It's Farmer's Market Season In Boston

Mark your calendars! The farmer's markets are opening this week. You no longer have to buy your produce at a grocery store. You can shake hands with the farmer who grows your rocket and ask him or her how the growing season is going.

If you live or work in downtown Boston, the largest Mass Farmers Market opens on Tuesday May 19th in Copely Square. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday from May 19th through November 24th.

If Back Bay isn't your T stop don't disparage. Mass Farmers Market, a local non-profit, runs over 180 markets across the state include the following in Boston:

City Hall market in Boston, which begins May 27th and runs on Mondays and Wednesdays

Davis Square farmers market in Somerville, which begins May 27th and runs on Wednesdays

Central Square market in Cambridge, which begins June 1st and runs on Mondays

Framingham Village Green market, which begins June 11th and runs on Thursdays.

And really, the opening of the markets means returning to local, seasonal food. A winter diet of root vegetables, Florida citrus, and greenhouse veggies is over! The earth is coming to life again after the winter and you can taste it in the food. Especially the food that is grown locally.

If you are new to the whole eat local, eat sustainably thing there a number of tools out there to help you select rhubarb in May/June and not watermelon. One of our members, Maggie Gosselin, developed the Local Foods Wheel with some of her friends from California. This is a great tool to use with children because it is tactile and filled with beautiful pictures. Although there isn't a New England wheel yet, the New York wheel is a good substitute. You can order a Local Foods Wheel from Chelsea Green.

If you just need a quick reference, the Sustainable Table is a great web site. Their eat seasonal page allows you to select your state and the month and it gives you a pretty comprehensive list of what is coming off the fields in your area.

So here is to spring! Let's welcome the farmers back to Boston and hit those markets in full force!