Planning for 2nd Farmers’ Market Begins, Volunteers Needed
At right, strawberries from Busa Farm during last summer’s farmers’ market in Medford Square.
– Margaret Weigel, President and Co-founder, Medford Square Market
Last year was the inaugural year of the Medford Square Market, which ran Thursday afternoons in the summer and early fall. There’s much that could be said about the experience of running a new market — good, bad, and ugly — but at the end of it, we succeeded in bringing farmers and vendors directly to Medford shoppers. We also had the good fortune to provide a venue for the talented and dedicated artists of the Medford Arts Council (MACI), and host some outstanding musicians from Medford and beyond. In short, the Medford Square Market created a reliable destination in Medford Square full of music, art, great bread, books, and fresh, locally grown produce.
We’re gearing up for our second year in the Square, but we need your help. It’s no small enterprise running a top-notch market, and we rely heavily on volunteers to pitch in and make the market a success.
At this point, there are many miscellaneous tasks large and small that could use some extra helping hands. The tasks are outlined generally below. If you’re interested in pitching in, please write to me at medfordfarmersmarket (at) gmail.com and let me know what looks most interesting to you.
Our most pressing need right now is for volunteers to help us contact and organize market vendors. After processing feedback from the community, we’ve mapped out what kind of vendors we would like at the market. I’m happy to say that Busa Farms will be returning, this year with three tables of vegetables, fruit and honey, and we’ve already secured a verbal agreement with the wonderful bread baker When Pigs Fly. This year, we’re actively looking to plug the missing elements from last year, such as cheese and dairy, meat and fish. But we need volunteers to assist with contacting vendors. We can all meet up, order some pizza, and dive in.
We have additional tasks for interested volunteers throughout the market season, ranging from cultural and organizational outreach to bookkeeping, market management, PR and fundraising. Some positions come with compensation. If you’re interested in checking us out, contact me at medfordfarmersmarket (at) gmail.com, let me know what you’d like to do, and we’ll take it from there!
Thanks to everyone for their interest in and support for a Farmer’s Market in town; let’s help make Medford Square a great place to be on Thursday afternoons. Above all, please consider making a commitment to visit the market regularly this coming season. Enjoy the entertainment, chat with neighbors and friends, enjoy a snack, shop, and help contribute to the revitalization of Medford Square!
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