A First Glance at This Year's Natick Farmer's Market

The Natick Farmer's Market opened up on May 16th. Just like last year, it is worth seeking out on the corner of Route 27 and 135 each Saturday morning from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. While all the farms aren't yet here, you can still create a wonderful meal with each visit. We often start by buying delicious meat from Chestnut Farms. A working farm, all their animals are humanely raised and antibiotic free. Their hamburgers are delicate and grill up quickly and the chicken actually has taste. We recently enjoyed a beautiful tomato focaccia from Rise Bakery. My other new favorite is the Small Ax Farm stand. Run by a woman named Melissa, she picks all the vegetables each morning. So far her main offerings have included kale, swiss chard, arugula, and lettuce greens as well as scallions, fennel and sage. However, she hopes to have garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cabbage and beets as the summer goes on.

Finally, I was thrilled to hear that Deb Sayre, manager of the market, has arranged for the market to reopen in January for the first ever Natick Winter Farmer's Market! I first heard about this option in Providence, Rhode Island. I loved the idea that farmers and food artisans would have extended opportunities to share their goods. For consumers it means a wonderful chance to eat well and support local farmers throughout the year. Deb has a number of farmers lined up to sell their goods at the nearby Johnson School (99 Main Street in Natick) but great news-she is still looking for more vendors. Anyone interested can call her at 508-259-9118.