Westminster Farmers’ Market Vendor Training will take place at 6:00pm on Wednesday, April 6, in the Selectmen's Chambers at the Westminster Town Hall. 

This training is open to all current and potential vendors who wish to find out more about becoming a vendor at the Westminster Farmers’ Market for the coming 2011 season. 

Attendees will receive a discount off their annual market membership if their application is accepted by the Westminster Farmers’ Market Jury Committee.

Agenda for the evening of April 6th:

At 6:00pm, the Westminster Board of Health will present rules and regulations for selling products at the Westminster Farmers' Market.

At 7:00pm Rick Bonano will present information on GAP (Good Agricultural Practices).

At 7:30pm, Ann Patsis will discuss sales tax laws.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Come to the Pumpkin Festival

Pumpkin Festival

This Friday, The Westminster Farmers’ Market will hold its annual Pumpkin Festival.  All proceeds from this festival will support Mass Ag in the Classroom projects and provide scholarships to teachers that wish to attend the fall conference.  There will be the annual Pumpkin Art Contest with prizes awarded to children in grades k-2 and 3-5 ($5.00 fee for pumpkin and supplies).  Stop by to watch the children paint, enjoy a cup of hot chowder from the Old Mill Restaurant, sip some coffee, hot chocolate or cider, and enjoy the market.  There will also be a raffle for a giant pumpkin (tickets are 4 for $1 or 20 for $4)

Since we have made it to the last weeks of October without a widespread frost, many of our local farms are still producing all the vegetables you expect to see earlier in the year.  Many of our local gardens are planned in locations that are protected from wind and harsh weather and have not even seen the slightest nip of frost!  Though it’s certainly closing in on us!  We are expecting frost later in the week.  So take the opportunity to enjoy the last few vegetables of summer.

As usual, the market will also be stocked with gallons of milk, award-winning cheeses from Smith’s (in Templeton) and Capri (in Hubbardston), Beef, Pork, Free-Range Roasting Chickens, Fresh Artisan Breads, Fine Baked Goods, Jams, and everything you would expect at a great farmers’ market.

We hope to see you there!

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Welcome to Westminster…  Now Leave!

The weather forecasters are calling for another beautiful day on Friday and the market promises to be a busy place with all our vendors and shoppers.  This week Tess Rembetsy-Brown will be singing for us (and last week she began selling her famous sugar cookies – sold out very quickly, too!).  Button Box Shadow Theatre will entertain our children with another fine performance, and they now offer a puppet craft were children can make their own puppet. 

Consider having a farmers’ market meal.  The market has everything you need to put together a gourmet meal (and gourmet can be simple) offering Westminster grown grass-fed beef and pastured pork, award-winning cheeses from Hubbardston and Winchendon, loads of vegetables and fruits in all varieties (I had a delicious patty-pan squash with dinner this week), and now, Joe Serio from Westminster Pharmacy is helping us with food/wine pairings.  Look throughout the market and you will see bottles of wine on display as Joe’s suggestions for pairings with some of our market foods. 

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Lunchbox Season has arrived…

With hurricanes blowing in last week, many vendors took the day off (us included – the tents are just too dangerous when they take flight – not to mention too expensive to replace if they do), but Academy hill was still fairly well populated with vendors.  I had the enjoyable task of walking through the market as a 100% customer.  It was nice, and I was able to purchase everything I needed to feed my hungry family (and send one of us off to college with a full refrigerator).

It’s a season of preparing lunchboxes…

Yes, it is that time of the year.  School busses are everywhere.  Schedules ramp up to a hyper pace with school open houses, sports teams, church school and volunteer 

This entry is from Kerrie Hertel on our FaceBook page.

Westminster Farmers' Market Shadow Box Puppet Theatre, Tess Rembetsy-Brown and Don Rivano this week at the market. All entertainment you don't want to miss. Pick up your little ones from school and hike up the hill for the puppet show! It will be an afternoon that your child will always remember.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Getting the Most from the Farmers’ Market

Facebook…

Watch facebook on Friday as vendors will keep you informed of what they will be bringing to the market this week!

Farmers’ Market Finds are a terrible thing to waste…

A fun dish that REQUIRES leftovers is fried rice.  Even the rice should be made in advance.  You will want a farm fresh egg that is not leftover, rice, a bit of olive oil and leftover veges and meat.  If you don’t normally buy farmers’ market eggs, you may want to consider it for this dish as the majority of the dish will be made with leftovers so .25 per egg is worth the splurge for the high quality nutrition it brings!  This is a great meal especially when you only have a few ounces of high quality meat that you want to utilize in a full meal.  Amy Dacyczyn tells us to keep a quart container in your freezer, adding bits of meat and vegetables as you have them so you are always prepared for this simple and delicious dish.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Ride Your Bike to Breakfast on Mondays!

Even with the DOWNPOUR last Friday, the market was filled with vendors and business was as busy as ever.  Ron and Megan Maquire kept spirits high as they entertained us with their songs and music!  Al Magane kept making the rounds dumping huge amounts of water from all the tents!  And our die-hard customers kept showing up for the fresh foods that are available here!

For our local Farmers’ Market meal this week, we served a delicious sirloin steak – cooked rare to medium rare, mashed red potato with rosemary, sautéed yellow onions, sautéed shitake mushrooms, and kohlrabi (first boiled and then sautéed in butter.  Delicious.  Topped off with blueberry shortcake made with Lisa’s fresh berries.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

More Ketchup Trials Give Me Better BBQ Sauce and Simple Catalina Dressing

Vegetables, Goat Cheese, Cheddars and Goudas, Beef, Pork, Artisan Breads (including Gluten-Free), free-range eggs, herbs, crafts and everything you could hope to find at a farmers’ market.  We are in full swing and the market is as busy as it ever gets.  Stop by for an iced coffee and a donut as you wander through the booths.  Talk to our local farmers about their production methods.  Watch the children run and play and blow bubbles (or bring your own to do the same).  Take in a puppet show or a blacksmithing demonstration.  I don’t think there is a better, or less expensive way to entertain yourself on a Friday afternoon!

Entertainment this week at Westminster Farmers' Market…
Entertainment by Gayle Craig who is a singer/songwriter from Ashburnham. She is also a member a Westboro based band called Fine by Friday! We also welcome the musical talent of Kevin Jones!

Stop by for another delightful puppet show at 6:00 from Button Box Theatre!

And don't forget to visit Robert Phillips for another informative blacksmithing demonstration.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Hay Season Always Slows Me Down!

Corn is in!  Corn is in!  The market is now overflowing with everything you could possibly hope for from our local producers.  It has been a fantastic season for corn (I guess to make up for last year, which may have been the worst in the 112 year history of the Hertel family farm) and it will be available this week at the market.  Nothing compares to farm fresh, Massachusetts grown corn and I cannot wait to make a meal of it on Friday evening! 

Have a local Holiday…

While shopping for your local corn and vegetables, don’t forget to pick up some items for your 4^th of July parties.  The market is well stocked

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Visit us on Facebook!

Last Friday we had a terrific afternoon at Westminster Farmers’ Market and I am looking forward to another great afternoon this Friday.  Russell and I were delighted as we watched “Jack and the Beanstalk” at Button Box Shadow Theatre and our whole family was treated to the music of Patrick Carroll as he played his guitar and sang for much of the afternoon!  We are certainly hoping he is available for future weeks at the market.  This week, we are expecting great weather and I am looking forward to another puppet show by Button Box Shadow Theatre.  In addition, I cannot wait to see Ron and Megan MacGuire who will be performing again this year.  I have not seen this incredible father-daughter team perform since last fall and I am truly looking forward to their performance.  Tess Rebetsy-Brown will round out the afternoon performances.  This twelve year old, award-winning singer, songwriter, piano player usually stops all activity at the market with her original sound.  Please remember that our performers are “buskers” and work only for tips.  This highly respected practice is an important way to bring local talent to our farmers’ market while introducing you to some of the up-and-coming talent in our region.  If you enjoy a performance, consider adding a few coins (or bills) to their “hat”.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Do we really need ANY more proof that healthy eating starts at home?

This Week at the Market…

Button Box Shadow Theatre is performing at our market this week and it is a show that you do not want to miss! Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to stories for children, grown-ups and the whole family, original tales, historical narratives, and folklore! Stories include “Puss in Boots”, “Timo and the Princess Vendla” (Finnish), and the original story called “The Reluctant Butterfly”, about a GORGEOUS insect who wishes to be a caterpillar again. This interactive theatre involves children who get to manipulate the puppets! Sally Cragin is an award-winning writer for the Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix and other publications.

For those of you bringing your children up the hill from Westminster Elementary School, why not park at Academy Hill, walk down to the school to pick up your children and then walk back up the hill with them? I am a firm believer in making memories for our children, and walking to the Farmers’ Market on Fridays is something they will remember all their life. And of course the hike up Academy Hill will be a perfect complement to the healthy lifestyle that the Farmers’ Market inspires!

Flowers are plentiful and gorgeous at the market and you do not want to miss collecting a bouquet. Turn your child loose with a couple of dollars with the task of bringing home a beautiful bouquet. Use a few on your family dinner table, but then have your child make a small arrangement for their bedroom and one for yours. There is nothing like waking up to the smell of lily-of-the-valley or peonies wafting in on a morning breeze! Encourage your child to get some flower arranging advice from Rachel’s Everlastings or Dr. Pat Glover or from our resident Master Gardener, Sue Nickerson. What a great way to build communication skills that will last them a lifetime.

A Little More Proof That You Should Be Eating Farm Fresh…

If you didn’t have time to see Food, Inc., you should order it right away. It’s a great documentary and for the most part, very well done (except for the Burger King segment that I took issue with a few reports back). One particularly disturbing segment was about a company called Beef Products, Inc (BPI) and some of the work they are doing to make our meat supply “healthier”. As stated on their website, they are “the world’s leading manufacturer of boneless lean beef”. That is something I never hope to be. Think about it. Beef is GROWN, not manufactured. And how do you “manufacture boneless lean beef”??? There is a whole animal there to begin with – and the bones and fat are pretty important parts. Of course, I have to know more. BPI’s Process Page says it all (…almost) and I encourage you to read it, paying particular attention to the pH enhancement process, the labeling requirement (yes, this is allowed to be labeled 100% pure beef), and the in-process metal detector! No kidding, a metal detector! Why on God’s green earth does the meat you eat have to be run through a metal detector?!? I have to read their food safety page to find out that “incoming raw material” (notice that they don’t call it meat) is checked for metal as well as the “finished product”. Good thing you are not eating this healthy, ammonia-washed, metal-free, “100% pure beef”, right? Think again! I find it extremely disturbing that the focus of some of these companies is on making contaminated meat healthier rather than using healthy practices from the beginning! Healthy practices that virtually eliminate E.coli 0157:H7, metal in the finished product, wacked out balances of Omega-3 and a myriad of other issues. Even more disturbing are the companies that incorporate it into their product to improve their bottom line.

So Build a Meal at the Market…

Because of all this, I encourage you to stop by the market and pick up the makings of a meal. Not just ingredients for various meals throughout the week, but one whole, entire meal that you will consume without one single non-local, non-fresh ingredient! And don’t forget a small vase of flowers for the center of the table.

Visit our Westminster Farmers’ Market website…

The Westminster Farmers’ Market website is being updated with vendors for the 2010 season. Visit for ideas on how you can help the farmers’ market, participate as a vendor, or get information on our schedule for the season. Visit us at www.WestminsterFarmersMarket.com. We are looking for an individual who is willing to implement SNAP benefits with an EBT machine. The latest stats are that 15% of students within our school are getting free and reduced lunch. A SNAP program at the market will go a long way in helping families obtain the healthy food they need.

Maple Heights Farm…

Due to graduation requirements at Oakmont, we will be leaving the market around 6:00 this week, so please plan accordingly. And we hope to see you there.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Too Busy To Cook?

The Westminster Farmers’ Market is now open for the season! We not only have all the vendors that you remember from last year, but we also have some new vendors that you will want to meet! You can find an incredible assortment of plants for your garden (vegetables and ornamentals) as well as overflowing baskets of greens that you can pick and eat when you get home. You cannot get any fresher than that! Don’t forget that it is rhubarb season and you DO NOT want to miss this fresh, local treat. Asparagus is also available, along with beautiful bouquets of fragrant lilacs! Come early because some of these products run out early.

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Opening Day is Upon Us…

The Westminster Farmers’ Market will be opening on Friday, May 7th! Come and enjoy the festivities, shop for your dinner, visit with friends and neighbors and relax! For our opening day, we will be giving away compost for your garden. Bring a bucket and take home some of this “black gold” that will give your plants the healthy start that they need! And for the really good stuff, expect to find local meats, cheeses, eggs, artisan breads, desserts and confections in the market on opening day!

Busking Opportunities in Westminster…