Westfield Farmers Market Newsletter Week of September 29th

For safety reasons, we ask that customers not enter the
Market grounds until the 12 noon opening bell.

For public health and safety, only service animals are permitted to enter the Market.

Parking for the Market
We know that parking has been challenging this season and we appreciate your patience while we work on easing the crunch in the back parking lot.  Market customers may not park in the lot at The Arbors next to the Market. That is private property, and reserved only for staff and visitors of The Arbors.  Any vehicles parked in the Arbors lot without permission are subject to being towed at the owner's expense. 
​ Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.


All are invited
Join us for The Blessing of the Animals this Sunday, Oct 2nd, 12:00 noon @ Church of the Atonement, 36 Court St. Westfield. All manner of creatures are welcome. Please bring pets on a leash or in carriers. Or bring a picture of your pet or a stuffed animal. 

SNAP MATCH UPDATE

Thanks to generous community support, the SNAP match will be increased to $10 for the last Market of every month!

Market Vendors

 AeroGreen Urban Farm
Auntie Janet's Gifts
Been's Beans Coffee
Botanical Blends
Crystal Clear Emotions
Della Terra Farm
Doce Mercer
Fair Share Amendment
Gray Raven Farm
​Growing with Minerals
Mark's Clay Creations

Meadow Burn Farm
Pignatare’s Farm 
​Pitchfork Farm
Rail's End Crafts
Ray's Family Farm
Sandy Hill Apiary
​The Savoy
​Sweet City
Sweet JJ's
Vlad's Fired Pizza
West Parish Orchard

Music at the Market

Eva Cappelli       12pm-2:30pm

Ed Bentley          2:30pm-5pm

Vendor Spotlight: Mark's Clay Creations

​Homemade polymer clay jewelry. Clay is light, durable, and colorfully toasted together. 
Garden produce including peppers, tomatoes, summer squash, wild blueberries, red currants, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, and cranberries.

Rachel’s Table provides food via the vendors and patrons of the Westfield Farmers' Market to "Reduce Waste and Relieve Hunger." Market customers may bring unexpired non-perishable items from home, or make fresh produce purchases for Rachel's Table the day of the Market, and bring them to the Market Table, where they will be held until pickup at the end of the day. Rachel’s Table volunteers will deliver to agencies that feed the food insecure in Westfield as well as further into Hampden, Hampshire or Franklin Counties. Your purchases will go far in alleviating hunger amongst our neighbors.

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"Delicious autumn!
My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

- George Eliot

Question 1: Fair Share Amendment

The MA Teachers Association is at the Market providing information about Question 1,
the Fair Share Amendment, a ballot question
you can vote on this November.

Question 1 would create a 4% tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and require – in the state constitution – that the funds be spent only on transportation and public education.
 
With Question 1, the top 1% of Massachusetts residents — those making over $1 million a year — would pay their fair share in taxes. 99% of us won’t pay a penny more and we'll have $2 billion a year in funding to improve our public schools from pre-K through college, repair our roads and bridges, and invest in public transportation.

Click here for more details.

Recipe of the Week

Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
Adapted from Spend with Pennies

Serves 6, prep time 20 minutes, cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients
2 small acorn squash or 1 large acorn squash, or 2 medium sweet potatoes
2 pounds bone in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon each paprika and garlic powder
 ½ teaspoon salt & pepper each
1 pound red or yellow potatoes cut into 1" pieces
1 red onion cut into ½" wedges
2 cups brussels sprouts halved if large

Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper if desired.

Combine the seasoning mix in a small bowl.

Cut the acorn squash in half from top to bottom. Scrape out any seeds and cut into ½-inch slices.

Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush the chicken skin with olive oil and season the chicken thighs with paprika, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper.

Place the potatoes, onion, and squash in a large bowl. Toss with ⅔ of the seasoning mix. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken.

Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the brussels sprouts with the remaining seasoning mixture.

After 15 minutes, flip the squash over, stir the potatoes and add the brussels sprouts to the pan.

Roast for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F. Broil for 2 minutes if desired.