Salem Farmers Market – Page 6 – Salem Main Streets

Warming Up to Downtown Shopping

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Nov 222014

What do the over 100 restaurants, gift shops, other stores and attractions in Salem Ma have in common right now? Besides good bargains and eclectic choices, they have heat! Temperatures today (Saturday) are not expected to rise beyond the upper 30s. So you can sit at home, or go to a cold impersonal mall — or make Salem a one-stop warm & toasty shopping/dining daytrip destination. (This also applies to Sunday, or for that matter any day you would like to visit.)

But don’t take our word for it. Friday’s Salem Gazette had an article and an interview related to downtown shopping.

In the first of two front page stories, the emphasis was on the lengths North Shore communities (including Salem) go during the holiday season to invite and involve the community in local shopping over malls and big-box stores.

Ethan Hartley wrote “…local businesses in Massachusetts can offer something that you will be hard pressed to find under the bleak, florescent lights of a conglomerate store or a shopping mall — old-fashioned holiday cheer and excitement with an emphasis on building a strong community.”

Community is a key word. Salem Main Streets endeavors to work with our downtown merchants to design and promote events which increase business traffic and cement customer support/loyalty. The second article, an interview by Gregg Phipps with our manager Kylie Sullivan points to one of those projects, the Salem Winter Market.

Is the Winter Market successful in bringing people downtown to shop and do you think more and more people are turning away from mall shopping?

“That’s certainly the hope. There are so many great shops in downtown Salem, and we try really hard to ensure that our vendor offerings at the Winter Market complement rather than compete with the surrounding businesses.”

Kylie went on to explain that as much as the Market brings vendors to downtown Salem, it also creates a community gathering space in downtown Salem where residents and visitors from neighboring towns stop to chat with the vendors, other shoppers and even with merchants in surrounding stores.

Shopping need not be impersonal. It can be fun. The Winter Market will be closed this week in light of Thanksgiving but will be open again on Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Our stores, restaurants and attractions are open now. And the warmth you feel when you go inside comes from the people, as well as the heating vents.

Salem Winter Market Returns to Artists’ Row!

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Nov 122014

The Salem Winter Market is back and better than ever! The Winter Market will run Thursdays from 3 pm to 7 pm, Nov. 13th through Dec. 18th (no market on Thanksgiving). Brought to you by Salem Main Streets, the City of Salem, and the same amazing team of volunteers who brought you the Salem Farmers’ Market, the Winter Market returns to its old home this year down on Artists’ Row, in between Front Street and New Derby Street. The buildings along the Row will be chock full of all kinds of produce, spices, pasta, baked goods, jewelry, soaps, and much, much more – just in time for the holidays!

This year’s Winter Market will see the return of many of your old favorites (including Grant Family Farm, Long Hill Orchard, Salem Spice, Salem Soapworks, Mandy’s Wicked Chowdah, Shine Jewelry, Valicenti Organico, and Wolf Meadow Farm), some of your more recent favorites (Stillman’s, Jodi Bee Bakes, Auntie Elsie’s, and Far From the Tree Hard Cider), and some brand new friends (including SeaSalt Design, Sugar Coated Heaven, All Fruit Inc., New England Dog Biscuit Company, Green Phoenix Threads, and Witch City Wicks).

One important thing to note this year is that not all vendors will be there all weeks, so each week will have a different array of goods to offer. We’re starting a little smaller the first week with only two buildings, but each week will grow and expand a little more. See the full list of vendors and dates here.

Be sure to join us every week for the all the local quality, variety, and whimsy that you’ve come to expect from the Salem Farmers’ Market! (Seriously, did you notice that you can make your own turkey centerpiece using the poster?!).

On to the Next Season…

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Oct 222014

Ahhh, the good old days…

Sadly, after weeks and weeks of beautiful weather, our Salem Farmers’ Market has ended its season a little earlier than planned due to a good old-fashioned New England nor’easter. Due to the anticipated rain and wind, we have pre-emptively canceled the final market on Oct. 23 for the safety of our vendors and customers.

But what a tremendous season it’s been! We’ve helped over 30 small, local businesses connect face-to-face with their customers on a weekly basis. We welcomed an average of more than 2,100 visitors every week for 18 weeks. Word of mouth is that sales were generally up from last year, and many weeks saw vendors completely sold out of their most popular items. Over 20 local nonprofits were able to share their message with the community – from the Plummer Home to the Phillips House Museum to No Place for Hate. And hopefully, you all tried something new – a new vegetable, a new recipe, or maybe even a whole new way of shopping.

We have a lot of people to thank for the success of this season. Without our amazing vendors and their wonderful products, there would be no market. Without the countless volunteers (especially our rockstar Farmers’ Market committee) who lug tables, manage our social media, or greet our customers, there would be no market. Without our sponsors, including Salem Five Bank, Solarize Salem, Next Step Living, and Salem Chiropractic, and all our partners, like the City of Salem, Mass in Motion, Salem Food Tours, and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, there would be no market. And of course, without all of YOU there would be no market!

Before we call this season “over”, please tell us a little more about you and what you’d like to see at the market.

But don’t despair – the Salem Main Streets will be bringing Salem Winter Market will be back again this year! Starting on November 13 and ending December 18, we will be down on Artists’ Row every Thursday except Thanksgiving from 3 pm to 7 pm. We’ll have some exciting new vendors, especially a few new craft vendors, but we’ll also welcome back a number of your Farmers’ Market favorites – including, but not limited to, Grant Family Farm, Jodi Bee Bakes, Salem Spice, Salem Soapworks, Shine Jewelry/Heritage Handmade, Far From the Tree Cider, and Valicenti Organico. The final list of vendors will be posted within the week on www.salemfarmersmarket.org.

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SEASON!!!

Playing With Your Food – Week 17

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Oct 092014

Garlic Dill pickles ready for the fridge

“Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project. The Salem Farmers’ Market takes place every Thursday from June 12 to October 23 from 3 pm to 7 pm on Derby Square. While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we do our best to reflect some of the fun items we’ve found recently and what’s likely to be available for the upcoming week. Hopefully this will give you a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

The fall weather is upon us! For many people, that means baking, roasting, and other warm, aromatic tasks. As for me, I pickle. Now, I understand that most people do their pickling and preserving in the summer, but much like the grasshopper in the fable, I am sometimes too happy enjoying my fresh produce during the summer to plan ahead for the winter. But with the first crisp in the air, I suddenly panic about all the wonderful produce I’ll be missing in January and start pickling everything in sight.

That said, I’m unreasonably suspicious about my ability to can pickles. I don’t actually trust myself and refuse to believe that they’ve sealed correctly. For this reason, I tend to stick with fridge pickles, where no canning is required – but it does mean that they’re not “shelf stable” so you’ll be sacrificing fridge space. Here are a few of our favorites:

Pickled carrots with Valicenti Organico’s potato leek ravioli – one of those ideas that shouldn’t work, but absolutely does!

Playing With Your Food – Week 15

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Sep 252014

Fishwives - Mandy's Chowdah - cred Barb Taylor

Mandy from Mandy’s Wicked Chowdah, serving up the good stuff.

There’s still a wealth of fresh produce and ingredients pouring in every week, but let’s face it – some weeks you just don’t want to overthink it. Some weeks you’re just not up for cooking. Some weeks, you need someone else to take over. Thankfully, our Salem Farmers’ Market vendors have you covered yet again!

Valicenti Organico will always have friendly advice for pasta and sauce pairings.

One of your surest stops for an easy meal is sure to be Valicenti Organico. From lemon basil linguine to squid ink spaghettini to chard ricotta ravioli, any of Valicenti’s amazing pasta options will cook in under 10 minutes. Pair it with a jar of red gravy, “alla Norma” sauce with eggplant, or (if you’re lucky), some of their amazing butternut squash based Golden Gravy and you’re good to go!

If you need a snack RIGHT NOW, consider swing by Milk and Honey for some of their amazing empanadas, or cheese and spreads to take home as hors d’oeuvres.

Rowand’s Fish Market has more than just fresh fish – they also have a number of prepared dishes ready for you to take home. Grab some shrimp cocktail ready to go for an appetizer, salmon burgers or fish cakes for a main course, or even a cup of seaweed salad for the perfect light snack.

Not only is it looking a little grey today (perfect for a cup of delicious, gluten-free chowder), but Mandy’s Wicked Chowdah is thinking ahead! Buy 5 or more packages for $6 each and start stocking up for winter. She said it, not me.

Need dessert? Market newcomer Jodi Bee Bakes has been hitting it out of the park week after week with any array of seasonal goodies baked with locally-sourced ingredients. While Jodi has a number of gluten-free and vegan options, those of you who might be suspicious of such labels won’t question it again after sampling any of her wares.

You read that right – maple donuts with almond glaze from Jodi Bee Bakes. They just happen to be gluten-free and vegan, as well!

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