Farmers’ Market Says ‘Thank You!’

The 24th season of the Sally Franks’ Farmers’ Market has come to a close and we’d like to send a great big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make it one of the most successful ever. Whether you were a vendor, shopper, volunteer, performer, nonprofit, local business, planner, bike repairer, Master Gardener, musician, or city staff member— this means YOU!
We are fortunate to have wonderful local farmers, specialty food vendors, and artisans whose products are raised or made with great care and thus are always top-notch. But, without loyal shoppers, we’d have no market. Our farmers and other vendors always say how nice the people who shop at our market are. Please know that your support is greatly appreciated and is crucial to the ongoing success of our market.

Thank you to those who stepped up at least once, and some many times, including several Melrose High School students: Laura and Dave DiMattia, Joel Moses, Kathryn Sloan, Frantz, Helen Cargill, Ilana Bortinger, Janet and Eric Rutan, Jarred Rosenblatt, Jessica Buster, Jingwen Lin, Kendall Mault, Laura Burton, Laura Ettenberg, Joe Tully, Laura Rymer, Margaret Hinkle, Marianne Folino, Mary Weinburg, Rebecca Mackenzie, Rosa Millhollin, Shirley Duddy, Wendy Becerra-Rojas, Bryan Meegan, Mirna Diaz, Briton Keel, Colleen Welsh, Matt Wallace, Scott Fulford, Chris Noel, Nan Connelly, Cindy Zhu, Kathy Bourque, Shuhua Chen, Alexis Khang, Elliot, and Millane Mosqueda. A special thanks also to Cari Berman, Melrose High School Assistant Principal, for facilitating student community service with the Market, and Shawna Carr and her students for helping at the Market nearly every week.

Thanks to our market planners who work behind the scenes: Julie Merrigan creating our graphics, and Laura Kahl organizing all our volunteers, Susanne Guirakhoo finding all our crafters and artisans, Jessica Hemmer for booking our non-profits. Thank you Ali DiMatteo for your excellent writing skills and making sure our “who’s at the market” signs were legible and attractive. Thank you Bo Tsang DiMatteo for designing our “Sponsorship” brochure and icons.

Thank you to the Way-sign Caretakers who control the 25 plus signs all around Melrose every week: Gerard Frazier, Michael & Marina Lacorazza, Scott MacAulay, Trudy Macdonald, Susanne Guirakhoo, Kathy Harlow, Jim Halligan, Joan Lounsbury, Mark Remollino, Maura Donahue, Maureen Elia, Joyce Zeiner, Christine Shirey, Bill Dowdall, Tom Buske, Callie McDowell, Tamara Kenney, Dorry King, Erika Nauda, Maureen Pyatt, and Laura DiMattia. You’ll be pleased to know how many people rely on those signs!

Thank you Melrose Urban Farmers! The people who opened up their homes in June for our second annual Urban Farm Tour fundraiser include: Mike Festa, Janet Aucello and John Capuano, Joe and Andrea Twomey, Lesley Keegan, Liz Meyer, Mark and Susanne Douglas, Nancy Ingram, Laura and William Corvene, Steph Zabel, Mary Kay Crepinsek, Katie Gallagher and Chayil Timmerman and Ellen Cobau. Thank you to Gosia Symons and the Melrose Community Garden for joining our tour this year. And, thanks to the volunteers who helped homeowners and staffed the tour table including: Janice Bissex, Joyce Zeiner, Don Bissex, Janine Venuti, Virginie Auvergne, Martha Borkan, Mary Beth Griscom, Bill Perry, Deborah Fischman, Gosia and Jeffrey Symons, Jeni Cram, Joy Fay, Katy Kennedy, Kelly Moynihan, Liz Hecht, Roger Young, and Sarah Herron. And thank you to Joan and Phil Lounsbury for hosting the post tour party.

Thank you farmers! Our farmers’ market wouldn’t be a market at all without our wonderful farms and local food vendors including: Ackermann Maple Farm, Bagel Land of Winchester, Deano’s Pasta, Dick’s Market Garden, Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery, Laszlo Family Farm, Mr. Tamole, Siblings Organic Farm, Popover Lady, Pour Man’s Coffee LLC, Roberto’s Seafood, Habibi’s Gourmet, Shady Pine Farm, Shagbark Farm, La Qchara, Seven Hills Farmstead, The Bread Shop, Pure Pastry, Sweet Spot Bakery, and Suzanne Goodwin.

Thanks to the musicians who add to the festive atmosphere so enjoyed by our market goers. They include: Dylan Cohen, Amy Spillert, Avi Meyers, Billy “The Kid” Claiborne, Brian Nolan, Casey LJ, Main Street News, Douglas Kwartler, Ed Driscoll, Frances Garrett, Frank Drake, Greg Guba, Senior Tones, Shakey Jake Oliva, The Whiskey Barrel Band, Julie Dougherty, Junko Ogawa, Bohemians, Marilyn Kirby, Morgan Johnston, Paul Harty, Rich Crowe, Satoru Nakagawa, Stephen Moore, Music 101, The Lucky Fun, T Max, Zach Solomons, Tim Ko’s Acoustic Social and Open Mic and Jessica Strout. And, thank you to Tim Kochanski who coordinated all the musicians and continues to bring the music to a new level!

Thanks to participants at the market who add something special: Cooking by Suman Shah from Fork on a Road who prepared amazing dishes from produce at the market; Master Gardeners Trudy Macdonald and Maureen Pritzker provided sound gardening advice; Carol Naczas from the Melrose Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee provided free monthly bike tune-ups; Dawn Folopoulos from the Melrose Council on Aging helped us organize a great event for Senior Day and arranged transportation for seniors to the market; Susan Becker lead a Tai Chi class and Liz Elia taught a mindful yoga class during Senior Day. Thank you to the Starbucks in Melrose for donating coffee for Senior Day. Thank you Barre and Soul Yoga for providing free Yoga in the Park; Jenine Wright from Fit Life Melrose who provided a free workout at the park; Marathon Sports helped us plan our “Moving Day” and sponsored an evening run from our park; and Joy Yoga provided multiple free yoga classes for kids, which they thoroughly enjoyed! Also thank you to Super Soccer Stars for providing several soccer demos from children ages 1-7, and to Steph Zabel from Flowerfolk Herbs for leading an herb walk. A special thank you to Kelly Moynihan for volunteering with her little helpers to provide face-painting during the Urban Farm Tour and Farmer’s Market Appreciation Week.

We’d also like to recognize the City of Melrose’s on-going support: Joan Bell from the Park’s Department, Mike Lindstrom and Brigid Alverson from the Mayor’s Office, Ruth Clay, Jen Keough and Coral Hope from the Health Department, and Frank Wright, Alderman from Ward 3, home to Bowden Park. Thank you Sadie Brown from Department of Public Works for providing more trash barrels and recycling bins. We really appreciate it! And a shout out to Mayor Dolan and State Representative, Paul Brodeur, who helped us celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week and provide on-going support.

Thanks to our local businesses and non-profit organizations for sharing their service offerings at the market. Thanks also to Throne Depot and Animal Craze. Thank you Janice Bissex, local Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for doing our first Chef Demo of the season. Thank you Richard Talieri, Owner and Head Chef from Giacomo’s for donating several gift cards to our raffle and participating in our Chef Demo at the market. We’d also like to thank David Drew, Head Chef from Cambridge Brewing Company for also participating in our Chef Demo and donating gift cards to our raffle Thank you to Alex Van Meter from Lilah-Rose for all her help in designing and printing our creative t-shirts and buttons and a farmers market gift basket, to help us raise funds for the market. Also a big thank you to Robin Peevey, owner of Buckalew’s, for donating a fantastic gift basket for our Farmer’s Market Appreciation week and many other goodies that were donated to the market. Thank you to Emily and Lorenzo Tenreiro for donating a gift card to our raffle and hosting our end of year vendor/board member supper at La Qchara. Thank you to Whitemore’s for donating soil, potting cups, and seeds for an activity at the Urban Farm Tour. A sweet thanks to Sweet Spot for providing the sheet cake for National Farmers’ Market Week. Thank you Maya Indian Grill and The Porch in Wakefield for bringing your delicious food to our Urban Farm Tour Fundraiser. A special thanks to one of our vendors, Seven Hills Farmstead for sponsoring a pizza lunch for our volunteers from the developmental learning class at Melrose High School and for hosting a ‘friend of the market’ pasta demo and dinner in your Melrose shop.

Thank you to our many Sponsors this year who make our programs possible: RevoluSun, Bean Group, Messina Fund for the Arts and the Melrose Cultural Council for providing funding for all our musicians, Melrose Bank for supporting our SNAP Match program, Eastern Bank, and Forestdale Park Senior Living for your generous sponsorship of Senior Day including an amazing Brain Healthy Food Demo. Thank you Rite Window for sponsoring our Fall Harvest Indoor Market on November 19th.

Thank you to our Friends of the Market for participating in our new funder’s program and helping to financially support your local farmers’ market.

Thank you to our market staff: Julie Unger, market manager, Doreen Breeland, SNAP coordinator and Jeff Lounsbury market coordinator. Their roles are crucial for consistency at the market every week. Thank you for your commitment and for making our shoppers feel welcome.

In closing, a few special shout-outs: Thank you Julie Unger, who joined us as market manager this year, for embracing your new role, the market and the Melrose community. We appreciate your energy, commitment and good ideas. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Cindy Chabot who has served as Market Manager since 2011 and led the market during its period of greatest expansion. Thank you both for the seamless and successful transition of the market management this season.

Thank you to my fellow members of the board of directors who spend countless hours behind the scenes overseeing the market, coordinating with local business and government, fundraising and serving as role models for volunteerism, leadership and commitment in our community: Ali DiMatteo, Vice-President, Laura Kahl, Secretary, Ruth Moses, Treasurer, Mary Kay Crepinsek, Cindy Chabot, and Maureen Elia.

Again, thank you to everyone who took part – it takes a great community to make a great market.

Diana Weinburg
President, Board of Directors

The Fall Harvest Indoor Market will be held at Memorial Hall on November 19th, 11-3pm. The 2017 market will run on Thursdays starting June 7 until October 25, 2018.