Sustainability in Providence

I have been to many local farmers markets before but I have never seen one with such a variety of products as I saw at the . I spoke with many local vendors and had the opportunity to try samples of fresh and local Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market products, such as the garlic dill pickles from Fox Point Pickles which were delicious! We also spent time with 20-year-old CEO Ava Anderson who educated us toxic chemicals that can be found in products we use everyday and introduced us to her brand of Ava Anderson Nontoxic personal care products. I spent some time with vendors from Narragansett Creamery and North Bakery learning about their products and how they are sustainable. While Narragansett Creamery and North Bakery may seem very different to a farmers market patron who sees their products, the two companies have more in common than meets the eye. In addition to both being located in Providence, both companies are committed to sustainability and put a large emphasis on buying local ingredients whenever possible while using very few ingredients in order to create fresh products for the consumer. They both sell products that are relatively inexpensive (under $10) and offer a variety of different types of products within their specialty market.

Narragansett Creamery

This Providence-based creamery began in 2007 and has grown to sell a variety of fresh products including yogurt, hard cheeses, and mozzarella. The cheese is sold in 8 ounce blocks and prices range from $5 to $8. While they sell primarily at farmers markets in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, their products can also be found in stores like Dave's Marketplace, Shaw's, and Whole Foods in RI and MA as well as Connecticut and New York. The cheese is made with very minimal ingredients, all of which are local and fresh, and are committed to avoiding growth hormones in their products. The variety of cheeses they are able to produce with such few ingredients was very surprising to me. They even had a few types of cheese of which I had never heard! I was able to sample the Salty Sea Feta as well as the fresh mozzarella. Both of them were so fresh and delicious; they practically melted in my mouth! Check them out online to find your closest retail location or farmers market!

North Bakery

Located in West Providence at 70 Battery Street North Bakery is a bakery and coffee shop unlike most others in the area. The coffee is the brand Counter Culture, which is based out of North Carolina, whose core values of sustainability and transparency can be seen through their compostable retail bags and carbon neutrality. Kelly, the manager of North Bakery with whom I spoke, told me all about the different initiatives North Bakery takes to be sustainable. All products are made from scratch, produce is fresh, and ingredients are purchased from local vendors. At the farmers markets they sold a variety of baked goods, from cookies to miniature chocolate cakes, all for less than $6 each. In addition to their coffee shop storefront and selling at local farmers markets, they also have a restaurant. Through this restaurant they have formed relationships with local farms and fishermen to constantly provide their customers with fresh and local ingredients. 

Fun Facts

- North Bakery buys their eggs from Baffoni's Poultry Farm, another Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market vendor.

- North Bakery serves a local ginger beer!

Kasey Mazza (@KaseyMazza)

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