Marshfield Farmers' Market

All about the Green.

It’s all “Green” this month at the Farmers’ Market without being Irish.  Instead it has to do with being environmentally responsible, growing things, saving money, and more.

March can be fickle.  It can offer warm days inviting us to plant too early only to close with a snowstorm.  March can be brutally cold and snowy, like last year, or it can be full of rain and flood us with melting snowpack and saturated soil as it did a several years back. 

Ideally, one plants peas in mid-March, although in this area it the ground is often too wet or frozen until a few weeks later.  Peas prefer cool soil and long days, they are one of the few direct seed crops that get an early start and tolerate a frost.   Peas add flavor to our lives, the first green to our gardens and nitrogen to the soil.  This year we can get them planted for St. Patrick’s day.  It always feels so good to have something to plant early in the year, just begging summer to arrive.

Also green and ready to seed directly in the garden is spinach.  When seeded in the fall spinach will be popping its first leaves out as the soil begins to warm.  Farmers also grow spinach throughout the winter in high or low hoop houses (low are 2-3’ tall, high tunnels you can walk in) since it loves the cool growing conditions and tolerates the short days.  Rise and Shine Farm grew it all winter and offers it again this Saturday in addition to various root vegetables and storage crops.

If planning on growing some green of your own, consider saving your back by ordering a raised garden bed at the market.  A fundraising group is making high quality beds in two sizes using rough-sawn fir, stainless steel hardware, and pressure treated 4x4 legs.  Beds are offered for less than you can purchase elsewhere and the funds are going for a great youth volunteer program.  A model will be on display and orders taken for units with or without soil delivered to your door.

Saturday at 11:30 am you can develop your green thumb with a quick class in seed starting taught by Summer Dreams Farm who will also have rhubarb divisions, chive divisions and decorative pussy willow branches for sale.  The free talk will also cover what vegetables you can start planning outside over the next few weeks.  Additionally, Norwell Farms will have certified Organic and GMO-free verified seed from High Mowing Seeds for sale.  

Keeping with the theme, the kids’ activity will be to plant seeds in a small pot to take home.

Meanwhile the favorite pizza makers of Fire It Up Flatbread, Cecilia and George, will be making music until noon.  They will switch to making pizza for the remainder of the day while another musician, Sherman Whipple, takes over the guitar strings.

Lastly, I’ll share a bit of news regarding greenbacks.  Whole Foods Markets in Hingham and South Weymouth selected the Marshfield Farmers’ Market as the recipient of their next charitable giving day to be held March 31st.  Due in part to our sustainability stance and our commitment to local food and agriculture 5% of the net sales for the day will be donated to support the market, its free programs, and community outreach.  Everybody can assist bringing in the greenbacks simply by shopping at Whole Foods Market on Thursday, March 31st at either store.  The more you shop, the more we get!

The Marshfield Farmers’ Market is open on the 3rd Saturday of each month 10 am – 2 pm through May, then in June it will switch to weekly Friday markets.  Located at the Marshfield Fairgrounds, 140 Main St., it offers free parking/admission, stroller/wheelchair and pet friendly grounds and free kids’ activities.  For more information visit www.MarshfieldFair.org/fm.htm or call Lorrie at 781-635-0889.