September 30, 2017 Market Day: Rain or Shine! Jaju Pierogi, BOH Flu Clinic, Produce from Berries to Pumpkins!

Along with great live music, a visit from the Wakefield Human Rights Commission, Barefoot Books, and more produce than you can shake sticks at, the BOH will be holding a flu clinic at the market this week. 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. through October 14, 2017. To give directions to a friend, just tell them to use 468 North Ave via GPS.

Market favorite Amy Spillert will be bringing live music starting around 10:00 a.m. Amy's music is folky and upbeat, and she has a set of cover tunes that are a perfect fit for farmers markets, and fun family songs that all ages will enjoy. Plus, she has a beautiful voice! The Wakefield Farmers Market Music Program is sponsored by The Savings Bank.

The Wakefield Board of Health will be here with lots of information about the new biking and pedestrian programs, Wake-Up, (Wakefield Unified Prevention Coalition), and Mass in Motion-Melrose/Wakefield, which works to help folks make easy yet effective healthy lifestyle choices. They will also have their high-quality bicycle helmets on sale for $15, courtesy of the Wakefield Board of Health as well as flu shots. Here is the official word: The flu vaccine is covered in full by most insurance plans and cost only $10 for those without one of the accepted insurances. Bring your insurance card(s) or a copy of it with you. Flu shots will be available from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

The Wakefield Human Rights Commission will be here; be sure to stop by to learn about the many upcoming and annual programs they have developed to support their mission of promoting the civil and human rights of all people in Wakefield, with the goal of reinforcing positive relationships in the community and to create educational programs to foster a greater understanding and appreciation for diversity. It is important work.

Barefoot Books is here, and along with all their awarding books and more for kids, check out this NEW PRODUCT called My Friend Robo, the STEM singalong that young makers will love: Join a diverse group of budding minds and their friend Robot as they work together to build a tree house! Designed to ignite interest in STEM - the integration of science, technology, engineering and math - this fact-packed singalong introduces kids to simple machines, social-emotional concepts like empathy and teamwork, taking initiative, following steps, and the joy of creativity, and the basics of robotics and programming. Looks pretty darn cool to me.

Suman Shah of Fork on a Road (forkonaroad.com), who has been doing amazing and tasty things in the Market Kitchen Tent this season, will again create a quick, easy, and tasty recipe or two featuring produce available at the market that morning. You will find the Market Kitchen tent to the left of the Market Manager tent. Cooking demos typically start around 10:00 a.m. Stop by to try a bite! You can also find our recipes on our new Market Kitchen Tent website: wfmmarketkitchen.site.

Yarrow will be with us making his magic with balloons, the Kid’s Activity tent will be stocked with plenty of paper and crayons, and we always have hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, and jump ropes on hand for kids of all ages.

Before we go to the vendor list, here are this week’s specials and news from our vendors:

Charlton Orchards will have caramel apple jam and apple butter this Saturday. Nate Jr. says his Mom (that would be our Patty), who is the apple jam/butter hater, actually likes this new recipe and batch!
Emmett’s Edibles – Very Berry Blueberry treats are a great fruity treat for your dog. Give them a try!
From Farmer Dave’s: Last weekend of peaches and nectarines This last variety of nectarines (a French variety) are delicious, as are the fall raspberries. Macouns, apples are in!
And, don’t forget, SNAP folks can get their HIP benefits at Farmer Dave’s.
Goodies Homemade will have their scrumptious Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!
The Roasted Granola is excited to announce that they now have some of Emily’s sister’s honey this week from hives in Whipple Hill, Lexington.
Additionally, THEY ARE NOW CERTIFIED TO ACCEPT SENIOR COUPONS FOR HONEY! (The coupons expire on October 31st. They cannot accept WIC coupons)

Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for – the official list of week’s vendors!

Produce: Charlton Orchards, From Farmer Dave, and Kelly's Farm - Along with plenty of summer fruits and veggies, fall produce is in for sure! Anyone need a pumpkin? And, for amazing Asian greens and squashes, wonderful garlic, and fresh herbs, be sure to stop by Flat’s Mentor Farm.

Dried Legumes: Farmer Dave’s has Baer’s Beans!

Pasture-raised Meats, Poultry, and Eggs: Lilac Hedge Farm has a great assortment of locally raised meats, poultry, and eggs, along with their local. honey. Charlton Orchards also always has eggs along with their other family farm fare. Note: Info on ordering turkeys from Lilac Hedge coming soon!

Cheese: YES! West River Creamery, with the best cheese “eva,” is here for two more weeks, so stock up!

Seafood: The Fish Lady will be here with the freshest of locally caught seafood. The scallops have been especially amazing this season.

Specialty Foods: Coutt’s Specialty Foods, Deano's Pasta, Habibi Gourmet (Middle Eastern food) and In Good Taste are all here. Farmer Dave’s has jarred sauces and more made from their produce depending on the week. Charlton Orchards also has tasty jarred salsa, jams, apple butter, and pickles, and Jane at West River has her line of picked veggies, mustards, and more.

Baked Goods: Goodies Homemade, (caramel corn and cookies) Mamadou's Artisan Bakery (best olive and asiago breads around!) Swiss Bakers, (sandwiches, too) The Bread Shop, The Popover Lady (pies, too), and Roasted Granola, which also. offers local honey and locally made Greek yogurt.

From our Farmers: Farmer Dave’s has REALLY scrumptious fruit breads fresh from their new farm bakery. You need to try a loaf or two. And, from their farm bakery Charlton Orchards has delicious pastries and other baked treats, plus their famous cider donuts.

Beverages: Super hard cider from Ponyshack Cider, and as always, Pour Man’s Coffee, has the best coffee around, as well as refreshing fruit and tea beverages. They also have unique treats to enjoy at the market as well as Fair Trade coffee beans from Dean’s Beans to take home. Did you know Charlton Orchards has apple cider? They do.

Pet Treats: Emmett’s Edibles has wholesome treats for dogs AND even some for cats, plus they always have fun weekly specials.

Artisans: Barefoot Books and Kittredge Candles.

Coming Up: Music - Our banjo/fiddler trio on 10/7, and the Katrina Marie Band Duo will be with us on our 10/14 final market day. The Pop Up Library will be back for their final visit on 10/7.

Want to help? Go to the How To Volunteer page on our website or stop by the Market Manager table to learn how. Many hands make a better market for all.

Our market accepts both SNAP/EBT and credit/debit cards for the purchase of Market Bucks for shopping, and match SNAP purchases up to $10 per visit so that everyone can afford to get fresh and healthy foods at our market. This is in addition to the new HIP program.

The Wakefield Farmers Market runs RAIN OR SHINE (except in dangerous weather, e.g. lightning or hurricane conditions). The market opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m. every Saturday starting June 17 through October 14, 2017. Please visit wakefieldfarmersmarket.org for a current listing of vendors, live music, and special events and to sign up for our email newsletter. See wfmmarketkitchen.site for our recipes! You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. See you at the Market!