Dartmouth Farmers’ Market returns to St. Mary’s
Jun 3, 2022
Susan Murray rings up some kale and radishes for customer Ann Sheehan at the first Dartmouth Farmers’ Market of the season. Photos by: Morgan Beard
Hearth Artisan Bread of Plymouth dishes out oven-fresh loaves.
Musician Ric Allendorf plays a selection of light guitar music.
Lee Murray (right) and Elizabeth Scott sell hand-sewn items.
Elizabeth Frary (left), owner of Copicut Farms, and Cindy Moniz serve up locally-raised meats.
The market featured about 10 booths but should see more vendors as the season goes on.
The Dartmouth Farmers’ Market was back at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Friday, June 3 returning for its 17th-straight season.
Susan Murray, the market manager and owner of Flying Carrot Farm in Dartmouth, said it felt great to be there.
“It’s always nice to get back on the lawn again and see people we haven’t seen since last summer,” she said. “It’s great and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.”
Though it was cloudy Friday morning and rained briefly, the sun was out as the vendors began to pack up at 5 p.m.
The farmers’ market featured a variety of offerings including local meat and vegetables, bread and baked goods, and several artist booths.
“We do crafts too!” said Murray, describing it as a maker-grower market. “Everything you either make yourself or grow yourself.”
Murray said that many of the vendors are from Dartmouth, Westport, and New Bedford, though a few are from the wider area.
“It’s important to our town to support local agriculture and local business,” she said.
While the market was made up of about 10 booths, Murray said that she expects it to get bigger in the coming weeks.
“We’ve got more vendors coming,” she said. “We’ve got some that only come in the summer months and a few that just couldn’t make the first one.”
One booth, run by Elizabeth Frary of Copicut Farms in Dartmouth, featured a range of meats sourced from pasture-raised, grass-fed livestock.
Frary said she has been coming to the market for about 6 years and appreciates the tight-knit community.
“It’s really nice — we love this farmers’ market,” she said. “It’s a lot of the same families every week.”
At another booth, Lee Murray, mother of Susan, sold a plethora of hand-sewn wares, from potholders to needle cases.
Murray said she has been practicing the craft nearly all her life.
“I learned to sew on a little hand machine,” she said. “And I still have that machine.”
If local foods and crafts weren’t enough, the farmers’ market also hosts a rotating slate of musicians who perform at the market.
“We always have someone in the music tent,” said Susan Murray. “We’ve got quite a selection of musicians.”
The market will be held at St. Mary’s every Friday from noon to 5 p.m. until Oct. 31.
Though typically held rain or shine, the market will occasionally be canceled if the weather becomes unsafe, like during a thunderstorm, Murray said.
