By Kristen Levine, Reporter
Held every Friday from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 1 Park Street, the Sterling Farmers Market brings farm-fresh produce to the table. Michael Pineo of Pineo Family Farms is the current manager of the market and has been involved in it since 2007. A farmers-only market, the collection of sellers offers fruits and vegetables, flowers, honey, and other items harder to come by in a conventional supermarket.
“I know places that call themselves farmers markets,” Pineo said. “It’s two people selling produce that they went out to Boston to get.”
While it does not offer crafts and live music -Pineo noted that “you have to be able to talk about what you’re selling, and that’s hard when you can’t hear yourself think,” – he is optimistic about the market season, less as a festival attraction and more as a showcase for the hard work of local farms, providing fresh food for locals. Pineo anticipates more participants as the weather warms and the growing season continues, with local dairy and meat farms also joining in to offer their wares.
“We started a week or two early this year,” he said. “Right now, there’s [Pineo Farms], Meadowbrook Farm will join in July, Hancock Dairy Farm from Barre….we should be seeing them soon.”
LEFT: Wellwood Farms owner April Wells (r.) and her mother-in-law Barbara Bentley offer meats and eggs at their table. CREDIT: Danielle Ray
RIGHT: Michael Pineo from Pineo Family Farm and Sage Bauman from B & B Farms at the Sterling Farmers’ Market. CREDIT: Kristen Levine