By: Kristen Clifford
There is nothing quite like getting fresh fruit and vegetable from your local farmers’ market. The farmers’ markets that we have been to always carry fruit and vegetables that are in season from the local farms. They also always have local vendors that make their own bread, sauces, hummus, jewelry, soap, and chocolate…yum! We love taking the kids to the farmers’ markets on the weekends, it always gives us something fun to do as a family. We usually go and buy food for lunch and then pick some place to go eat the food and have a picnic, like the beach or Castle Island.
You can find a local farmers’ market in your area at this website. My family and I often go to the Hingham Farmers’ Market. It’s held at the Hingham Bathing Beach every Saturday from May 7th until November 19th, from 10am-2pm. I’m pretty excited that the Bridgewater Farmers’ Market started up recently, especially because we live in Bridgewater, so it’s much closer! The Bridgewater Farmers’ Market is located on School St in Bridgewater. It runs every Saturday from 9:30-1:30 from June 18th until September 24th.
Aside from going to Farmers’ Markets for fresh fruits and vegetables we also like to go to local farms and either buy food from their farm stores or pick our own if it’s offered. We love C.N. Smith Farm for picking our own apples and strawberries. This past fall we took Grace to pick apples there and she had a great time, it was close, not too expensive, and they had a large selection of apples. I know C.N. Smith Farm has other fruits you can pick yourself, plus they have a few animals around for the kids to look at.
We’ve also have gone pumpkin picking in the past at Ward Berry’s Farm in Sharon. Ward’s Berry Farm has a very yummy little food counter in their store where you can get sandwiches made, and they are so unbelievably good! I know that Ward’s Berry has a great little area for the kids to play on as well.
We are hoping to check out a different farm this summer. In July when it opens for the season we are hoping to check out the The Blueberry Farm in Hanson on West Washington St. which has pick your own blueberries!
So next time you are looking for something to do for lunch think about checking out your local farm or farmers’ market and grab some food and have a picnic!
Community Voices for Health 
I am so excited to see this post! Thank you for sharing!
Great thoughts…
Some additions:
The TH farmer’s market at Stephen’s Field in Plymouth is quite good and there’s a playground and a view of the ocean right there… Carver has one on Sundays in a field across from a good playground, just next to the library.
Lookout Farm in Natick can be pricey, but is fun for the kids for picking as well as rides and animals. Their farm store has great gelato, too.
And the season has passed, but Spring Rain farm in Taunton has great strawberries starting on Memorial Day weekend each year.
Our favorite apple picking place is a hike, but is so worth it for the views, plus the cider donuts, animals, etc — Honeypot Hill. They have other pick your own, too.
Locally, a nice place for a hay ride and to see the bogs is Hickory Knoll Farm, quite small and you should call ahead for the hay ride info, but lovely views and a great family in charge (friends of mine, actually.) More info about them at http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=1048
I didn’t know about Bridgewater. We will have to check that out!
Great post! We also love Ward’s and go year round. Another great farm for Blueberries is Jane and Paul’s in Norfolk. Lookout is also great, and lots of fun for the kids! And like Martianne said, Spring Rain had great strawberries this year.