Some of the produce available at the East Longmeadow Farmers’ Market.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
EAST LONGMEADOW — Summer is growing season, and the East Longmeadow Farmers’ Market is growing, too.
The market is now in its second season at The Depot at Graham Central Station. Originally, the farmers market was set up at Center Field but moved to the Pleasant View Senior Center on North Main Street a few years ago. Last year, looking to move the market back to the town center, the idea was proposed to stage it at the depot.
“I think, last year, we had great attendance,” said Geraldine Kennedy, who runs the market. Even so, she said the hope is that the wider array of vendors will draw in more people. The market is still actively seeking vendors, but as of the first week of May, 38 businesses had committed to the market, nearly four times as many as last year.
“We have a mixture of farms and growers and producers and some artisans,” Kennedy said. The vendors include a mushroom farm, a hydroponic lettuce grower, a cheese maker, a beekeeper and two bread bakers. Kennedy said a winery has signed up and East Longmeadow’s Tre Olive will also operate a booth.
Kennedy said it can be hard for small farms to staff a booth. As a solution to this, she said the organizers have engaged 10 volunteers to run farm booths for those who do not have the employees to spare.
The market is branching out from the traditional types of vendors. June 28 will be Youth Day, with a booth where teens and tweens can sell their crafts and projects. The East Longmeadow Public Library will host a booth the same day. Kennedy said the Amherst Railway Club will present information one Saturday and the market will host a charity event for the East Longmeadow Dog Park another weekend. Also, for the first time this year, food trucks and musicians will be on site.
The market will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays between June 9 and Aug. 30. For more information about the East Longmeadow Farmers’ Market, visit elfarmersmarket.wordpress.com.
