Your Guide to Winter Farmers Markets
Thank you to our 772 paid members and our 2,800+ newsletter subscribers who have joined us and helped spread our co-ops mission in our community!
If you’re not a co-op member, we invite you to join us by investing in the Charles River Food Co-op today.
Volunteer
Opportunities
Interested in getting more involved? We’re looking for volunteers!
Join us at our board meetings, finance committee, and marketing committee meetings. You can find dates and joining information for all our meetings here:
https://charlesriverfood.coop/calendar
Currently, we are specifically looking for the following positions:
Media partnership specialist to join the marketing committee and help expand our local media presence. We’re looking for someone to help us manage connections to local publications, outlets, organizations, and more!
Graphic designer to work on swag, giveaways, and website design. We have lots of ideas for printed material, event/promotional goods, and more, and a great base to work off with. If you’re a fan of Canva or Figma we’d love to talk more about helping the co-op out.
If you are interested in any of these roles, email us at info@charlesriverfood.coop.
Member Spotlight
Mia Cellucci, CRFC Member #466
I live in Arlington, and I’m excited to be a member of the CRFC! I’m a Leadership & Executive Coach. I work with leaders ranging from small business owners to executives at large companies to identify what’s standing in the way of reaching their goals, and how to move forward.
Before entering my current field, I spent over a dozen years working towards a healthier and more resilient food system. I’ve worked at a food systems and public health research center in Baltimore, at a regional organic produce distributor in San Francisco, at a food business incubator in Boston, and at a national food and beverage brand.
I really got to know and love food co-ops while living in the Bay Area and working at Veritable Vegetable, the oldest organic produce distributor in the country. I sold produce to food co-ops throughout California and the Southwestern US, and I had the privilege of shopping at Rainbow Grocery, a worker-owned and -run food co-op with the most incredible bulk section. I want to see co-ops like that in the Boston area!
After a long New England winter, one of my very favorite things to eat in the spring is stinging nettle. I blanch the whole plant (which neutralizes the sting), then de-stem and chop the leaves into a paste and toss with pasta, olive oil, garlic, nuts/seeds and feta.
Message from the Board
On Monday the Board listened to a presentation by Simplified Business Solutions (SBS), our market research study providers. Their final report gave us some specific numbers on revenue potential, shopping behavior, suggested square feet and number of parking spaces, and estimated money needed for renovation pre-opening. It also evaluated the relative pros and cons of each of the 4 business corridors we were looking at within the three-town area, and provided a suggested product category mix for the store. Plus it evaluated key competitors in the area and suggested some observed consumer behaviors that might benefit us.
Part of the data used in the report was a survey that we sent out, which had 113 responses. Most of the results matched with our vision for the store. For example, the top three missing components from shoppers’ current food shopping experiences were, in order, local products, quality, and variety, which are key components we intend to include in our store.
We have some questions to follow up with SBS, but we now have some good numbers to plug into our pro-forma with the goal of calculating how much money we need to raise to open. This number will also help us set our near term membership goals.
Community News
Co-op of the Month: Johnny's Seeds
A co-op food store or farmers’ market is a great place to get fresh local food, but the best way to get it is to grow it yourself. This month’s cooperatively owned business is Johnny’s Seeds, in Winslow, Maine. In 1973, while growing vegetables for market at a small farm in New Hampshire, 22-year-old Rob Johnston recognized an opportunity for a new kind of seed company — one that would identify the best-tasting and easiest-to-grow varieties and sell them to American gardeners. He called his start-up company "Johnny Apple Seeds."
The company acquired a 120-acre farm in Albion, Maine in 1975. Rob's approach to selling seeds was low key, with genuine effort to provide quality seeds for Maine farmers and gardeners. By 1979, they were offering bulk seeds for the first time, in response to demand from market gardeners and farmers. In 2000, Johnny’s became one of the 9 original signers of the Safe Seed Initiative, pledging that it will not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. Johnny’s moved its warehouse and shipping operations to Winslow, near the Albion research farm. The company became 100% employee-owned in June, 2012.
Your Guide to Winter Farmers Markets
Missing the fresh food and atmosphere of farmers markets since the arrival of cold and snow? There are a number of excellent indoor winter markets nearby. Check out the markets in our guide.
Newton - Pop-Up Market - Find The Good Farm and others at The Allen Center (35 Webster St, West Newton) every Tuesday this winter from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Cash and card accepted.
Lexington - The Small Yet Mighty Winter Market began on January 6 at the Waldorf School Gymnasium at 739 Massachusetts Avenue, and will run until April 13. About 15 vendors sell their wares on Saturdays 11:00am to 2:00pm.
Brighton - This market, at 640 Washington Street, runs from January 27 through March 23 at the PSF Community Center. They are open on Saturdays from 10:00am to 1:30pm.
Somerville - The Somerville Winters Farmers Market is one of the largest markets in the area, and is open on Saturdays from 9:30am to 1:30pm until April 6. The market occupies 2 levels of the Armory at 191 Highland Avenue, and features 67 vendors and live music too.
Wayland - The 15th year of this market in the warmth of the greenhouse of Russell’s Garden Center at 397 Boston Post Road runs from January 6 through March 9. Hours are 10:30am to 2:00pm. They also have Farm Fiber days on several Sundays.
Cambridge - The Charles River Farmers Market takes place at The Charles Motel at 1 Bennett Street year round on Fridays from 12:00 to 6:00pm and Sundays 10:00am to 3:00pm. They have 11 vendors.
Follow the progress of other food co-ops
The Androscoggin Food Co-op, in Berlin, NH was formed in 2017, and is on a similar path as our own CRFC, building membership and on the path to opening a store.
According to this story in the Lehigh, PA Valley News, the Bethlehem Food Co-Op is relaunching with a new name. Co-op officials back in October announced plans to rename the new store Bethlehem Co-Op Market, following “much fanfare” from members and much discussion leading to the decision, co-op General Manager Eric Shamis said.
Watertown News / Watertown Food Pantry Panel
The invisible problem: did you know that nearly one in every three people in Massachusetts doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from?
On Monday, February 12, WCAN and Watertown News will hold a live round table about the state of hunger and food insecurity in our community.
Panelists will include Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director Tia Tilson, Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham, the City of Watertown's Community Wellness Program Manager Stephanie Venizelos, Watertown Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Lara, and Watertown Social Services Resource Specialist Sophia Suarez-Friedman.
Moderated by Charlie Breitrose of Watertown News and Maya Shwayder. Please check out https://wcatv.org/ for more info!
As always - thank you so much to all of you for your support and please spread the word by forwarding this email to a few friends.
In co-operation,
Board: Melissa, Tim, Nick, Christina, Allison, Joelle, Kathryn, Sonya, and Scott
Newsletter Team: Joelle, Simone, Scott, and Kathy
P.S. If you missed any of our previous newsletters, you can find them on our website.