July 30 Market Day: Curious Creatures, Barefoot Books for the Kids! The Freshest of Veggies, Meats, Eggs, and So Much More

Curious Creatures Barefoot Books, and local 4-H clubs as our nonprofit guest will make this a special day for the youngsters. We will of course also have the usual fine assortment of freshly picked produce, pasture raised meat, poultry, eggs, and cheese, as well as specialty foods and artisan fare. Plus, the weather looks to be great! The Wakefield Farmers Market takes place at Hall Park, on the shores of Lake Quannapowitt, each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from June 18 through October 15, 2016.

Curious Creatures will be at the market from 11:00 – noon with interesting animals to learn about, see, and touch, under the guidance of a professional, of course! We never know which animals will be visiting, but there could be a snake, a rabbit, a gecko or even a chinchilla, so be sure to bring yourself and children of all ages to see what creatures you can meet.

Requiring no uniform or national fees, 4-H clubs offer a great way for kids to join others in their community with similar interests while providing support from the state and national level to the adult leaders. Wakefield currently has three active groups: The Funky Foto Friends work with digital photography and film; The Massachusetts Maniacs choose among projects encompassing science, cultural education, and/or arts & crafts; and the Nifty Needles focus on clothing and textiles, as well as visual presentation and leadership. All three groups include community service in their mission. Stop by to learn more about these clubs and 4-H in general.

Barefoot Book's mission is to share stories, connect families, and inspire children through literature. New to our market, Michelle MacLean of Lynnfield has been with Barefoot Books for 9 years and can help you find the perfect book for the child in your life. Be sure to stop by to peruse their award-winning books and other fun and educational materials or to just hang out and read a story. This Saturday your child can receive a seed embedded paper with each purchase to start his or her own garden.

Something will be cooking at Market Kitchen tent, perhaps a stir-fry or pasta salad? Stop by between 10-11 or so, right next to the Market Manger tent, to find out what the cooking demo will be about this week. As always, all the main ingredients will be sourced that morning from our farmers and specialty food vendors. And remember: If you see something at one of our farmers’ tents that you want to try, let us know and we will get you some to sample!

Yarrow or Blake will be with us this week bringing their super balloon twisting skills, we will have the Kid’s Activity tent set up and stocked with plenty of paper and crayons. There will be hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, and jump ropes on hand for kids of all ages, and we now have an extra tent and chairs set up so folks can take a break from shopping in a bit of shade.

Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for – this week’s vendors!

Produce: As we head into deep summer, the bounty keeps growing, and all our farmers will have plenty of produce on hand Farmer Dave’s and Kelly’s Farm will have corn, tomatoes, green beans, peas, berries, chard, lettuces, beets, radishes, squash, cukes, onions, garlic, and so much more! Flats Mentor Farm will have their lovely Asian greens (have you tried amaranth, yet? Yummy!) fresh herbs, as well as squash and squash blossoms, beets, and red radishes. Not sure if their daikon radish is being harvested yet, but I am sure looking forward to that happening.

Pasture-raised Meats, Poultry, and Eggs: Lilac Hedge Farm offers a variety of tasty and healthy steaks, chops, ribs, sausages, ground beef and pork, and cuts of lamb, as well as poultry and eggs from their farm. They also offer CSA shares and special orders that can be picked up each Saturday at the market. And, we are all waiting for their dried meat treats. Maybe this week?

Cheese: West River Creamery will be there will the very best cheeses and pickled products. We have not heard yet if they will have their fresh mozzarella this week, but if they do, it will be sure to sell out early.

Fish: The Fish Lady will be back this week with her assortment of freshly caught local seafood. She often sells out of at least some types early on, but you can always call Michelle at 781-929-5358 to special order.

Specialty Foods: Ackermann’s Maple Farm is here this week, and don’t miss fantastic seasonings from Bondat Foods, excellent pastas and sauces from Deano's, Pasta, the best salsa from In Good Taste, and super preserves, sweet sauces, and the best horseradish fromVermont Gourmet Candy Dish. For the best Middle Eastern foods, see Samira’s Homemade.

Baked Goods: Goodies Homemade (the best cookies), amazing breads from Mamadou's Artisan Bakery, all kinds of breads and treats from Swiss Bakers, The Popover Lady, with, pies and scones, too, and The Roasted Granola, the latter also offering locally made Greek yogurt and local honey.

Beverages: Aaronap Cellars is here and tells us: We are proud to announce the release of a new vintage of 2014 Zinfandel that's perfect with summer BBQ, as well as a special version of our famous maple wine called Last Tap that we aged in a whiskey barrel for extra deliciousness. Pour Man’s Coffee will, as always, have their delectable assortment of hot or cold beverages and unique treats to enjoy at the market. They also sell their special blend of Fair Trade coffee beans from Dean’s Beans to take home.

Pet Treats: Emmett’s Edibles with treats for dogs, and cats, too.

Artisans: Kaleidoscope Soap, Salem Street Beadery, and Sheepshed with hand spun and dyed yarns, plus Alsion Simcox and Doug Heath will also join us with their great books about Lake Quannapowitt, Breakheart, and The Fellsway.

COMING UP: Kev G Mor will be here for his first visit of the season on August 6, Betty’s Bounce is back on Augest 20, Amy Spillert will be back, the Friends of Beebe Library Book Give-Away will take place on September 10, and Drumlin Farm’s Audubon Ark will make their annual appearance on September 24. And there is more to come!

The market will continue to accept both SNAP/EBT and credit/debit cards, and will again be matching SNAP purchases up to $10 per visit so that everyone can afford to get fresh and healthy foods at our market.

The Wakefield Farmers Market runs RAIN OR SHINE (except in dangerous weather, e.g. lightening or hurricane conditions). The market opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m. every Saturday starting June 18 through October 15, 2016. Please visit www.wakefieldfarmersmarket.org for a current listing of vendors and upcoming events and to sign up for our email newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. See you at the Market!