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Farmers and Markets
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Written by Kyle Alspach
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 When working full time made it impossible to get the farmers’ market, Kelley O’Connor came up with a way to buy local food that was convenient for her — online. O’Connor, a software engineer living in Sterling, Mass., founded the Massachusetts Local Food Cooperative last year as a way to give local food options to busy people. Once a month, members can place orders on the co-op’s website for a variety of foods, which are all produced within the state. Members then pick up their order at a designated site a few days later. Many products are offered in every season, including cheeses, meats, eggs, and even flour made from Massachusetts-grown grains. |
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Features -
Farmers and Markets
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Written by Kyle Alspach
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 When you buy milk from a Massachusetts grocery store, you probably have a good idea what it’ll taste like year round. But that’s not the case for the raw milk produced at Terri Lawton’s (pictured right) dairy in Foxboro. There, the cows feed on different grasses depending on the season — and the change in grasses changes the flavor of the milk, which is not pasteurized. “In May and June, the grass is really growing very well, and the nutrients are very dense in the grass,” says Lawton. “When the cows eat that, the milk has a smoother, creamier taste.” Lawton’s Family Farm, home of Oake Knoll Ayrshires, is one of 25 raw milk dairies in Massachusetts. Located about a mile off Route 1, the farm is a neighbor of Gillette Stadium and the closest raw milk dairy to Boston. But what is raw milk, exactly? Lawton sums it up this way: it’s the milk people drank up until about the 20th century, only today, it’s highly regulated and proven to be safe for consumption. |
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Features -
Farmers and Markets
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Written by Lara Zelman
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 Since my weekly farmer’s market visits came to an end in November, I’ve been going through withdrawal. Sure, I can pick up fresh produce at the grocery store, but it’s not the same as choosing from the changing weekly selection at the market and chatting with the source. You can only imagine my excitement when an email from Mass Farmers Markets recently popped up in my inbox saying, “Market Open Today – Natick Winter Market”. In the summer, even if I had already stocked up at my Friday market, my husband and I still took a trip to the Natick Farmer’s Market. We like to support our local community out in Metro West, and they had a good selection of vendors – produce, plants, prepared foods, meat, and crafts. The Winter Market, located inside one of the elementary schools offered the same great mix of vendors. There were about a dozen tables – everything from soap to salsa to squash. Many of the merchants were new to us – they weren’t part of the summer market. |
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Features -
Farmers and Markets
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Written by Jon Ross-Wiley
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 After multiple trips to City Feed and Supply in Jamaica Plain, MA, I realized that I was missing something. Every time I came into the store, I was happy to find what I was looking for (and, often, one or two items I wasn't expecting), and always thought how terrific it was that the supplying farms' produce was wide-ranging and consistent. The missing piece was knowing the person who has to keep variety and quality in the forefront of his mind on a daily basis; the produce buyer. I had "bumped into" Kris Liakos on Twitter (@cityfeedproduce) a few times, but looked forward to having the chance to chat with him about his path to City Feed and how it is that he, on a regular basis, stocks the bins and shelves with the best of the best. How long have you been working with City Feed and Supply? Were you there from the start? Were you always in this position? I have been with City Feed since June of 2009. I'm based out of the Centre St. location which has been open for about a year. I'm the produce buyer for both stores, including the original location on Boylston St. Even though I've only been with the company for 6 months, I've been eating the sandwiches from the Boylston St. store for awhile. |
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Features -
Farmers and Markets
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Written by Jon Ross-Wiley
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 When you walk into City Feed and Supply on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, you want to stay a while. The endless bounty of edible treats within your reach is certainly a big part of this, but it's owners David Warner and Kristine Cortese that really make City Feed feel like home. From the beginning, the owners' vision for CFS was to create a neighborhood store. Cortese explains, "We wanted to create the store we wanted in our neighborhood. We figured, if we want this store, others would want it too." They were right. In fact, the excitement and popularity of the first location (at 66a Boylston Street, also in Jamaica Plain) led to the larger location, which has become the hub of Centre Street activity.
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