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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Not many people realize that a farmers market must include at least two farmers. Otherwise, with only one farmer, it is called a farm stand. The Walpole Farmers Market not only features produce from three farms – with one of them right here in Walpole – but also includes wondrous wares, thanks to Carol Johnson, who assumed the role of coordinator and established Spring Brook Park as the location this year.
The Market has taken place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. since late June and will run until the first week of October this year. This is the first year that the Walpole Farmers Market has been at Spring Brook Park with Johnson as the coordinator, as it was previously coordinated by another group and was held on Route 1A. After overcoming difficulties earlier in the year with liability insurance funding, Johnson can now confirm that her efforts to revamp the Farmers Market have been successful.
The vendors at the Walpole Farmers Market set up their tents at Spring Brook Park and wait for the community to visit the Market. Photos by Laura Drinan.
The location has proved to be a huge factor in the Market’s prosperity. Spring Brook Park, located next to Town Hall, offers a grassy space with a gravel path, a community bulletin board, and a picnic table under the gazebo. Being just about in heart of Walpole with parking nearby means that passersby can easily walk through and discover what the kind of goods are sold at the Market. “This is where a farmers market needs to be,” said Sarah Hanifan, a co-coordinator and vendor at the Walpole Farmers Market. “[The vendors] all love being here,” she added. “We’re all like a family.”
The Walpole Farmers Market offers the community a place to gather and interact with local businesses. “It’s nice to have a community that supports small farms,” said Walpole native Peter Ellis, who works on his family’s farm. “Everyone just comes together and it’s really nice.”
As the produce season continues through September, the Walpole Farmers Market is sure that they will be seeing both familiar and new faces as the new Market concludes its first year at Spring Brook Park.
