For the 15th time (despite clouds and rain), South Boston’s Farmers Market began its annual season on Monday, June 5, on West Broadway in Perkins Square. Rain or shine, in 2017 our Farmers Market will be open every Monday till October 30 from 12 noon till 6 p.m. Indulge in fresh healthy foods, healthy advice, and a “Rethink Your Drink” display.
by Rick Winterson
The South Boston Farmers Market opened last Monday, June 5, marking the fifteenth (15th) time it has done so. It is again located along the sidewalk by the Municipal Parking Lot. The weather was not auspicious – like most of May, early June was still cloudy with occasional spatters of mist and rain. But if you missed the opening, not to worry – the Farmers Market will be open, rain or shine, for the next 20 Mondays until October 30 from 12 noon till 6 p.m. You’ll have time to stop in after work via either the No. 9 or No. 10 bus.
Now there’s no question that South Boston is an urban neighborhood. But Farmers Markets are increasingly common around the City of Boston, and we are no exception. Our own Market was originally the brain-child of Mary Lou Rosher; it is now being managed by Maren Tober.
And there are many more offerings at the South Boston Farmers Market than just produce. For example, both Tufts Medical and the South Boston Community Health Center have tables there every Monday. You may be a drinker of cold, sweet beverages during the summer months. The Farmers Market now features a table called “Rethink Your Drink” that will show you how much sugar you take in every time you drink something sweet. You’ll be surprised – maybe unpleasantly so. All of the drinks that are displayed have their sugar content printed on their labels. This is usually listed in grams. Well, at four or five grams of sugar per spoonful, you’ll find that many common sweet drinks have ten or more teaspoons of sugar – much of it in the less digestible form of fructose. Fructose tastes good – it’s naturally sweet – however, it digests with difficulty so it ends up in your liver, possibly as fat.
But the prime offerings at the Farmers Market are (and will continue to be) farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Just think about the bountiful harvests you can take part in all summer long. From early asparagus and greens to zucchini and summer squash in mid-season, to corn on the cob later on, to pumpkins and winter squash in early fall. All of these will be farm fresh and available as they mature and ripen. In addition, there are a lot of other farm products for sale as well – preserves, raw honey, many baked goods (goodies?), and so on.
We’ve implied that eating well can benefit your health. South Boston Online isn’t a health publication, but we can safely tell you that a good diet must be balanced. That includes eating many fruits and vegetables. Michael Pollan, the noted journalist, author, and activist, said it much better than we (and more briefly) in his three very short rules, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” South Boston’s Farmers Market can help you do just that, every Monday from now until the end of October.
Also, be on the lookout for Special Event Days at our Farmers Market. Monday, July 3, for example, is “Go Green Day” featuring live music (YES!) and “green” activities with local “green” businesses and non-profits. And Monday, August 7, will be “Kids Day”. More to follow – there will be five more Special Mondays as summer progresses into fall.
See you there.
