Gray to Welcome Farmers’ Market

On June 18, Gray will be included in a trend that is sweeping the nation: the local farmers’ market. Twenty years ago only a few farmers’ markets existed around the country, supported by a small collection of dedicated farmers and consumers determined to see local farms succeed.

Today, the Cumberland Farmers’ Market, which runs markets in Cumberland, Freeport, Falmouth, Yarmouth, and now the third Thursday of the month in the Town Hall parking lot in Gray, represents farmers from 23 towns spanning six counties.

“Thirteen years ago we started as the Cumberland Market,” says market manager Leslie Fitzgerald. “Five years ago we came to Falmouth. This year we’ve started in Freeport as well. We’ve had a lot of phone calls from Gray saying please come to Gray. This year seemed like a pretty good year.”

Fitzgerald explains that participation in farmers markets has grown considerably since the Cumberland market’s humble beginnings.

“For the first 12 years we grew by two members a year. Last March we had 14 members. This March we had 39,” explains Fitzgerald.

She attributes some of the growth to the recession. People are looking for ways to supplement their income and recreational farming can provide that little additional cash when things get tight.

According to the United States Census of Agriculture, Maine added nearly 1,000 farms in the five years between 2002 and 2007, while the size of the farms decreased. This means that a significant number of smaller farms, or recreational farms, have cropped up in recent years. These types of farms tend to be more diverse than larger, industrialized farms, thus increasing the amount of fresh produce available to local consumers.

“We have 21 regular farmers, about 10 recreational farmers, and then the specialty food people,” says Fitzgerald.

In addition to recession concerns, the popularity of “going green” has soared in recent years. Purchasing produce and products grown and processed locally cuts down on the carbon footprint of transportation and packaging. It also means that money spent by consumers at a farmers’ market stays in the community.

The market value of crop and livestock sales in Maine in 2007 was $617,190,000, up 33 percent since 2002. Compared to the 8.6 percent growth in Maine’s GDP, this increase is significant.

Fitzgerald believes this is in part due to the increased interest in farmers’ markets. She estimates that 250,000 people, a quarter of Maine’s population, are impacted by the various Cumberland Farmers’ Market locations.

“When food comes from out of state, the money goes back to that state. We have the highest phone rates, highest electrical rates because there are so few people spread out all over the state. When you’re sending money out of state, you’re keeping those costs high,” explains Fitzgerald.

In addition to the ability to buy fresh, locally grown produce, meats and dairy, the Gray Farmers’ Market will provide instruction in gardening and cooking. Master gardeners will give presentations and provide printed material on a variety of topics, from using certain types of plants to eliminate pests organically, to canning seminars, all free of charge to market attendees. Educational events for children are also planned, including petting-zoo style animal demonstrations, and arts and crafts.

The Cumberland Farmers Market is the only market in the area to do a European-style December holiday market, which it calls the Yule Market. Vendors bring prepared holiday foods and winter vegetables to sell. The annual Cumberland Yule Market will be on Dec. 20 this year, but Fitzgerald hopes to do a second Yule Market in Gray around the same time.

“At all the markets you can get fresh produce in season,” says Fitzgerald. She lists the months and their seasonal specialties, June for strawberries and rhubarb, July for blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans, August for corn on the cob, September for squashes, October for pumpkins. The market will also include fresh lamb, pork, grass-raised beef, fish and lobster, as well as dairy products like goat and sheep cheeses and yogurt.

“We have three crusty bread people this year. That was our number one request – crusty bread,” says Fitzgerald.