Braintree Farmers Market
Fall Flavors @ the Market
Only three more outdoor markets in October (10/11, 10/18 and 10/25), Saturdays from 9 to 1, (rain or shine) and then the Special Indoor Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 22 are left for the 2014 season. Please come and support local farms at the market while you can and use up all your Market Moolah that you’ve been squirreling away. The market continues to host a wide variety of local farmers and small artisan food vendors with an autumn harvest of produce and foods that include the flavors of Fall, such as pumpkin, apple and spices. Homestyle Caterers provides us with hot Chicken Pot Pies, Stuffed Peppers and King Tut’s Lentil Soup. Now is the time to stock your pantry for the long cold months ahead.
Start putting aside gently used items and donate them at our Make a Difference Day/Pumpkin Festival market on Oct. 25th. Sustainable Braintree is sponsoring this event and will be working in conjunction with the Braintree Farmers Market by holding a collection inside the Braintree Town Hall. Donated new and gently used goods will be passed along to a variety of local nonprofit organizations. In exchange for donations participants will be awarded with a free pumpkin from C.N. Smith Farm. Many thanks to Sustainable Braintree.
The Braintree Farmers Market is please to announce that Liberty Bay Credit Union has pledged $500 to our Matching Funds EBT Program to help make our healthy foods accessible to all income levels. For every $15 of EBT tokens purchased the market matches it with another $15. Liberty Bay Credit Union will also be the sponsor for our upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday Market on Nov. 22nd, 2014. Many thanks to Liberty Bay Credit Union.
BELD Celebrates @ the Market
We Need You!
Thayer Public Library @ the Market
Library Day at the Farmer’s Market will be on Saturday, September 13 from 9 to 1 under the events tent. This event kicks off the 15th anniversary celebration of the current library building. On display will be historic photos from the original library buildings and mosaics created by members of Thayer’s Teen Advisory Group. They’ll also have a face painter, a scavenger hunt, and a drop in craft for kids. If you complete the scavenger hunt on Library Day, you can drop it off at the library for a free small prize. Be sure to check out the library’s website for more upcoming events to celebrate 140 years of community connections, 15 years through these doors.
The Braintree Farmers Market has been enjoying a remarkable 2014 season and will continue to operate through the month of October with a Special Indoor Thanksgiving Market on November 22nd. The fall harvest season is already upon us and there’s plenty of fresh corn, tomatoes, peaches, apples, a variety of squashes, pumkins, plants, herbs and much more, all grown locally right here in southeastern Massachusetts. Fresh baked goods, including a wide variety of breads, rolls, croissants, pretzels, scones, cupcakes, pies, whoopie pies, tea breads, baklava, cake pops, cookies, macarons and more. From an extensive selection of seafood to hormone and antibiotic-free beef, pork, lamb, along with free range chicken and eggs. Locally made soaps and lotions, jams, honey, relishes, pickles, pastas, cheeses, wines from local vineyards, locally roasted coffees, teas, mushrooms, Vermont maple syrup, olive oils, vinegars, sauces, ice cream, and an assortment of deliciously prepared foods that are ready to eat. The market offers a Market Moolah program which are tokens purchased with credit/debit or EBT cards and used as currency with our vendors and farmers for shopping convenience. The Braintree Farmers Market is brought to you by the efforts of volunteers who recognize the value of local foods, environmental issues and, most importantly, the strong sense of community that has blossomed in our efforts to bring this event to Braintree. The market runs on Saturdays from 9 to 1, rain or shine, in front of the Braintree Town Hall. In the event of severe weather conditions the market will be moved inside the town hall auditorium. Thanks to everyone who supports this labor of love and, if you have never been to the market, now is the perfect time to try us out. The market is currently looking for volunteers. If you would like to help us out please email us at food@braintreefarmersmarket.org. See you on Saturday.
Earth Celebration Sept 6th
Sustainable Braintree will host its Earth Celebration on Saturday, September 6th on the common in front of the Braintree Town Hall in conjunction with the Braintree Farmers Market. They look forward to continuing their mission to demonstrate the steps Braintree, and our surrounding communities, are taking to create a greener environment and build a stronger community.
This year’s theme is “Earth Day – Every Day” with a special focus on learning opportunities for our youth. With interactive displays for Recycling, Energy and the Community Garden, Sustainable Braintree will have educational tables inside the events tent to educate on how to be more earth friendly, to make “Earth Day – Every Day”. In attendance this year will be Friends of Holly Hill Farms with a worm bin, New England Wildlife Center bringing “Curious” the tortoise, a bearded dragon, a blue tongue skint, and either a boa constrictor or a python. Storyteller Peter Reilly who will be sharing his book “Hanging with the Hangers”,
Sustainable South Shore will be distributing flyers for the Pilgrim Coalition and the Kingston New Energy Conservation Grant Program, Lynn Wolbarst, a representative from the Bottle Bill ballot campaign, will update all the progress of this initiative, Amanda Sebert from Clean Water Action and the Master Gardeners will feature children’s activities. Visit Sustainable Braintree’s informational table. Now is the time to join this amazing organization and learn about their contributions to the community over the past six years. Tickets will be on sale for the Heritage Day Farm to Table Dinner Sustainable Braintree is sponsoring in partnership with The Braintree Historical Society on September 20, 2014 from 6:30 -10:30 P.M. This event will be catered by Anthony Columbus and feature locally grown produce from the farms at the Braintree Farmers Market; C.N. Smith Farm, Second Nature Farm and Farmer’s Garden.
The Earth Celebration is sponsored by Sustainable Braintree.
Clam & Lobster Feast Aug 30
Believe it or not it’s Labor Day Weekend and that time of year again when we dig out the bibs and nutcrackers to celebrate the end of summer with the Annual Clam & Lobster Feast in conjunction with the Braintree Farmers Market on Saturday, August 30th, 2014 from 9 to 1 pm.. Fresh Catch Seafood puts on a traditional New England style banquet that can’t be beat that will have you reminiscing this winter about our carefree summer days at the market. The big events tent, donated by BELD, will be up and we’ll have tables and chairs that were possible through a generous donation from Wamps Pizzeria in the Granite Plaza. Join us in front of the Braintree Town Hall and enjoy fresh seafood cooked to order al fresco before the cool breezes start to send us back inside. This event is sponsored in part by Fresh Catch Seafood.
Fresh Catch will set up their kitchen right on the town hall green and prepare steamers, lobsters and the entire Clam & Lobster Feast which includes steamers, lobsters, onions, potatoes and corn. They’ll also have New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, stuffed Quahogs, Lobster Salad Rolls, little necks and oysters on the half shell and much more. Live music will be provided by the very talented Carlo V’ Ramos. Project Have Hope will also be on board with their hand-crafted items created by the women of the Acholi District of Uganda. This is the event we’ve been waiting for all year.
The Braintree Farmers Market operates every Saturday from 9 to 1 in front of the Braintree Town Town at 1 JFK Memorial Dr. through October with a Special Holiday Thanksgiving Farmers Market on November 22nd. Please leave your pets at home while visiting the market. See you on Saturday.
Kids Day is Aug 23rd
Looking for a fun weekend activity with the kids? August 23rd will be Kids Day at the Braintree Farmer’s Market from 9 to 1 and it will be the day to bring your whole family to enjoy what the market has to offer. Coming back for a second year, Kids Day will be filled with fun and educational activities for all ages. This year’s lineup under the big tent will include free kids yoga at 9:30 by Petit Papillon Yoga. Children ages 4 and up are invited to try a free class with age and developmentally appropriate poses and activities. Petit Papillon has locations throughout the South Shore and their mission is to use yoga as a tool to help teach children to be resilient and compassionate human beings. Come see how yoga helps children of all abilities to tap into their own inner strength and celebrate their uniqueness!
At 10:30 we are happy to offer a free Music Together® class for children from birth to age five and their parents. Music Together® is an internationally recognized program that recognizes that active music participation is important for a child’s overall development. Karen McBrine, director of Karen’s Music Together, has been making music with families for almost 20 years and will be leading the class. Come and make some music at the market!
The fun continues at 11:30 when we will offer a free Hip Hop/Jazz class led by Miss Elizabeth Jernigan, Director of Dance with Energy, located at the Weymouth Club. The class is open to ages 3-14 and will last approximately 45 minutes. Participants will enjoy learning a routine and the class will conclude with a brief informal performance as well as a performance by one of the Dance with Energy Performing Companies. Have your kids wear their sneakers and clothes they can move in and come ready to dance!
We will also offer ongoing activities throughout the day including a farmer’s market themed craft and a market scavenger hunt for kids to do while parents do their shopping. Kids will have fun searching for items sold at the market, while learning about healthy foods. As a special treat this year, we will have some young local gardeners from the Flaherty Elementary School Garden showcasing their accomplishments and harvest from this year’s garden. Come see what their hard work has produced. You won’t want to miss this fun filled day!
More than a Farmers Market
Hydrate at the Market
Feeling a little dehydrated while visiting the Braintree Farmers Market? Stop by and visit Mike Ford at the BELD (Braintree Electric Light Dept.) tent who provides free water to all our visitors. The water is cooled by solar power so it’s earth friendly energy that BELD is providing. If you’re interested in the details about BELD’s BGREEN Program Mike can fill you. The Braintree Farmers Market and Mike Ford’s complimentary cold water carry on each Saturday from 9 to 1 at the Braintree Town Hall Mall. In the event of severe weather the market is moved inside the town hall.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although Ben Franklin was actually referring to fire safety when he coined the phrase, these days it is most frequently used to describe an approach to our health. Taking preventative measures to maintain good health is always wise, and as the seasons change, it is important to recognize the increased probability for certain problems to arise.
With the heat of summer, comes a stronger potential for dehydration. Typical warning signs are increased thirst, reduced urination, darker than usual urine, muscle cramps, dizziness, and headaches. If not corrected, more advanced signs can include low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat or breathing, and delirium. A helpful test if in doubt – your skin should be elastic and bounce back when pinched.
Two thirds of the human body is made up of water and it is considered a vital essential nutrient for survival. Water plays many critical roles in the human body: lubricates and cushions joints and organs, regulates body temperature, transports oxygen and nutrients to cells, helps to dissolve vitamins and minerals for absorption, and flushes the body of toxins. Nearly all the major bodily systems depend on water.
So in order to remain healthy, we must maintain our internal water balance by replacing loss of water with intake of water. Seems simple, but many people are not aware that they are including diuretics in their diet which increase their loss of water. Common diuretics include caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks, some herbal teas, fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and alcohol.
What to do? Either avoid diuretics or compensate by increasing your water intake. Alternate at least 12 ounces of water between diuretic drinks. Adding a pinch of sea salt (not table salt with chemical additives) to your water will also help you to retain more of the water you drink as well as help to restore your electrolytes. And contrary to popular belief, sports drinks are not a healthy alternative to water due to the high sugar content and artificial sweeteners, flavorings, and colors. Do yourself a favor and water yourself daily!
Written by Braintree resident Cathy Sloan Gallagher is a nutritional therapist and on the Braintree Farmers Market Board. She can be reached at cathy@eatthoughtfully.com or through her website at www.eatthoughtfully.com. For more info on the Braintree Farmers Market visit www.braintreefarmersmarket.org. See you on Saturday.
Coffee & Tea @ the Market
This coming Saturday we will also have Notting Hall Specialty Teas joining the market. Notting Hall offers selective custom blends of loose leaf teas from tea plantations around the world. From classic greens to full-bodied blacks and caffeine-free tisanes. Because they blend in small batches their teas are fresh and flavorful. This vendor is at the market sporadically throughout the season so if you’re a tea lover this Saturday is your chance to stock up. See you at the market.
The BFM Music Series is sponsored by BELD
Liberty Bay
South Shore Bank
