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05/27/2015 08:00 AMWhen non-profit Branford Alps Farmers Market (BAFM) begins operating at the base of Branford Hill this summer, Martha Maguire is expecting to make a big difference under the market’s “big top” tent.
In the planning for over two years, the weekly seasonal market will encourage many community contributions and collaborations, says Martha. It’s designed to help to foster healthy eating for all; increase accessibility for those who may not otherwise be able to enjoy wholesome, Connecticut-grown products; support local farms; and educate about sustainable small farms and produce.
Sprinkled in the market’s mix of about a dozen seasonal vendors will be a mix of visiting vendors and crafters and a space where local not-for-profit groups can make guest appearances to raise funds, awareness, or otherwise educate people about their cause. Shoppers will have direct contact with farmers to learn more about the value of locally grown products and the importance helping small farms survive, Martha adds.
The market will also feature a rotation of two or three food trucks offering unique eats (often including some market products as ingredients), family-style picnic tables where food-truck meals can be enjoyed, live music from local musicians of all types, and a pop-up children’s activity tent.
Add to this delicious news that fact that BAFM accepts the following vouchers: WIC, Senior and Veterans’ Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons, and SNAP (food stamp dollars). And, as the locally-grown cherry on top, non-profit BAFM will double each SNAP dollar, up to $15 per person per visit. Tax-deductible donations to non-profit BAFM will help sustain the dollar-doubling program.
The idea, modeled on other non-profit farm market programs such as Cityseed, is a “win-win” way to help stretch a wholesome food budget and generate profitability to sustain the market’s local farmers, says Martha.
“It’s a way to offer fresh, healthy food options to a diversity of people while supporting these important small farms,” she says. “There are a lot of issues in play here—social, food, educational, and environmental.”
The Guilford resident and BAFM market manager co-founded the non-profit with her husband, Walter. He’s founder and president of Madison Polymeric Engineering, based in Branford at 965 West Main Street. The company owns the neighboring lot at 17 Alps Road, where the market will be held.
“Walter has been my partner through all of this,” says Martha. “The market is held in the parking lot of his factory, so he is the landlord. He’s the guy that’s gotten the paving and the lighting done; he’s made sure we got approved through zoning. He’s done sort of the nuts and bolts logistics of the project, from a physical standpoint.”
Situated behind TD Bank, the market’s fronted by Branford Hill’s commerce and retail and backed by residences like those along Alps Road. It’s on the bus line and accessible by car and on foot.
The town is allowing the market to operate once a week during the summer and fall with caveats including having enough parking for vendors and customers (ample parking is available right on the market lot).
On June 4, Martha invites the community to join in a Vendor Celebration from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event is family friendly, so bring the kids, she says. The market is also inviting vendors, town officials, Facebook friends of the market, donors, and others. The event will be a time to celebrate “farmers and other vendors, listen to some live music, grab a bite from a food truck, and applaud the vendors posing for a photo in their new, yellow market aprons,” Martha notes.
Look for the photo to pop up on Facebook (search Branford Alps Farmers Market), where Martha plans to update friends with news of what’s coming weekly, photos from the farms, and more. BAFM also has a website where more information is available and donations to the non-profit can be made, www.alpsmkt.org.
Thursday, June 11, marks the grand opening of BAFM. The market will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday, rain or shine, through Oct. 29. Martha says it was a carefully selected operating day and time of the week.
“We’re not a weekend market, and some people are very puzzled by that. We’re on Thursdays because we’re trying to be cognizant of not being open on the same day as other farmers markets around the area,” including neighboring towns of Madison and Guilford.
“I also think, in the summer time, if you’re going to have a food truck, having it open at meal-time makes sense,” she says. “And Thursday night is really a great night because people are getting ready for the weekend. So I think it’s maybe easier to make Thursday at the Branford Alps Farmers Market a routine.”
Making this a routine stop is very important to the success of the market’s mission.
“We want to be the place each week where this healthy food is available to people who need it,” she says, adding, “We really want our SNAP customers to have access to healthy food and to know they are benefactors of the market, because they are going to help make the farmers successful. There’s a real sense that these are dollars that people can feel really good about spending.”
BAFM is working to encourage tax-deductible donations to build its funding arm. As BAFM founders, Martha and Walter have pledged $1,000 a week to the dollar-doubling program.
“So with their SNAP debit card, the first $15 they swipe, we’re giving them another $15. So now they have $30 to spend at market. By doubling it, it’s even more money, so we’re really trying to make a livelihood for our farmers and to make the food accessible and affordable,” she says.
Farm-fresh dairy (such as goat cheese), eggs, breads, meats (pasture-raised beef, pork, chickens), herbs, and of course fruits and vegetables will be a part of the bounty available weekly at BAFM.
“It’s not just healthy food; it’s delicious food,” says Martha, who features a gorgeous salad of sliced fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil at BAFM’s website. “The market is for the cooks in our community as well. We want to attract the foodies and be the place where all these different elements have access to fresh produce.”
Martha’s hoping to encourage all community members to enjoy the benefits of visiting BAFM and gain a better understanding of why it’s important to buy locally grown foods.
“Pretty much every farmer today has a real job, and they are farming because they love it, so every bit of food we’re getting from local farms, we’re not really paying full price for it. A tomato at a farmer’s market costs more than a tomato in the grocery store, but it’s probably a lot more nutritious; it’s preserving the ground, it’s doing all these other things,” she says.