The Evolution of a
Market Manager and a Farmers Market... A Q&A WITH MARTHA MAGUIRE ABOUT BRANFORD ALPS FARMERS MARKET
How did you become interested in opening a Farmers Market?
Call me a bike seat and armchair farmer. While my children were in elementary school, my husband and I bought a bike trip to the Amish country in Lancaster County, PA at a charity auction. Our passion for touring farm and vineyard country by bicycle began. As we biked around Connecticut I became aware of how threatened our local farms are. Land prices are exorbitant, farmers are aging out of the business, their kids are pursuing more lucrative professions, and regulations are stacked against small family farms, and on and on. My family has a strong tradition of participation in environmental causes, so when I came to a period of my life when I felt I could give back to my community with both time and resources, a new farm- ers market was on a scale I could launch. Farmers don’t have time to market their products, so this was a perfect job for me, their biggest fan. The goal of our non-profit market is to encourage sustainable farming and open spaces by offering farmers a retail outlet for their products. The market also aims to increase the access to and afford- ability of healthy, CT grown products by bringing these foods into the commercial district of Branford along a public bus route and where there is ample off street parking. The market doubles food stamp dol- lars (SNAP) and all our farmers are required to accept Farm Market Nutrition Program vouchers (WIC and Senior). The market also do- nates $500 in market tokens to the Branford Food Pantry each week to provide fresh, healthy food at the pantry the following day and hands out market vouchers at the CT Food Bank’s free food distribu- tion centers in Branford and East Haven.
When did you become interested in eating local foods?
As we biked to markets we discovered vegetables we hadn’t eaten before and talked to the farmers about new recipes. It is so
much more fun to shop knowing that your food dollars are sup- porting people who are passionate about what they do. Most of the farmers we met had other jobs to support their love for the earth and farming. I find it intolerable that farmers lose money provid- ing us with delicious, safe food! According to the CT department of agriculture, over 65% of farmers in CT lose money. Food, shelter, clothing, and health care are considered necessities. Contractors and real estate brokers turn a profit. Clothing designers and even discount & outlet stores make money. Medical device, pharmaceuti- cal companies, and doctors are entitled to a profit. Why must hard working farmers subsidize our delicious dinners? Americans spend a smaller percentage of their income on food than citizens in Europe and throughout most of the world. Cheap industrial food is making us fat and contributing to multiple chronic diseases.
Are there many farmers markets already in Connecticut? There are more than 200 farmers markets of varying kinds in
CT. The department of agriculture reports that the dollars spent at all markets is not growing, so it is important to educate more people about the value of shopping from their local farms as well as to find ways to make food shopping from local sources more convenient and affordable. The less affluent a shopper is, the closer food sources need to be to their homes, children’s schools, health centers, or places of work.
How long did it take you to plan and set up the market before you opened in 2015?
It took two years to create language defining a farmers market to
pass the Branford Planning and Zoning board and then to have the commercial parking lot site approved as the location for a weekly market.
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