The brief ceremony captures a sense of how the market twice a week from May through October creates a sense of community that is vibrant, festive, and supportive. With her will be farmers and other vendors, volunteers and staff, artists and musicians, community service providers, dignitaries and other guests.
tomorrow, Saratoga Mayor Joanne Yepsen will cut a ribbon at High Rock Park to officially open the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s summer season. This week’s recipe: Local Bacon and Cheese Quicheįiled Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: compost, compostable, Composting, Earth Day, farmers markets, green, packaging, reusable, sustainability, sustainable Market Creates Community at High Rock Park The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s partnership with the Franklin Community Center is a prime example: customers drop off compost at the farmers’ market to be used in the Center’s community garden, while vendors donate unsold food to the food pantry.Īll these green efforts point out a quiet strength of farmers’ markets: their belief in the efficacy of traditional ways, where less is more, quality trumps quantity, and there is a deep-rooted connection to the earth. Composting at the Saratoga Farmers Market, photo by Madison JacksonĪnd then, there are the green choices that extend further than the farmers’ market. Julia, one market customer, stopped by to return her glass maple syrup jar, calling choosing glass over plastic “the intuitive choice.” She chooses jars as they are reusable, returnable, recyclable, and she uses them to store granola at home before returning them. They often choose the more sustainable options even if it costs a little more.
They religiously return their empty containers. Customers are prepared to shop with reusable totes and netted produce bags. That green focus is evident in customers’ minds, too.
Happy farmer kitchen composter free#
Reusable bags and package free produce at Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett But other food producers are equally responsible for operating sustainably,” said Shane Avery, owner of Junbucha. “It’s obvious to consider the earth when you’re a farmer your hands are literally in the dirt. Think compostable mushroom boxes, egg carton returns, or glass deposits on items like maple syrup, yogurt, or kombucha. Many grow and produce their food with extra care for the environment, for instance by growing organically or choosing sustainable packaging. In contrast, practically all vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market live just a county away from the market. The Farmers Market Coalition cites that, on average, food travels over 1,000 miles from the point of production to the retail store.
Most obviously, vendors produce food locally, cutting down on transportation impacts. At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, we like to think that every day is Earth Day.įarmers’ market operations are inherently more sustainable than factory and grocery store operations. Happy Earth Week! Some places celebrate Earth Day, others make it a weeklong event, and still others organize month-long festivities. By Emily Meagher Sustainable mushroom boxes at 518 Farms, photo by Pattie Garrett