Valley Bounty: ‘Neighbors selling to neighbors’: Ashfield and Shelburne Falls Farmers Markets are quintessential New England open-air markets

The Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts are among the oldest mountain formations in the country, continuing the Green Mountain Range from Vermont to the south. The Hilltowns are the eastern foothills of the Berkshires, with 22 sparsely populated towns, including the two western Franklin county towns of Ashfield and Shelburne. They are separated by approximately 10 miles as the crow flies, and over 800 feet of elevation; yet both are home to timeless, friendly seasonal farmers markets.

Daniel Greene is the owner/operator of Good Bunch Farm in Shelburne Falls, who also wears the hat of market manager for the Ashfield Farmers Market and shares the hat of manager for the Shelburne Falls Farmers Market.

Greene describes both locations as quintessential New England open-air markets. On Friday afternoons in Shelburne Falls, locals walk and bike to the market, which is located at 55 Main St., just a block from the downtown attractions. “It’s a relaxing place, with the Deerfield River running behind the green that is home to the market,” Greene says. “We even have bodywork available at the market.” The location is picturesque: “There are flowers everywhere.” With ample parking, the intimate Shelburne market welcomes visitors and offers a delightful addition to a weekend trip to the hills.

The Ashfield Farmers Market gathers at 412 Main St. in Ashfield on Saturday mornings. Greene says, “It’s really a nice market. Ashfield is a kind of magical place. We’re on top of a mountain, and it feels timeless. The market is a sweet, welcoming place for people to socialize and meet each week.”

While Shelburne Falls still has a soda jerk at the drug store and a diner in town to round out the time travel experience, the Ashfield market is a place where young entrepreneurs from the elementary school occasionally set up a pop-up booth to sell lemonade, flowers, or zucchini bread. Both markets offer live music during most markets, and both are dog-friendly.

Although gathering as community has merits on its own, the purpose of the two farmers markets is to provide fresh, locally grown and produced food to the residents of Ashfield and Shelburne and surrounding communities. “It’s all neighbors selling to neighbors,” Greene says. “This local food is the bedrock of where we live.” During the pandemic, the markets were crucial to supplying food in the absence of supply in larger stores; shoppers who started shopping at the market then continued to attend the market today.

Once warm weather and sunshine grace the villages, people turn up at the markets looking for high season produce, like tomatoes. “It doesn’t work that way. They need to grow first,” laughs Greene. “Seriously, once it’s nice out, people are excited for the season’s produce. Folks are excited about snap peas, lettuce, cucumbers and squash — and the coffee and pastries at the Ashfield Market,” says Greene.

As the season unfolds, shoppers can pick up produce on their weekly shopping list from Good Bunch Farm, additional veggies and microgreens from Heart Beets Garden, and tree fruits from Brook Farm Orchard. Home cooks can purchase maple from Davenport Maple Farm for summer baking, and when the corn arrives, devotees dust corn on the cob with Davenport’s maple sugar.

In small communities, people take care of one another, and federal and state programs can help ensure everyone gets what they need. Some of the farm vendors at both markets take Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Massachusetts’ Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), to ensure fresh, local food is available to more people.

On Dec. 1, 2024, HIP benefits were cut from a cap of $80 per month, depending on household size, to $20 per month for all households. On July 1, the HIP benefit was increased to $40 per month, regardless of household size. Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) and other groups continue to advocate for full funding of HIP.

Greene notes the difference between a $20 basket of produce and a $40 basket of produce. “The $40 bag is quite a lot of food, with an array of root vegetables, salad greens, cooking greens, squashes, and more.”

“While it’s great that the $40 level has been restored, that was the minimum for families of one or two people before,” Greene says. “Before the cut, families of three to five received $60 per month, and families of six or more received $80 per month. We hope it goes back up so more people can get the food they need to feed their families.”

Whichever location, produce and more are filling the stands at the Shelburne Falls and Ashfield Farmers Markets. Crops appearing now include salad greens, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, squash, zucchini, beets, snap peas, and carrots.

“Both are cute, intimate markets in sweet places,” Greene says. “Either make a good destination for a cup of coffee and an egg sandwich (Ashfield) or a basket of vegetables, straight from your neighbor’s garden after getting a chair massage (Shelburne).”

The Shelburne Falls Farmers Market is open on Fridays, from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at 55 Main St. in Shelburne Falls. The Ashfield Farmers Market is open on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 412 Main St. in Ashfield. For more information, see either market’s Facebook page or website.

Lisa Goodrich is a communications coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). To find a farmers market near you see CISA’s online guide at buylocalfood.org.