It’s Farmers Market season once again in Union Square. Check out their grand opening this weekend.

Farmers Market brings local produce and community support to Union Square
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By Haley ED Houseman

This weekend, the Somerville’s Union Square Farmers Market opens this weekend, with a wide range of produce and products. Available are local, organic and specialty items: produce and grains, as well as wine, dairy, seafood and poultry.

The market opens this Saturday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Among the 2015 season vendors are a variety of small and family farms, among these the Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm. Vendors returned each week along with a selection of less frequent bi-weekly stalls. A variety of bakeries will be present weekly as well, including Iggy’s Bread of the World. There will be a large array of popular specialty vendors such as Taza Chocolate, Blake Orchard Juice and Tipping Cow Ice Cream.

In addition to the vendors, the market features rotating guest vendors each week, as well as live entertainment. The market accepts SNAP/EBT, credit and debit cards in addition to cash.

In downtown Somerville’s Union Square, there is nearby parking as well as service by MBTA buses 86, 87 and 91. This year, Union Square Main Streets has contracted out the running of the market to Relish, run by Mimi Graney, the former director of Union Square Main Streets and the founder of the market. The market manager is Holly Czapski, and questions about the Farmers Market can be directed to her at somerville@relishmgmt.com.

The market is also kicking off its fundraising efforts to support local SNAP recipients shopping local and organic. Union Square Main Streets has been matching payments for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) since 2010. Between 2000 and 2010, the poverty rate in Somerville grew from 12.5% to 18% and more than 13,000 Somerville residents live below the poverty line. SNAP recipients use their benefit cards to purchase farmers market tokens. Union Square Main Streets then matches every dollar up to $10 dollars, allowing SNAP customers to purchase $20 instead of $10 worth of healthy, fresh, local food.

Esther Hanig, the current executive director of Union Square Main Streets, explains, “Funding for food stamps has been cut recently and all too often good fresh fruit and vegetables are more expensive. This match will really help our neighbors to have more of the healthy food they need.” The campaign, run by USMS, hopes to raise $4,500 total, in order match up to $10 dollars of SNAP purchases. A donation can be given in any amount; a donation of $200 provides SNAP matches for all families in a given week. To give, supporters may visit the campaign website on the Indie Go Go crowdfunding platform. More information can be found at the market’s website, unionsquaremain.org.

Please help with the 2015 Farmer’s Market SNAP Match:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2015-union-square-farmers-market-snap-match.

More information can be found at: https://unionsquaremain.org/2015/04/please-help-with-the-2015-farmers-market-snap-match/.