Buy Local!

The Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market was such a wonderful experience. I love going to farmers markets in the summer, but I had never been to an indoor farmers market. There was so much to take in at the Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market. The location (Hope Artiste Village) was great, the winding hallways and open spaces gave each vendor a unique setting. I loved the exposed brick, bright lights and the surrounding fresh and organic produce!

It is so important to buy local and to support the local economy. There were many vendors with varying products however they were all local and many supplied organic products. I found Langwater and Allen Farms to be outstanding family run vendors at the market.


Langwater Farm is a family run business located in North Easton, MA. The farm is USDA certified organic.the farm specializes in a diverse mix of Certified Organic vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, berries and pumpkins. They practice organic growing methods as well.

The family run farm has background in small-scale sustainable agriculture. The farmers are a passionate and energized crew. The farm provides healthy and delicious products to its local community. After speaking to those at Langwater Farm, I spoke with Tom from Allen Farms.

Meet Tom! Tom is from Allen Farms in Westport, MA. Allen Farms is a family operated farm that provides certified organic herbs, greens, vegetables and flowers since 1897.The farm utilizes seven greenhouses year round providing fresh and organics produce for the local areas. Allen Farms strives to be healthy and organic, providing great products to their local consumers. As a family owned and operated farm, Allen Farm's encourages sustainability and promotes health with their organic and wholesome products. Tom's mother, Debbie, is the owner of the farm. He was very helpful and enthusiastic about sharing information with me about his family's farm and what makes them unique. They had wonderful and fresh veggies!

  Highlight of the Day:  

Bridgette, Ethan, Krysia and I took Wheatgrass shots! Wheatgrass is full of nutrients and great for your body. I was a little nervous to try it...but it tasted much better than I originally thought it would and was a fun experience. I'm looking forward to the many new drinks and food we try in Costa Rica!

Thanks so much for reading,
Emily McLaughlin

Follow my adventures as I travel to Costa Rica to discover sustainable practices on twitter! @EmMcLaughlin
See what our class is up to as well @BryantMKT421 on twitter! 

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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