Westminster Farmers' Market

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

Preparing your Pantry for Thanksgiving

Our Pumpkin Festival has been postponed due to a chance of showers predicted for tomorrow. Painting pumpkins gets incredibly messy if the weather is at all wet. So, plan on next week for our harvest activities. Come this week to enjoy the market, work on your Christmas shopping, and stash a few more morsels for Thanksgiving.

Drizzle and a chill did not dampen the spirits of our vendors or shoppers last week! The market continues to thrive as shoppers seek out the last of the great summer flavors. Our free raffle was a great success! We gave away two bags full of farmers’ market treasures, fine food and gift certificates! Congratulations to our winners Francis Landry from Westminster and Jean Brady from Gardner.

What’s in the market…

Westminster grown cranberries, all the fall (cool weather) vegetables that taste so good this time of year, beef and pork roasts, cheese and most of the usual items that you expect to find. Don’t forget to get your last meal of corn in (if we are lucky enough to have it available), and get an extra dozen for your freezer (remember to blanch it first). I continue to hear a buzz about Robin’s (Honeybee Baking Company) scones. I would appreciate it if you all would finally leave a few for me to try! I’m hoping this is the week I can get some before they sell out. I have visions of Saturday lunch (in between FOUR cold soccer games) of some hot tea with a warm scone slathered with fresh Farmers’ Market raspberry jam and some of Brenda St. Claire’s chocolate goat cheese at room temperature.

Have a Local Thanksgiving…

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

It’s Still Easy to Eat Seasonally!

Our market is still as active as it has ever been!  We had several new vendors last week and I hope you were able to find them and visit their booths.  This week we expect a new soap/lotion vendor and also a vendor who will be selling salsa kits!  Don’t think for one minute that our market is slowing down!!  A bit of a nip in the air, a few raindrops, no matter -- you still have to eat and you deserve farmers’ market fresh!  In addition, keep in mind that it is your patronage that keeps our vendors coming.  The reason that you are able to find such great food at our farmers’ market (when many area markets are closing for the season), is simply because you shop there!  Keep up the good work!

I hope you have been able to time your visits to enjoy our market entertainment!  So much thanks to Dr. B and the Homemade band and the father/daughter team of Ron and Megan McGuire for performing at our market over the past few weeks!  The music has been fantastic and makes the afternoon incredibly enjoyable for everyone!

This week Warren Rasmussen will be performing.  He is raising new awareness about ground nuts in this area and will also be selling his book, The Mary Rowlandson Story, which is a piece of local history involving Mary, Wachusett Mountain and Redemption Rock!)

And don’t forget that this is the week for our free raffle.  We will be raffling off 2 bags of farmers market products (each worth about $100).  Included in the raffle we have everything from Nancy Sampson’s pottery to a beautifully handcrafted cutting board from Bob Richard.  We have gift certificates from vendors, meats, cheese, a beautiful birdhouse donated by Bob Richard’s adorable grandchildren, spice rubs, photo cards and more.  These items will be divided into two baskets.  To enter the raffle, bring your free raffle ticket (handed out during the parade) and drop it in the picnic basket by the cooler.  We have extra forms by the picnic basket if you forget yours.  At 6:00, Dean Johnson will draw the 2 winning entries!

Next week (October 16^th) is the pumpkin festival so come along, enjoy the festivities, bring your children to enter the pumpkin painting contest and enjoy a hayride.  Have a hot cup of soup or coffee and enjoy a homemade pumpkin donut!

It is still easy to eat seasonally