Fresh and local!

A hidden gem of Rhode Island found right in the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket is the Wintertime Farmers Market, which we were lucky to get the chance to check out. This market is filled with local vendors from Rhode Island and the nearby Massachusetts area with hopes of selling fresh goods to

the community. The market began in Providence in 2007 with 10-12 local farmers. Since, it has moved locations in order to keep up with the growing amount of vendors hoping to sell their

products. Check out their website at: http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=29.

I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to a few of the vendors at their stands as I strolled through the farmers market with my delicious (and sustainable!) cup of coffee from New Harvest

Coffee Roasters located right in Hope Artiste Village.

Ward’s Berry Farm

One of the vendors, Ward’s Berry Farm located in Sharon, MA sells their farm products at the market. The farm was founded in 1982 by Brothers Jim and Bob Ward with hopes of offering the finest quality fruits and vegetables to their community. The farm currently has one retail outlet where they sell their products to the local community right in Sharon, however, they do participate in different farmers markets nearby and sell to local restaurants and businesses. In order to do this, the farm uses sustainable methods to produce their food such as working to build the health of their soil to increase its organic matter. In addition, they grow 18 acres of certified organic crops, which prohibit the use of synthetic chemicals. This farm mainly relies on word of mouth communication through the local community, Facebook and their website where they are able to highlight their sustainable practices.

Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/wardsberryfarm

Cranberry Hill Farm

In contrast, Cranberry Hill farm located in Plymouth, MA sells one product, organic cranberries. The cranberry bog in which the cranberries are produced has been certified organic for twelve years. Like

Ward’s Berry Farm, the bog does not use synthetic chemicals because they want to not only prevent consumers from ingesting chemicals but to preserve the habitat of the wildlife within the area as well. The bog uses a recovery pond to reuse water resources making the entire process completely sustainable. From the actual farming process to the cleaning, screening and packaging of the cranberries, Cranberry Hill ensures the integrity and sustainability of the product. Unlike Ward’s Berry Farm, the farm solely relies on word of mouth communication to bring people and other local business to their farm stand in Plymouth.

Although these businesses sell different products, they follow one similar pattern: a commitment to sustainability. I believe the visit to the Wintertime Farmers Market has given us a small glimpse into the many approaches that different local businesses are using in order to promote sustainability, which gives us a basic understanding of the broader concept that we will be exploring in Costa Rica.

-Tayla Benoit (@TaylaBenoit)

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