2011 Bowdoin Street Farmers Market
2011 Bowdoin Street Health Center Farmer's Market
Now entering its fourth year, the Bowdoin Geneva Farmers' Market runs from July through
October at the Bowdoin Street Health Center, providing fresh, local fruits and vegetables to health center patients, staff and community residents. Demand continues to increase for the produce that the market provides! Attendance and sales at the market increased dramatically in 2010 from the previous year, and we hope to see another year of growth in 2011.
One of the primary goals of the Bowdoin Geneva Farmer's Market is to make high quality produce available at affordable prices. SNAP (food stamps), WIC and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupons are all accepted at the market. The market also participates in Mayor Menino's
Bounty Bucks program, which provides a 50% discount, up to $20, to shoppers paying with their SNAP/EBTcard.
Joining us at the market this summer are two wonderful Boston area farms:
Land's Sake from Weston and
City Harvest from Canton. This will be Land's Sake's second year at the market, and City Harvest's first. Both farms grow a variety of fruits and vegetables using organic growing practices, and harvest shortly before the market so you can be sure that what you buy is as fresh as it gets! In addition, both farms are non-profits that incorporate youth education programming into their work and have a strong commitment to food access.
Also at the market this summer, keep an eye out for Bowdoin Street Health Center's own
Healthy Champions! Last year, the Healthy Champions grew over 110 pounds of produce (including over 1500 tomatoes!) at the Norton/ Stonehurst community garden around the corner from the health center. This summer they hope to increase their production even further and to continue to offer great deals on their produce to shoppers at the Bowdoin Geneva Farmers' Market. Damian Jones, a veteran Healthy Champion, told us last year that, "I'm only 13 so I don't know much, but what I DO know is that I like selling things! I mainly like to handle the crowd at the market and do promotions to get more people to come….I don't think there's anything better than seeing people being able to get things they love for a low price. The smiles they get on their faces are just wonderful."
The Bowdoin Geneva Farmers' Market will take place in the parking lot of the health center every Thursday afternoon from 3:00-6:30pm from July 7 through October 27, 2011. Please come out and join us for the second annual Healthy Summer Kickoff on Thursday July 7th! To celebrate the opening of the market, there will be music, raffle prizes, games, face painting, and much more. Come support the market, pick up some of the summer's first harvest, and visit with friends and neighbors. We look forward to seeing you there!