Rhode Island's Winter Farmers' Market Begins! Buy LOCAL!

Farm Fresh Rhode Island , our four-year-old dynamo of a Buy-LOCAL organization, has established an indoor Farmers' Market for Rhode Islanders, with 34 vendors in a beautifully restored mill building just over the Providence-Pawtucket city line in the Hope Artiste Village,1005 Main St, Pawtucket, beginning Saturday, December 6, from 11 am to 2 pm. I went over there this morning for a press conference and saw the space, which looks vast today, but which Noah Fulmer, the director of Farm Fresh RI, says will be jam packed on Saturday.  

Alan Hill, of Hill Orchards, spoke of how the Farmers' Markets have made it possible for him to stay in business. [Read the story of Hill Orchards and you'll want to bake apple pies with the old-time tart apples the farm used to grow!] The Winter Farmers' Market is a dream come true for him, because it gives him an ongoing outlet to sell his great supply of cider and apples in storage. Among the other vendors will be Baby Greens, which will be explaining what "microgreens" are and how to use them in your home cooking. Baby Greens supplies organic salad greens to many of our LOCAL restaurants and also offers home delivery to Providence's East Side, Edgewood/Pawtuxet, West Barrington, Wakefield, Narragansett and Wickford.

Of course, Seven Stars Bakery and New Harvest Coffee, which bake their goodies and roast their beans at the Hope Artiste Village, will be selling at the Farmers' Market, as will Wishing Stone Farm, Olga's Cup and Saucer, Pat's Pastured Poultry, Besto Pesto, Narragansett Creamery, and much more. It's the Ocean State -- come buy steamers, quahogs, lobsters, and scallops while you're at it. The first couple of markets, I hear, there will be Christmas trees and wreaths, and you are sure to find some great Christmas gifts, including chocolates, herbal fragrances, doggie treats, chutneys..... As long as you are spending money this Christmas, buy LOCAL and give nourishing gifts. Some vendors may have gift certificates -- ask them! If they haven't thought of this, your asking for gift certificates may prompt them to bring them next week.

LOCAL food is fresh, and it's amazing what could be grown around here in the winter, if only there were a market for it. I have some old maps of Providence which show greenhouses all over the city. We need to relearn how to grow things during New England winters and encourage those who grow LOCAL by buying LOCAL.

LOCAL food is also affordable -- you can use a credit card or food stamps at the Winter Farmers' Market. And you will also discover a number of other non-food LOCAL businesses that have retail space at the Hope Artiste Village. There is ample parking at the old Hope Webbing mill, with its vision of bringing local businesses together to create not only a market but also a community.

There will be lots of signs, but it's a big place -- to orient you, the market is in the part of the building that is closest to Providence. Which reminds me, there should be a winter market at some accessible space in Providence! Pawtucket has their act together, though, and it's exciting to see the establishment of a winter market in Rhode Island, a step on the way to establishing a permanent, year-round, LOCAL Farmers' Market, such as you find in other great cities -- for instance, Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Mayor Doyle of Pawtucket was on hand for the press conference, delighted to have the Winter Farmers' Market in Pawtucket. Lt. Governor Roberts also spoke to the press about the importance in these difficult times to support our LOCAL neighbors with small businesses, which will help Rhode Island's economy by spending the money we have in the state. Buy LOCAL is one of the Lt. Governor's special initiatives.

Rhode Islanders have the power to demand good, nutritious LOCAL food. Vote for LOCAL food with your everyday food purchases. Hope to see you at Hope Artiste Village for Rhode Island's LOCAL Winter Farmers' Market this Saturday!