ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Maggie Mendoza, an employee at Granny’s Place of Agawam, waits on a customer at the Saugus Farmer’s Market.
BY MICHELE DURGIN
SAUGUS — Sandy Cosco was among the first shoppers to show up at the Essex Street Farmers Market this week.
“I love the freshness of the vegetables,” she said. “Everything offered is crisp and delicious.”
The farmers market is open Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Anna Parker Playground on Essex Street through October 18. It’s one of several farmers markets on the North Shore, including Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Revere and Swampscott. These outdoor retailers feature vegetables, fruits, meat and more.
Justin Chase is a 12th-generation farmer from Newburyport. His 333-year-old Arrowhead Farm is one of the oldest in the United States, he said.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, Chase’s offerings include several varieties of organic meat such as Porterhouse steak, ground beef patties and lightly salted Irish bacon, selling for $16 a pound.
“I enjoy events like this because people love to talk about food and how it’s grown,” he said. “It’s common for folks to actually create a community around food and that’s never a bad thing.”
Granny’s Place is a family run, 250-acre farm in Agawam. Owner Rick Seldomridge said he was happy to make the two-hour drive to the market.
“This is my second time here and I am enjoying myself,” he said. “The people I’ve met are very nice and the atmosphere is friendly.”
Seldomridge acknowledged that his prices are higher than the supermarket. But he said it’s worth it.
“Everything is freshly picked and delivered to the consumer on the same day,” he said.
Seldomridge was selling tomatoes for $2.29 per pound, cucumbers for $1.29 per pound, peaches for $2.49 per pound and 50 cents for an ear of corn.
He also had a table filled with fresh-baked goods and several eight-ounce jars of honey, extracted from his 765 beehives, for $6.
Roberto’s Seafood had a crowd at the table set up for its fresh- from-the-Atlantic delicacies. Owner Bob Roberto, a longtime Saugus resident, sells fresh haddock for $8 per pound, as well as salmon and scallops at $12 per pound.
“I think this is great,” he said. “It’s nice to be part of events like this in my community. I offer the freshest seafood from Gloucester and Maine, and I’m happy to say that I usually sell out. Keeping it local is good for everyone.”
Market manager Peter Rossetti said the weekly event is popular.
“This is a win for all involved,” he said. “It is a wonderful way for the folks to enjoy farm-fresh vegetables and it’s a nice venue for local farmers to sell their products.”
Rossetti also said that the market accepts WIC, the federally funded supplemental nutrition program for families, as well as Senior Coupons, a state-sponsored nutrition program for elders.
Alexis Peavey and her 2-year-old grandson, Gavin, were shopping for carrots. They are Gavin’s favorite food, his nana said.
“I grew up in Nova Scotia and my family had a big garden,” she said. “I ate delicious homegrown vegetables just about every day. You can’t beat the freshness of this food and it tastes like heaven.”