PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Lucas Hutchings waves with a hand painted red, white and blue at the Swampscott Farmer’s Market.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Sunday’s fifth annual Farmer’s Market provided patrons with food and a chance to get acquainted with first responders.
Fred Beshara, a market volunteer, said the market started last week and runs each Sunday until October at Swampscott High School. Through that time, he’s seen it grow from participants having to scavenge around for tents to a decent size.
Robert Chavez, another volunteer, said about 25 vendors sell their products, which include fruit, vegetables, fresh fish and beef, and coffee. He said certain farms anchor the market, with locally grown and sometimes organic products, including Grant Family Farm, River Rock Farm and Golden Cod Fish Monger.
“It’s good to know where your food is coming from,” Chavez said.
Keith Adams, a market manager with the western Massachusetts-based River Rock Farm, said they work with farmer’s markets in Greater Boston, with most of its business coming from sales to the general public and word of mouth.
Adams said the farm specializes in dry-aged beef, in a process the includes hanging the meat unwrapped in a climate controlled room for 21 to 30 days. The beef ages, releasing natural enzymes that help break down connective tissue in the meat, making it become more tender.
“You get a much more tender, much more flavorful kind of beef,” Adams said.
Doug Percy, owner of Marblehead-based Golden Cod Fish Monger, said he participates in the market to provide fresh fish to customers. The self-described “fish snob” and third generation fisherman, said he got tired of seeing fish at the local markets that he wouldn’t eat. His local catches included swordfish, codfish, haddock and jonah crabs.
Bill Clark, owner of Clark Farm in Danvers, said the farmer’s markets are his primary means of direct marketing. He was selling fresh grown lettuce, onions, strawberries and tomatoes. The strawberries are his biggest crop of the season while tomatoes are the biggest crop year-round. All of his products are grown without pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, he added.
Swampscott Police Officer Sal Caruso was one of the organizers for the market’s Public Safety Day, which featured equipment from the town’s police and fire departments, along with Atlantic Ambulance and the Red Cross. The event catered to children, encouraging them to not only touch a truck, but sit in the engines and play with the sirens.
“This is something that we used to do years ago that was really big,” Caruso said.
Caruso said the event was much larger about five years ago when it included equipment from 25 different cities and departments. Different branches of the military were also featured.
A goal of public safety day, he said, is to familiarize the public with police, fire and other emergency responders so they’re not afraid to go for help if they need it.
Despite the smaller size, he said the day was a success.
“I think everybody seems like they’re having a good time,” Caruso said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
