NORTHAMPTON — Grow Food Northampton’s Tuesday Market returns for the season today, with the market’s manager Helen Kahn emphasizing the particular urgency of buying from local farmers this year.
The farmer’s market brings vendors from across western Massachusetts to the plaza located between Thornes Marketplace and the EJ Gare Parking Garage, running from 1 to 6 p.m. each Tuesday. Opening day will feature 33 farm, food and craft vendors and music by the group Wild Hearts. Musical acts will continue throughout the year, with a rotation of musicians set to perform during the 30 weeks the market is open this year.
Several new vendors will be included for this year’s market, including Come by Bike Farm of West Hatfield, Dave’s Natural Garden of Granby and Hobbit Hollow Herbals of Huntington. Also included in this year’s lineup is Vegan Pizza Land, which runs to-go counters in Northampton and Easthampton.
They join nearly 60 different vendors scheduled to work the market over the course of the year, selling products like fresh vegetables, cheese, meats, mushrooms, honey, maple, breads, flowers, plants homemade crafts and more. New to the market this year is the selling of craft beer, thanks to a bill signed into law by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey this year that makes it legal to do so.
“Hard cider and wineries were previously allowed, but now it’s expanded to allow for craft brewery,” said Kahn, the market manager for Grow Food Northampton. “Abandoned Building Brewery [of Easthampton] will now be joining us every other week.”
By coincidence, this year’s Tuesday Market launches on April 22, Earth Day. Kahn said that farmers and many of the vendors had an important role to play in help preserving the environment.
“Our farmers are helping protect our rivers and forests,” Kahn said. “They’re doing more than just growing food.”
Kahn also said it was particularly important to help support farmers this year given the current economic climate, with planned tariff policies and federal cuts under President Donald Trump having the potential to adversely impact farmers.
“The way we can all help make an impact is to buy directly from farmers,” Kahn said. “We’ve got to keep it local.”
This year marks the 18th season for the Tuesday Market and the 10th under Grow Food Northampton. The market also offers a SNAP Match program, where shoppers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can have their benefits doubled up to $10 each week at the designated purple tent at the farmer’s market. Additionally, several vendors accept HIP (Healthy Incentives Program), the Massachusetts-based benefit which allows SNAP customers to purchase an extra $20 per month in fresh produce from local farmers.
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
