Farm Fresh Rhode Island blog

Everyone deserves access to good food! In partnership with the RI Department of Health and the MA Department of Agriculture Resources, our Local Food Guide now maps which Rhode Island and Massachusetts farmers’ markets accept:

• WIC
• Seniors’ Coupons
• EBT /Food Stamps
• Credit Cards

Learn about how to sign up for WIC (Woman, Infants, and Children) and EBT / Food Stamps in RI, and how to use EBT at RI farmers’ markets. Note that RIers cannot use their WIC coupons in MA, or vice versa, but EBT can be used across state borders.

We’re also excited to announce a new farmers’ market will open this Saturday, May 24 in Richmond. Western Rhode Island is one of the least food secure areas of our state, meaning that there are few groceries and not much public transportation to help people get to them. We hope this new market will put fresh foods within reach for more Rhode Islanders!

Farm Fresh tries to make it easy to buy locally grown. No matter what day it is or where in Rhode Island you are, always know where to find fresh food! Our pocket-sized guides to RI farmers’ markets are hot off the press, in 6 regional editions:

• Blackstone Valley
• East Bay + Aquidneck + Sakonnet
• Providence
• Providence en Español
• South County
• West Bay

In addition to a list of markets by day of the week, the back side features a harvest calendar so you know what to expect. The bookmarks easily fold to fit in your wallet, or stick one on your fridge!

We’ll be distributing them to local libraries, bookstores, restaurants and grocers in the next few weeks.

Two more markets opened up this weekend: Burrillville and Coastal Growers (Saunderstown)

Mother’s Day Saturday kicks off a “pre-season” at Hope High School, May 10 from 9:30am to 12:30pm. You’ll find a mix of your favorite Hope High School farmers with a few tasty selections from the Wintertime Farmers’ Market at AS220, now ended. Here’s who to expect this week:

• Hill Orchards apples, cider, applesauce, cider vinegar, potatoes
• Marcia’s Chutneys jams, chutneys
• Matunuck Oyster Farm oysters, littlenecks, steamers, lobster
  
• Narragansett Creamery cheese
• Robin Hollow Farm flowers
• Southside Community Land Trust seedlings, gift certificates for May 17-18 plant sale
• Wishing Stone Farm seedlings (update: due to winds will be here 5/17)
  

Special during the May pre-season only:

• Cutie Pies pies, tarts
• OceanState Chocolates truffles, chocolate bars, biscotti
• Simmons Farm eggs, meat, greens, asparagus (update: due to winds will be here 5/17)
• Whispering Elms Farm eggs

The pre-season market runs every Saturday until the Hope High School Farmers’ Market’s grand opening on June 7. We expect more and more farmers to join in the Saturdays leading up to the opening celebration.

Markets in state parks (Barrington, Bristol, Narragansett, Warwick), at URI, in Pawtuxet Village, Scituate and Wakefield are also open this early in May, with mostly plant starts. Other markets open later this month and throughout June and July. See our always-updated list of markets open in the coming week.