LYNN — Those who have walked past Mt. Vernon Street on a Thursday this summer might have noticed the live music, crowds of shoppers, and produce vendors comprising the Lynn Central Square Farmers’ Market, which is quickly becoming a staple of the area.
From 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each Thursday this summer, residents can purchase locally grown organic produce in Central Square using cash, credit, debit, or SNAP cards.
Andréas Bolanos is a Lynn urban farm manager for The Food Project, a non-profit organization that engages teenagers with the farming and distribution of organic produce. The Food Project has a regular stand at the Lynn Central Square Farmers’ Market, which helps them integrate healthy eating in an urban setting, Bolanos said.
“We have two urban farms in Lynn and then one suburban farm in Wenham, where we grow organic produce for the community of Lynn and the North Shore, and we host around 60 youths during the summer and the academic year to work on our farms and learn about sustainable agriculture, food justice, and food insecurity in Lynn,” Bolanos said. “Something we like to say is ‘healthy food, healthy people.’ What we’re trying to do is take care of the land while also taking care of the people, making sure everyone has access to high-quality produce.”
Food Project Root Crew Member Karla Perez, 16, said that after joining the Food Project last summer, she “fell in love” with organic farming.
“I started my journey at the Food Project last summer, and I just fell in love with the job. We do workshops every so often about the community and how our sustainable agriculture and our local vendors impact the community at large,” Perez said. “Collectively, we engage with as many community members as possible and hope to distribute everything that we grow. Lynn is a very diverse community, so holding these farmers’ markets is very important. We allow people to pay with SNAP, so allowing us to have these methods of payment is accessible for everyone.”
Across from The Food Project sits a stand for Farmer Dave’s, a produce farm based in Dracut. Farmer Dave’s agriculture engineer intern, Enrique Grenas, said that he appreciates the Lynn Central Square Market because it allows urban residents to enjoy fresh, healthy, pesticide-free produce.
“We always use biological techniques to grow the plants,” Grenas said. “This is an amazing program because the people need to eat good food without pesticides. It’s a little expensive sometimes, but it’s really good for the body. This is for healthy local produce. We are so excited to be working here for this farmer.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected]
