Imagine a place where you and your kids can savor delicious samples while shopping for fresh, nutritious foods and artisanal crafts from local vendors; all while walking around a vibrant atmosphere, listening to live music, and exploring a variety of kids’ activities. Picture the smiling faces of your neighbors who are excited to share more about the history of their food, and the labor of love that went into getting their products ready for you to take home. Now, imagine you take your goodies to a shady spot nearby for a family picnic. Afterward, you grab a refreshing sweet treat and introduce your kids to the wide variety of local nonprofit organizations, all of whom are there to share the impactful work they’re doing in our Seacoast community. Maybe you even end the excursion with a frolic on the playground next door, or in the community pool!
No, that’s not the opening scene of another Disney movie that’s on in the background while you’re reading this article — it’s a real life scene from a day at your local farmers’ market! With 7 locations throughout the Seacoast, you can access these local community experiences 5 days a week throughout the summer, with many of them continuing through the fall months before switching over to a slower winter schedule.
The vendors you’ll meet raise their own livestock, grow their own produce, bake their own breads, age their own cheeses, and produce their own jams, pickles, sauces, and more. It’s the freshest, most delicious food you can imagine; free from all the additives, preservatives, waxes, and long list of impossibly hard-to-pronounce ingredients.
Sadly, Farmers’ Markets across the country have witnessed a decline due to factors such as market saturation and concerns of affordability (see more below on the issue of cost). All of the Seacoast Farmers’ Markets are open to the public and everyone is welcome — but they need YOU to help keep their businesses and our communities flourishing, strong and connected!
Support your Seacoast area neighbors, and don’t forget to bring along your canvas bags, a cooler, and your appetite! You and your family have a lot to benefit from becoming regulars on the Farmers’ Market scene.
Here are 4 great benefits you should consider:
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- Healthier and better tasting food:
Study after study shows that eating fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients is one of the best choices you can make for your overall health. Consider this:
“When food is picked and eaten at the peak of its freshness, it not only retains more nutrients, it also tastes better.” (Why Buy Local Food? It’s Healthier & Better for the Environment, foodrevolution.org). - Better for the environment:
Reducing the distance your food travels from its source to your table also reduces CO2 emissions. There is also far less waste and packaging than you will find at a traditional grocery store. Local farmers are protecting our ecosystems and boosting biodiversity, which helps keep our air, water, and soil clean! So when you shop at the Farmers’ Markets, you’re helping to keep our earth sustainable for generations to come. Your kids and grandkids will thank you. - Boosts our Seacoast economy:
If we want these hardworking, family-owned businesses to remain viable for the long term, they need our support! It takes a lot of time, effort, and money for these vendors to set up at the markets, so the more the community shops from them on a regular basis, the more they will be able to grow and thrive. - Educational:
When kids learn more about where their food comes from, how it’s grown, and why it’s important to eat local, seasonal produce, they’re more likely to try new things — and appreciate them, even if they don’t love something the first time they try it. - Builds connection to community and improves mental health:
Creating a strong community connection has been correlated with increased mental and physical health and wellbeing. The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, suggests that we’re experiencing a loneliness epidemic, and advises that the best thing we can do for our health is to minimize distractions arising from technology (The Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community). Sure, it might be faster and easier to place your next grocery order online for curbside pickup, but in a world of increasing isolation, the best thing you can do for yourself — and your whole family — is to take advantage of every opportunity you get for meaningful face-to-face connections.
- Healthier and better tasting food:
Build the habit now, while they’re young, and keep modeling this way of life to them — and perhaps by the time they’re teens and adults, they could start a new generational trend that values authentic human interactions over whatever new app is trending next.
But can I afford it?!?
The first thing you might be asking is “Ok, this all sounds great but how does this compare to my already sky-high grocery bill?!” But it turns out:
“Due to inflation, the prices between the two aren’t actually that far off anymore, and the health benefits from the farmers’ market are worth the difference in cost.” (Farmers markets vs. supermarkets: Cost differences, health benefits, cnbc.com).
There are also a wide range of options to help make your Farmer’s Market shopping experience work with your family’s budget.
Vouchers:
The Seacoast area Farmers’ Markets all honor various vouchers! Check out the list below, and read more about a few of the vendors that you could meet when you bring your family! For example:
Bartering:
The good ol’ barter system is beginning to make its reappearance in many communities! If you have a talent or product to offer in exchange for something of equal value, you might even be able to make a deal: a win-win exchange for everyone!
When & Where:
- Mondays: Durham
- Wednesdays: Dover and Hampton Falls
- Thursdays: Exeter
- Saturdays: Portsmouth
- Sundays: Kittery and Newburyport
Keep reading for all the juicy details about each market:
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Dover, Seacoast Eat Local Market:
When: Wednesdays, 3:00PM-7PM, June 5th-October 2nd
Where: New location—Jenny Thompson Pool Lot, 140 Portland Ave.
Vendors: Check out the Interactive Market Map
Restrooms: onsite portable toilets
Pets: Leashed pets are welcome
Sit & Eat: Bring a blanket or folding chair to enjoy some time at the picnic area by the outdoor pool.
Follow them on IG: @seacoasteatlocal
BONUS: Cool off with a swim at the neighboring Jenny Thompson Outdoor Pool before (or after) hitting up the market!
Durham, Seacoast Eat Local Market:
When: Mondays, 2:30PM-6PM, June 3rd-October 7th (Note: no market on Labor Day, September 4th).
Where: Durham’s Downtown Mini-park, 66 Main Street
Vendors: Check out the Interactive Market Map
Restrooms: Important to note that a public restroom is not available — so plan accordingly!
Pets: Animals are welcome at this market
Sit & Eat: Enjoy a picnic in the shaded grassy area of market or use a nearby picnic table or bench.
Follow them on IG: @seacoasteatlocal
BONUS: Smaller and less crowded than some of the other markets — perfect for those kiddos (and adults) who get overstimulated in crowds!
Exeter, Seacoast Eat Local Market:
When: Thursdays, 2:30PM-6PM, May 2nd-October 31st
Where: Swasey Parkway
Vendors: Check out the Interactive Market Map
Restrooms: onsite portable toilets
Pets: Per town rules, animals are not permitted, but service animals are welcomed
Sit & Eat: there shaded areas to enjoy a picnic and several benches along the parkway to enjoy prepared foods.
Follow them on IG: @seacoasteatlocal
BONUS: Stroll along the shaded parkway visiting all your favorite vendors, then stop for a picnic along the river front grassy areas while enjoying the live music!
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Hampton Falls Farmers’ Market:
When: Wednesdays, 2:30-6:30pm, June 12th – October 16th
Where: Town Common on Lincoln Ave
Vendors: Each week features fresh produce, meats, cheeses, seafood, crafts, cut flowers, eggs, honey, baked goods, sourdough, hot sauce, live music, and more! Check out their website for a complete list of vendors for each market date!
Follow them on IG: @hamptonfallsfarmersmarket
BONUS: Take a free Tai Chi class, or enter the Pie Fest Contest with divisions for both kids and adults!
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Kittery Community Market:
When: Sundays, 10am-2pm, June 2nd – November 24th
Where: The Post Office Square parking lot, 10 Shapleigh Road
Vendors: Each week features 30+ vendors, live music, kid’s activities and special guests. Vendors include Produce, Seedlings, Meat, Fish, Eggs, Baked Goods, Prepared Foods, Coffee, Candles, Soap & Skincare, CBD Products, Jewelry, Ceramics, Home Decor, Art Prints, Pet Products, Knife & Tool Sharpening and more. Check out their website for a complete list of vendors, nonprofits, musicians, kids’ activities and special happenings for each market date!
Restrooms: Public restrooms available in the adjacent Mill No. 1 building
Vouchers: Kid’s Power of Produce Program, Maine Harvest Bucks (SNAP & EBT), Bumper Crop, and Vouchers for Veterans (September)
Follow them on IG: @kitterymarket
BONUS: This market features special kids’ activities! Start with brunch at Blue Mermaid, and finish off your day with a refreshing beer at Tributary Brewing Co, both located in the farmers’ market plaza!
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Newburyport Farmers’ Market
When: Sundays, 9am-1pm,
Where: Tannery Marketplace, 50 Water Street
Vendors: Honey, flowers, produce, coffee, fish, baked goods, handmade pasta, healthy protein balls that your kids will actually like(!), spices, artisanal handmade crafts, and authentic cuisines from around the world, Check out their website for a complete list of vendors!
Vouchers: EBT/SNAP with the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) match: stop by Farmer Dave’s and Heron Pond Farm booths to use your EBT/SNAP card to get the HIP match
Follow them on IG: @newburyport.farmersmarket
BONUS: Explore Newbury’s gorgeous, kid-friendly Waterfront Park Boardwalk along the Merrimack River, including the newly installed 2-person swings! Check out Newburyport’s Event Calendar for a complete list of events happening adjacent to their weekly farmers’ market:
On Sunday, 8/4, bring your lawn chairs and set up a picnic with your Farmers’ Market gems while you sit back and enjoy the Yankee Homecoming Parade starting at noon!
On Sunday, 8/18, you can hit up both the Farmers’ Market AND the Summer Arts Market located around the corner in the NAA Sculpture Garden from 11am-5pm.
Portsmouth, Seacoast Eat Local Market:
When: Saturdays, 8AM-12PM, May 4th- October 26th
Where: 1 Junkins Ave – Portsmouth City Hall
Vendors: Check out the Interactive Market Map
Restrooms: Portable toilets across the street at the South Mill Pond Playground
Pets: Are not permitted but service animals may enter the market any time
Sit & Eat: Shaded area with picnic tables across the street at the South Mill Pond Playground.
Follow them on IG: @seacoasteatlocal
BONUS: A great playground for kids right across the street!
Thanks to Kate from Kvitka Farm for inspiring the idea for this article!
Stay tuned for Part 2, featuring some of the talented neighbors you can expect to meet at some of the Seacoast area farmers’ markets—like Seacoast Mom’s very own contributing writer, mother of 3, local teacher, and singer-songwriter, Caitlin Piper! You can hear her perform at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market on Saturday August 10th and August 17th! Follow her on IG: @caitlinpipermusic
