long before dawn to bake, pack the truck and be here for set-up…we don’t know how they do it, but we DO know that WE need to get to their booth as early as possible; most everything disappears by late morning! So glad to have you back, friends!!

St. Joseph’s Farm, Still River, MA

jensundeen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:40:24 +0000

If you haven’t met Sister Mary Philomena yet, you just simply need to. She is an HFM true treasure. With us since our first Market Day, Sister farms herself and looks forward all summer to bringing her harvest to Market in late August. While her cucumbers and chard can’t be beat (Chef Paul makes a special trip each week to her farm and uses her chard in his school lunch soups), she is best known for her expertise in grapes. She brings many varieties with her that we love to use for jamming. Even better, ask her about the grape harvest in late September; bring the family to help harvest and make grape juice…it’s an experience for sure! Many thanks to Sister for blessing our Market with her wonderful produce and warm personality. We adore you!

Harper’s Farm & Garden, Lancaster, MA

jensundeen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:25:53 +0000

Meet David Harper of Lancaster. New to the HFM this year, David’s family has been farming for many generations. I picked up some corn, tomatoes and peppers for my salad the other night, and they were delicious! Stop by and welcome David …I guarantee you will get some incredibly great tasting produce… and an award-winning smile from this friendly hard-working farmer!

Harvard Sweet Boutique, Harvard, MA

jensundeen — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:42:50 +0000

Meet Sue George, founder of Harvard Sweet Boutique. She is creative. She is talented. She is an exceptional cook. Her energy is amazing, she volunteers for our schools, sports, town organizations. She is a great mom, wife, friend. And oh – about her cookies…. wait til you try them…! Often accompanied by her beautiful children Nick and Katrina, Sue’s booth is a favorite of kids and adults alike…buy a six pack for school lunches, grab a single for a post-soccer snack, or if you’re lucky you might get your hands on her infamous toffee chocolate brownies…add to that a glass of milk from Balance Rock; it just doesn’t get more decadent! Looking forward to another sweet year, Sue!

How to Shop a Farmers Market: Part 1 of …Many to Come

rochelle — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:21:42 +0000

Shopping the Farmers Market is not like going to the grocery store you have to plan for carrying everything you buy — with out the use of a grocery cart (aka buggie for those of you from the midwest – like me).
Trying to be more environmentally conscious, it is worth bringing your own reusable bag to avoid countless paper and plastic bags handed out by the vendors. Shoulder bags get heavy though and if you plan to buy a lot you might consider something like a wagon or perhaps more handy, Reisenthel’s Bags. These Reisenthel bags are foldable and a smart, and reusable alternative. These little trolleys are great for using at the farmers market and you can fold them up into the little front pouch when not in use.

The company who makes these is really nice too as their corporate philosophy is based on creating products that enhance quality of life while being respectful to the environment; these bags are made from recyclable materials of the highest quality and with fair wages and fair labor.