Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market: Local, Sustainable, and Enjoyable

Upon taking a visit to the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market I was pretty unsure what to expect. I certainly had never been to farmers markets in the wintertime and typically they were relatively small locations with perhaps a couple dozen vendors. With that being said, the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market surpassed all my expectations. The Hope Artiste Village is a truly amazing location with the high brick walls of the old mill perfectly concealing the vast amount of home town merchants and browsing eyes of local consumers looking for fresh and friendly alternatives. The wide hallways in which the vendors lined give the consumer experience a rustic feel that a farmers market should convey which only adds to the experience. After having myself a great cup of coffee upon arriving on the chilly Saturday morning I was excited to browse all the tables and stands to see what these local entrepreneurs had to offer.

Now, I must admit that I am a pretty big pickle fan so naturally one of the first vendors I found myself being drawn to was Tracie from Harmony Hill Farm, primarily due to the abundance of pickles in which her table held. Harmony Hill Farm is located locally in Glocester, RI and they have been actively selling their produce for approximately six years to date. Initially, only selling eggs, the farm began to grow to a point in which they now sell everything from eggs to pickles, cucumbers, and peppers to jams and jelly's. The coolest thing about Harmony Hill Farm is their simplistic efforts to stay sustainable. They take efforts as easy as recycling their egg cartons, saving plastic bags from grocery stores and even building relationships with their customers to a point in which mason jars are returned after use. With their business expanding and a full-time effort needed to be successful, all efforts to remain sustainable, big or small, can make a significant impact.

Being from upstate New York, I can certainly appreciate the warmth that a nice winter hat can provide during the winter. Which is precisely why one of my next stops was at a table piled high with variously colored hats, mittens and scarves. Obviously having to try out a pair of mittens for myself I was taken back at just how soft and comfortable the material was. Moonlight Rose Alpacas is a farm from Swansea, MA that specializes in the breeding and selling of alpacas and the products produced from their fibers. From what I learned, alpacas (which resemble small llamas) are used for the tremendous qualities that their fibers bear in creating yarn used to make the incredibly soft material in which their products possess. Thus, Moonlight Rose Alpaca Farm is able to successfully bring a unique element to the market place by substituting the typically found food products with some fashionable and warm apparel.

Taking a trip to Pawtucket Farmers Market is something I strongly suggest to all types and ages, whether you're a college student looking for a fresh alternative to the dining hall, a produce connoisseur, or just looking to get the family out of the house on a weekend. It is certainly a beautiful place to visit where you can enjoy your morning and support your community.

Thanks for reading!

-Billy Carroll 

Follow our class on twitter (@bryantmkt421) as we embark on a trip to Costa Rica to get a hands on learning experience in the field of sustainability.