Westminster Farmers' Market

Westminster Farmers’ Market Report from Maple Heights Farm

This Friday at the farmers’ market we are having a cooking demonstration performed by Sheila Lumi of WIC.She will be demonstrating nutritious recipes using ingredients that she finds in the market.So stop by for some free samples and recipes.

Have you seen the back page of the Community Journal?This is the voting page for “Best of North Central Massachusetts” and guess what???They left off “Favorite Farmers’ Market”!!!I am sure this is just an oversight on their part, and even though my kids are begging to go blueberry picking this morning, I am going to put them off while I contact the organizers of this event in order to have “Farmers’ Market” listed in the vote!In the meantime, I propose a write-in vote.Of course you can vote for whichever farmers’ market you choose, but you know that Westminster is running one of the best farmers’ markets in this area!So vote!And write in as item 80) Best Farmers’ Market Westminster Farmers’ Marketor the farmers’ market of your choice.Since this may not work as a category, the Westminster Farmers’ Market gets my vote for “78) Place for family entertainment”.In addition, Meghan’s “Meetinghouse Café” will get my vote for “36) Coffee Shop/Diner)”, Honeybee Baking Company will get my vote for “44) Desserts”, M.L. Altobelli “17) Garden Store/Nursery” and from there, I’ll have to get creative… and you can bet I will do just that!

We had an excellent turnout last week, the weather was beautiful and tents dotted the common making the whole scene look so festive.Add to that the line of cars surrounding the common and the absolutely adorable baby goat brought by Pat Stewart and we really have a successful event!I think for the most part we are going to continue to see an increase in vendors as each week goes by.That is thanks to you for attending this market and making it such a success.Vendors are coming in to “try it out” and they keep coming back!Last week was also the third “delivery day” for Massachusetts Local Food.We have two more delivery days that will coincide with the farmers’ market and then we have to find an indoor location.You probably haven’t thought too much about fresh food for the winter (except maybe putting a few fresh veges into the freezer for Thanksgiving – which I hope you find time to do) but you may want to consider this.Where will you get fresh food when our farmers’ market closes?And of course, I have the answer for you.Consider looking at Mass Local Food to meet your needs this fall and winter.This cooperative carries only locally produced items and will be available for online ordering with a monthly delivery to Westminster at the beginning of each month.This is an all-volunteer run cooperative that will bring you meat, cheese, preserves, coffee, tea, breads, desserts, and more!At this time, many of the vendors that you deal with at the market are already listed and selling on the website.We hope to add more vendors and round out the products as the markets are closing in October.And some great news has come to me:We have been mentioned in the Boston Globe!!!Read the article here!

Next week, expect a few more new items in the market.We have a booth filled with birdhouses and bathouses (stop by and check out the sports themed painted birdhouses – they are beautiful!)And Bob Richard will be back with his beautiful handcrafted cutting boards.All these items are worthy as a beautiful and thoughtful Christmas present for someone special.If Andy doesn’t take the hint, he is going to be getting a beautiful cutting board for Christmas!

The Hubbardston First Parish Unitarian Church set up a booth to sell beautiful jams and jellies.They had about 10 different flavors, many from native New England plants that have been growing wild in our landscape for years!You will also find Patty Hurd’s expanded line of spice mixtures and rubs (I’ve tried the steak rub and it is really good!) and she will also offer cranberry-orange fudge and peanut butter fudge.I’m sure Sydney and Russell will be spending some time with her on Friday!Lately you can identify Russell easily.He is the little boy with fudge smeared all over his face by the end of the market!M.L. Altobelli continues to have the healthiest vegetable, ornamental and herb plants that you will find anywhere.Don’t miss Honeybee Baking Company for the finest desserts anywhere in this area!And Ann Patsis continues to sell out of her delicious breads (regular and gluten-free) so go to her booth early!I have had a chance to try the Westfield Cheese Appetizer spread.We had that for dinner with a fresh baguette and vegetables with dip.Delicious!It is fresh goat cheese topped with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs!Definitely worth a try!

Last week we (at Maple Heights Farm) we had a run on pork and ran out of what we brought before the market was over.We will bring more pork this week along with our supply of beef.I think we are almost out of those beautiful carrots until September – and we are planting more each week (6 varieties of heirlooms in all colors).We will have a few beets and cucumbers and we hope to have a few beans by then.We will have our usual breads: Cinnamon, English Muffin, Finnish, Hamburger Rolls.All our vegetables are grown with no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers – not even “organic” pesticide.And Meghan is still running her coffee and donut shop so enjoy the market while you are sipping on coffee or her ginger iced tea.She is now completely self sufficient, making the donuts entirely from scratch with no help!And they are delicious!

Useful items that vendors can use at the market: Canning jars.If you are buying items in canning jars, and you do not need them, please consider returning them to vendors.If you find it easier, you can place them in the recycle bins and we will get them to where they need to be…

Great News!I have reported to our Agricultural Commission that we now have 65 votes at Local Harvest!This means a lot to our Farmers’ Market (of which you are a part just by attending, no matter the reason, to buy, to sell, to catch up with friends and family, or just to enjoy the atmosphere).Your votes are making a difference!I try to talk to vendors every week if I have the time.We had a new vendor this week that came to our market because of our Local Harvest presence!I am still hoping to make it into the top 100 which will make us one of only two markets in Massachusetts that make this list.So please vote so I can stop bugging you all about this!

One voter has provided this review of our market:

I love the Westminster Farmer's market and go home with loads of things every time. From homemade English Muffin bread, local meats and cheeses, veggies, herbs and seasonal fruits to incense, goats milk soap, local photography to the most splendid dichroic glass jewelry. I have literally spent hours talking to some of the most interesting and friendly people I have met in Westminster. This is a great place to go if you are new in town to really get a feel for the local community - and they are great!

In my view, this reviewer says it all and provides a very accurate description of our (again, by “our” market, I mean yours and mine) market. I have to agree with her about meeting the most interesting and friendly people.Some of my best conversations of the entire week happen at the market.And that is probably what I look forward to most every Friday.

You can read our “Family, Farm and Food” blog at www.MapleHeightsFarm.com. See you at the market!And thank you for your support!

Kerrie Hertel

Westminster Farmers’ Market: Fridays 3:00 until 7:00 until October 30^th.

Ashburnham Farmers’ Market: Mondays 3:00 until 6:00

Princeton Farmers’ Market: Thursdays 3:00 until 6:00

About this report: please consider forwarding it to your email lists.The more customers we can remind to attend the market, the better the market will be.Vendors that do well each week keep coming, supplying you with more products.I am happy to add anyone to the list and would like to increase the circulation of this report for the sake of the market.If you are receiving this as a forward and want to be added to the list, just email me and I’ll add you to the list.