Somerville residents were encouraged from all representatives in this so-named “Farm Share Fair” to buy a portion of their farms. ~Photo by Martin Levenson By Martin Levenson Somerville Public Library's main branch hosted an event last Monday to display and advertise some Massachusetts farms which specialize in organic vegetables. The idea of the event was to get Somerville residents interested in buying a Community Supported Agriculture share (CSA share) which allows city dwellers here in Somerville to have fresh vegetables from local farms. At the same time many that already have shares, picked up their crops at this event.

"You're making an investment in the farm in the beginning of the season when we have to buy a lot of seeds and equipment," says Sarah Voiland, head cultivator and one of the owners of Red Fire Farm in Granby, a town in western Massachusetts. "[It is] a way to really connect consumers with farmers directly," continues Voiland. Somervillians were encouraged from all representatives in this so-named "Farm Share Fair" to buy a portion of their farms, thus a portion of their crops and other farm products like eggs, because of health reasons. "In recent years, health conditions associated with diet have accelerated at an alarming rate," begins one flyer from Value the Meal, a political campaign from Corporate Accountability International, designed to prevent the populace from eating processed foods from corporate giants like McDonald's or Burger King who are "aggressively marketing to our children," as the Value the Meal online site states.

The Sherman Café in Union Square is a small restaurant specializing in locally grown and harvested foods. For residents unsure whether or not to buy a share in a farm like Red Fire, they were encouraged to try to the foods offered at a restaurant most can get to in just a few minutes' drive. "The food at Sherman is made 'the hard way'," says the back of Sherman Café's small take-out menu. All of the menu items, except the bread which is shipped from a local bakery, are made from scratch and with local ingredients. The Sherman Café also has a market, the Sherman Market, in Union Square selling "New England produce, eggs, cheese, bread and meats."

This "Farm Share Fair" was well-attended, residents formed lines to get into the room in the library which housed all the different displays and foods. This affair was made possible by Transition Somerville, Boston Localvores, Groundwork Somerville, and Somerville Climate Action. Somerville Climate Action's main issue is the environment, saying on their Internet website: "[The organization] fights global warming by helping Somerville residents, businesses, and the municipality to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions." However, SCA was happy to lend support to the event. In an SCA handout that was distributed to all who entered the library last Monday night, they urge residents to "shop at locally owned markets," and "buy locally produced products."