NORWAY — The Norway Farmers’ Market has been serving the community as a once-a-week market for over 15 years. Due to increasing demand for local goods, the market will move its summer location to Main Street and increase the hours of operation.

“The relationship between customer and vendor has become increasingly important to families who regularly shop at the market and many people want to know more about the quality of food they are feeding their families and themselves,” explained Zizi Vlaun of Moose Pond Arts Ecology, the Center for an Ecology Ecology-Based Economy, and now the new treasurer of the market.

“They also want to know their farmer so that they can know and trust the treatment of livestock and impact on the environment directly influenced by growing and grazing practices,” Vlaun said.

Previously located in the parking lot behind Fare Share Co-op, the Norway Famers’ Market will move to the Square, a more accessible and visible location on Main Street, on the corner of Deering and Main streets.

The market will meet two days a week this summer on Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New vendors this year are Doreen and John Simmons of Stoneheart Farm, Sherri and Donnie Davidson of Herb N Dream, Chris Cavallo of Pickles and Things, Steve and Tosha Gravel of The Muffin Tin, Dottie Bell of Thunder Hill Farm. Caleb and Ariel Eshbach of Olde Mill Farm. Returning vendors are Pie Tree Farm, LolliePapa Farm, Moose Pond Arts, Oak Meadow Farm, Wrinkle in Thyme Farm, plus many other vendors who will come to the market occasionally or once a month.

Together with Healthy Oxford Hills, the market offers cooking demonstrations featuring fruits and vegetables available right on site, as well as classes providing market tours and education on purchasing and consuming local foods.

“These programs help familiarize people who may have never visited a farmers’ market about tasty new food options and the great health benefits these foods can offer,” said Tiffany Sweatt, HOH’s Community Nutrition Educator.

All of the foods and crafts at the Norway Farmers’ Market are made, grown and raised by local people.

DiCocoa’s Market to host weekly farmers market

By Matthew Daigle, Staff Writer

BETHEL — In an effort to support local farmers and food, DiCocoa’s Market and Bakery is hosting Farmers at the Market from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sept. 17, in the driveway next to DiCocoa’s Market.

Employee Anna Sysko said she and bakery owner Cathi DiCocco started hosting Farmers at the Market in 2012.

“We’re not officially a part of the Farmers Market of Maine organization, so we decided to name ourselves Farmers at the Market instead, to set us apart a little bit,” Sysko said. “There are a number of farmers in the area who would like to sell their products, but aren’t able to make it to the weekly Saturday market.”

Sysko said the market is free and people can “drop in and out from week to week if they decide to do so. Some markets will charge you by the week to set up a booth, but we don’t do that.”

Sysko said residents have “slowly started to work our market into their routine.

“We have a handful of consistent vendors who show up weekly,” she said. “That includes Pie Tree Orchard out of Sweden, Allium Farm from Sumner, Grandma’s House Bakery and Gardens from Mexico and myself.”

The market has a Facebook page, Sysko said, and DiCocoa’s Market and Bakery has begun to set up signs informing people of the weekly event.

Sysko said it’s “a lot of work for us farmers to set up the market, but as a result, people are able to share ideas with each other, purchase locally-grown foods and find new uses for vegetables.”

Farmers Markets:

Naples Farmers Market

Rt 302

Naples Village Green

Naples

05/23/14 – 09/12/14

Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bridgton Farmers’ Market

Depot St.

Reny’s parking lot

Bridgton

05/04/14 – 10/19/14

Saturday 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Casco Farmers’ Market

940 Meadow Road, Route 121

On Casco Village Green

Casco

05/24/14 – 09/20/14

Thursday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Paris Farmers Union Farmers Market

13 Sandy Creek Rd

Bridgton

Wednesday 2 or 3-5:30 p.m.

Harrison Farmers’ Market

20 Front Street

Town Office Parking Lot

Harrison

05/22/14 – 09/20/14

Friday 1-5 p.m.

New Sharon’s Farmers’ Market

150 Mercer Rd

Douin’s Market Parking Lot

New Sharon

05/11/14 – 10/05/14

Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Kingfield Farmer’s Market

266 Main St.

Schoolhouse Gallery

Kingfield

05/02/14 – 10/31/14

Wednesday 3-5:30 p.m.

Farmington Grange Winter Market

Bridge Street

Grange Hall

Farmington

11/24/14 – 04/20/14

Saturday 9 a.m.-noon

Sandy River Farmers Market

Narrow Gauge Cinema

parking lot

Farmington

04/26/14 – 11/01/14

Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Farmington Farmers Market

Main St.

Courthouse Parking Lot

Farmington

05/04/14 – 10/26/14

Saturday 9 a.m.-noon

Town of Wayne Farmers’ Market

Main Street, Village Center

Green next to Post Office

Wayne

05/26/14 – 09/29/14

Saturday  9 a.m.-noon

River Valley Farmers’ Market Association

Region 9 parking lot, Rt. 2

05/10/14 – 10/11/14

Friday 2-6 p.m. until mid-October

Norway Farmers’ Market

Main St. in summer

Norway

05/23/14 – 10/17/14

Thursdays 2-6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bethel Farmers’ Market

Rt 2 at Parkway

next to the Norway Savings Bank

Bethel, ME 4217

05/25/14 – 10/12/14

Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lovell Farmers’ Market

Route 5

Lovell

05/30/14 – 10/31/14

Wednesday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Old Squire’s Farm Market

493 Main Street

Norway, ME 4289

01/01/14 – 12/31/16

Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Thursday 2-6 p.m.

Source: GetRealMaine.com

River Valley Farmers’ Market moves from Rumford to Mexico

by Matthew Daigle, Staff Writer

MEXICO — After spending a few years sandwiched between Congress Street and River Road in Rumford, the River Valley Farmers Market has found a new home at the Region 9 parking lot on Route 2.

Market President Jessica Roy, who runs Roy’s Family Farm with her husband, Matthew, and her children, has served as president of the group for three years, and said that the move to Region 9 was an effort to reach more customers.

“When we used to hold the Farmers Market at Labonville on Route 2, 70 percent of our traffic was tourists passing through town,” Roy said Monday afternoon. “A lot of people drive down Route 2 to get to Roxbury, Byron, Rangeley, Bethel and even New Hampshire. A lot of people like stopping by and seeing what we’re all about.”

Roy said the voting members of the River Valley Farmers Market decided to shift the Farmers Market from Exchange Street in Rumford to the Region 9 parking lot.

“Some people were upset at the move, but a lot of people were okay with it,” Roy said. “We just weren’t doing the business we were hoping to do down there.”

Despite the move and the late start to the gardening season, Roy said that the Farmers Market is on pace to surpass the previous year’s sales.

“We’re about two to four weeks behind on growing, because of the bad weather we had at the beginning of the season,” Roy said. “We don’t have any produce vendors right now, but we’re still getting a lot of business with our jewelry and meat vendors. Once our produce vendors start coming, we’ll be doing great.”

Roy said that the Farmers Market is currently looking for more produce vendors to sign up.

“Since we’re a part of the official Farmers Market organization, there’s a certain ratio that we have to meet between produce vendors and artisanal vendors. We already hit our max with artisanal vendors, so if there any farms or residents out there that want to sign up to be a produce vendor, they’re more than welcome to do so.”

The River Valley Farmers Market meets every Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. until mid-October, though Roy said that the date could be extended, depending on the weather.

“Region 9 has been so good to us, and they said if weather permits, we could stay for a little longer,” Roy added.

For more information, call Roy at 207-357-1304.

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