Vending Veggies

By Mwagale Babumba

Farmers markets are a big part of Boston's community thread. The farmers who have farms located on the outskirts of Boston come into the city to sell their harvest. Farmers markets offer a healthy alternative to supermarket produce. They offer everything from celeriac, a root vegetable that smells and tastes like celery to 20 different varieties of apples. Many consumers of farmers markets believe that the food is healthier because it travels shorter distances.

Sam Musher is a shopper who swears by local fare says she does supports local farmers markets because the food is better.
"It's something I believe strongly in, for the health of the planet, for everything. They're not having to come from so far away and because they're diversified they can grow all kinds of things in a small plot," said Musher.

Farmers markets are the livelihood of most farmers. Usually farmers work at more than one farmers market per week. Daniel Oliver is a farmer from Keown Farms in Sutton. Oliver makes the trip to Boston multiple times a week to sell his produce. "Mainly I do a lot of farmers markets during the peak of the season I do six farmers markets a week four here in the city and then one in the neighboring town which is Grafton and then one in Natick," said Oliver.

The Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets is an organizations dedicated to providing consumers with resources and farmers with an outlet to sell their harvest. They host about five markets throughout the metro Boston area from May to November.

For more information about farmers markets in your area visit the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org