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Date: 1/25/2022
HOLYOKE – Here’s a little trivia to brighten these cold winter days. Holyoke was the first city in Western Massachusetts to open a farmer’s market. Its origins began in 1917, and a Springfield Republican newspaper article from that time stated, “Holyoke is the first city in Western Massachusetts to adopt this plan of bringing producer and consumer together.”
Years later, the farmer’s market was officially founded in 1979 and is co-organized by the Holyoke Food and Equity Collective and the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, according to The Holyoke Farmer’s Market’s Facebook page.
While many of the chain stores are experiencing food and supply shortages, Holyoke Farmer’s Market Manager, J.R. Rivera said he hasn’t seen any issues. He said, “The food supply is going pretty good. These farmers have farms, so they don’t rely on any big chains. Luckily our farmers have been more well-off. A lot of people are shopping more at farms. So, they’re starting to see a lot more interest in that. It’s a good problem for them to have.”
Going into its 43rd year, the winter market will be housed inside the War Memorial building located at 310 Appleton St. in Holyoke. It will run from Dec. 4 to March 19 and is open on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Local vendors such as D&R, Atlas Farms and The Farmer and the Cheese sell various fresh and seasonal produce such as onions, winter squashes, potatoes, and kale. According to Rivera, shoppers may also find craft vendors selling homemade candles and hand-knit merchandise, depending on the week.
D&R farms raise and sell their hormone-free poultry, and customers can purchase farm-fresh eggs for $4.75 a dozen, whole chickens for $4.95 a pound, and chicken livers and hearts for $1.79 a pound.
Diane Rollins, who co-owns the farm with her husband Robert Rollins, shared that because they have “three greenhouses,” they can also sell vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes and summer squash during the winter months. She also sells fresh-baked loaves of bread like the bacon and garlic bread for $7, homemade jams for $6 a jar and salsas for $5 a jar.
For additional seasonal items to add to the pantry, Atlas farms offer purple and green cabbages for $1.50 a pound and beets for $2.75 a pound. Also available are specialty items called “seconds,” which are carrots or other vegetables that may have an unusual shape or be dented or bruised but are still edible for $1 a pound.
Addressing the need to provide vulnerable populations with healthy and nutritious food, Rivera stated that the market accepts EBT/SNAP, HIP benefits and WIC coupons. He said, “I think the last time I checked 77 percent of the population is below the food poverty level.”
He also noted that the Holyoke Council on Aging provides senior residents with coupons to use at the markets and said, “We see a ton of elderly coming down with those coupons utilizing them, which is a big plus. It always helps our farmers as well. Because you know it obviously allows our farmers to get more income. With a lot of things like the food vouchers, WIC, EBT, they really tap into a new set of income which is very beneficial in both ways.”
Let’s Move 5210 Holyoke, a program run by the Holyoke Medical Center, is the market’s sponsor this year, intending to promote a healthy lifestyle. They will also be providing $20 vouchers along with recipes and information on how to use the different benefits the market accepts.
They are open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information and updates, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HolyokeFM/.