Needham Farmers Market Update and Petition

Written by Emily Roach

The Needham Farmers Market opened on June 21st and had a spectacular opening.  The community embraced the farmers market and continues to do so every Sunday.  There is just one more farmers markets left this season, Sunday 28th.  If you haven't made it over yet, I encourage you to drop by and see what the market has to offer.  There are still lots of local produce available from our three farmers: MacArthur Farms, The Neighborhood Farm, and the Needham Community Farm.

Each week we have seen a variety of specialty vendors and artists share their goods with our community.  You may have visited Gay Grace Teas, a specialty tea shop.  Or you may have seen some of our local artists display their jewelry, pottery, or clay impressions.  We try to offer something for everyone, but we realize there are so many other vendors that we want to include in the market next year.

In 2013, we are hoping to move the market to Town Common.  This will allow us to grow in two key ways.
   1. Increase our number of vendors each week with more space.
   2. Improve visibility of the market to people driving through town.

We expect the increase in patrons in the market will also drive up the foot traffic in Needham Center for both businesses and restaurants.  I often see moms shopping alone at the market while dad and the kids head over to Harvey's to go shopping. Or they head to an ice cream store.  Sometimes they stay and have dinner nearby.   The market has been a great opportunity to bring more people to downtown on what can be a slow day during the week.

The request to move to the Town Common will go before the Needham Selectmen.  We are asking community members (YOU!) to show your support.  You can sign our petition sharing your interest in growing the Needham Farmers Market next season.  If there is something you want to see at the market, feel free to leave a comment here as well, or on the Farmers Market Facebook page.

We are also welcoming new members to our committee. The next meeting will be Nov 5th at 7:30 pm at First Parish Church.

Also, don't miss our Halloween festivities on Oct 28th! We will be celebrating the pumpkin with a contest. Watch for details on our Facebook page, or sign up for emails.

Thanks in advance for your support!

About the Author
Emily lives in Needham with her husband Jim and two children.  After working in retail for 10 years, she decided to stay home with the kids and bake.  Emily writes the blog Random Recycling, co-manages the Parent Talk Blog, and is a board member of the Needham Farmers Market.