By Marilyn Pennell, Westford Patch, link to online article
The main purpose of the Westford Farmers’ Market is to promote sustainable agriculture and the efforts of local vendors and farmers, and last week’s effort toward that goal included a “Local Dinner Challenge” to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers’ Market Week.
During the market on Tuesday, August 23, student volunteers from Westford Academy manned a booth at the market, encouraging people to take part in the dinner challenge, which encouraged market customers to eat meals made from ingredients are at least 90 percent locally grown.
“A lot of the produce at local grocery stores is flown or trucked in from California and Mexico. The resulting carbon footprint and energy consumption is enormous,” said long time Westford resident and Farmers’ Market founder Gloria Gilbert. “We’re so used to getting what we want when we want it, but it comes at a cost.”
17-year-old Westford Academy senior Corey Holman, a volunteer with the Westford Farmers’ Market, said that working on behalf of the market had helped her develop leadership skills as well as share her knowledge and love of agriculture.
“I have a garden and grow all sorts of things” she said with a wide grin, “And and I like eating healthy.”
Holman said that though planning and planting the garden, which consists of tomatoes, beans, peas, carrots and pumpkins, is a “bit of work,” the effort is worthwhile.
Gilbert believes that area residents have to “vote with their forks for the next generation,” but added that more people from that next generation have to follow Holman’s lead and remember where their food comes from.
“Green is in, she concluded enthusiastically, “I hope it’s not just a trend, but it does make a difference to the younger generation.”
In addition to challenging customers to get locally grown ingredients, the Farmers’ Market also went out of their way during the event to help customers looking to eat local, providing recipes with ingredients from regular vendors at the Market, asking Westford residents and other who used the recipes or took part in the challenge are asked to post their comments about the experience on theWestford Farmers’ Market Facebook page.
While the challenge only lasted for a week, the Market will continue each Tuesday into the fall, with more information available at the organization’s website, www.westfordfarmersmarket.com.
