Thank you Julia!

Julia St. Clair, Jamie Pacheco, & Lee Cataldo at the BTLT Farmers’ Market this fall

Though this entire year has been a time of gratitude, we’re entering the season where giving thanks becomes even more prevalent. With the Farmers’ Market season coming to an end and the Tom Settlemire Community Garden (TSCG) closing up for the winter, it is high time we thank our incredible Agricultural Programs Coordinator Julia St. Clair for all of her hard work!

Julia started with us in May, quickly plunging into our busiest time of year for agricultural programs. She hit the ground running with confidence, kindness, and determination. She brought with her a wealth of knowledge from her experiences on organic, permaculture, and commercial farms and community gardens across New England and abroad. Julia’s photography and community outreach skills shined brightly though her masterful work with social media – her weekly highlights of vendors and products enticed folks to attend the Market each week and her real-time stories on Saturdays show-cased just how vibrant, musical, and fun the Market truly is. Her engagement ideas of running an Instagram giveaway and photo frame were both big successes! Julia also initiated a kids table at the Farmers’ Market, for kiddos of all ages to join in the celebration of local food.

Though this was a particularly challenging year with a surprise move of the Farmers’ Market back to Crystal Spring Farm and the implementation of a new water system at TSCG, Julia not only masterfully handled the logistical tasks at hand, but made many friends along the way. The annual end-of-market survey that we send out to vendors had overwhelmingly positive responses!

Here’s what some market vendors had to say about Julia:

“Julia’s good humor and attention to detail have been appreciated as we continue to navigate the complexities of the pandemic amid changes to the market location and ongoing customer safety concerns. Julia has reminded us all why we love Farmers’ Market and what continues to make BTLT’s Market so special.”

“We love her enthusiasm, sense of humor, and the great energy she brings to the Market.”

“Julia has done a fantastic job of maintaining order and being approachable, friendly and responsive to both vendors and customers. I’ve really appreciated having her join the BTLT staff and her thoughtfulness in communication with vendors.”

“Excellent, friendly, intelligent, clear management. Julia is outstanding in that role!”

Julia, we thank you for all your hard work these past few months! Your contributions, perseverance, passion, and communication were much appreciated and we look forward to another great season in 2022.

Tom Settlemire & Julia St. Clair at the Tom Settlemire Community Garden Plot Luck

BTLT Saturday Farmers’ Market Back at Crystal Spring Farm!

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Saturday Farmers’ Market has officially returned home to Crystal Spring Farm! We had a fantastic first Saturday there last week and look forward to being there for the remainder of the season.

“All the vendors are really excited about the return back to Crystal Spring Farm!” shares Julia St. Clair, BTLT Agricultural Programs Coordinator. “Though the local businesses around the Landing these past few months have been generous and welcoming, we all much prefer to be surrounded by agricultural land. It contributes to the community-feel of the Market in a really positive way, helping everyone understand and value where their food comes from.”

BTLT is committed to continuing to support our local farmers and food system and proud of how much the Market has grown in popularity over the years. While we all share in the excitement of returning the Market to its home, the Land Trust recognizes that the Crystal Spring Farm site does pose some challenges. Hosting a market on a working farm, means that space is constrained by land that is in active agriculture.

“Everyone loves being in this beautiful setting,” said BTLT Associate Director, Lee Cataldo, “but forgets that the land around the market has been conserved for agricultural purposes, not more parking.”

She also noted that the Land Trust continues to explore possibilities to alleviate parking congestion but there are no easy answers. BTLT asks that all visitors are patient when seeking parking, and are careful of other drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists along the road.

The Land Trust also expressed their sincere gratitude to Flight Deck Brewing, Wild Oats Café, the REAL School, and TBW, LLC. These local businesses have been exceedingly generous in hosting the market (free of charge) in their shared parking area at Brunswick Landing since the summer of 2020.

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Saturday Farmers’ Market will continue to run at Crystal Spring Farm from 8:30am-12:30pm every Saturday for the remainder of the market season.

2021 Farmers Market Season

Saturday Farmers Market Opens May 1 at Brunswick Landing

We are heading into our second market season under the influence of the COVID pandemic. The 2020 market season involved two moves and a complete revamp of how the Market operates.  As we head into 2021, we will again be operating in a temporary home in order to allow for physical distancing and other safety protocols that are not possible at Crystal Spring Farm. Wild Oats, Flight Deck, the REAL School and TBW, LLC have welcomed us back to Brunswick Landing at their shared parking lot.

We are excited to report that most of the vendors are returning this season, though a few are choosing to wait another year due to COVID, and some because they have shifted away from the market model.  One market booth has been transitioned into a rotating booth to better accommodate some of our vendors who are unable to commit to the full season, as well as to support new or smaller scale food businesses as they build.  

Welcome back to all the returning vendors, welcome to our two new vendors, and a fond farewell to those not returning this season!

Farewell, Jacqui!

Jacqui at Market Booth at CSF

 

Jacqui Koopman established herself as part of the team at BTLT as a Saturday Farmers’ Market volunteer, assisting her daughter, Jane, who was Market Coordinator at the time. 

It was clear right away that Jacqui had an eye for how the market ran and a dedication to making community and local food synonymous on the market green. Jacqui took over as Market Manager in 2013 and helped shape the Market into what it is today.  

Jacqui has brought a wonderful sense of cohesion to the Market. She has worked intentionally to create a market with a festive atmosphere and to curate vendors to ensure a wide variety of produce, value-added products, dairy, meat, and seafoods. Her curation of the vendor slate had brought a breadth and balance to the Market’s offerings that have earned it statewide renown.  

Throughout her years at the market, Jacqui has formed friendships with parking staff, market vendors, and customers, whom she deeply cherishes. The friendships she has made extend to her coworkers, resulting in many hours of laughter, conversation, consumption of delicious food, and soul-soothing moments.    

Thank you, Jacqui, for your friendship and your dedication to celebrating, supporting and increasing access to local food! 

Farmers’ Market is Moving to Brunswick Landing on September 26!

The Brunswick–Topsham Land Trust Farmers’ Market will be making its second move of the season. 

From September 26th– October 31st it will be located on Brunswick Landing in the parking lot off Pegasus Street shared by the REAL School, Flight Deck Brewing and soon to be Wild Oats at their new location: the address is 11 Atlantic Ave. 

The Land Trust moved the Market from its usual location on Crystal Spring Farm, to the Brunswick High School parking lot at the start of the market season in May.  This was to ensure adequate space between vendors and space for customers to spread out, keeping everyone safe while COVID-19 poses a risk to community health.  The Land Trust and the High School had hoped to keep the market at the High School for the full market season, but in order to safely offer school sports the High School will need to use their parking lots on Saturdays which conflicts with the market. 

“We saw this as an opportunity to temporarily host the market near our new offices on Brunswick Landing, and contribute to develop the Landing as a community space” says Angela Twitchell, Executive Director of the Land Trust.  The Land Trust reached out to TBW, LLC, Flight Deck Brewing, Wild Oats and The REAL School about the possibility of using the lot they share and everyone was enthusiastic.  “We are excited to welcome one of the largest farmers’ markets in the state of Maine to Brunswick Landing. Showcasing our growing neighborhood in the town of Brunswick to the thousands of people who take advantage of the market each week is an enormous opportunity, and we are grateful for the Brunswick–Topsham Land Trust’s leadership” says Nate Wildes, Managing Partner of Flight Deck Brewing.  Wild Oats is similarly looking forward to more people coming to The Landing, “ while we won’t be moving to Brunswick Landing until late 2020, we are excited people will get a glimpse of our new building and experience the vibrant Brunswick Landing community” says Marshall Shepard of Wild Oats. 

While moving the market twice in one season isn’t ideal, and can be confusing for customers, it has been necessary to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.  The location on Brunswick Landing allows for distancing between vendors and customers, and abundant parking around the market area.  “We are fortunate to have such amazing vendors at our market” says Jacqui Koopman, Market Manager for the Land Trust “they have been very understanding as we have worked to make the Market safe this season”.

A New Arbor

Read more

Coming to the Market? Leave the pups at home!

Recently, we have observed visitors to the Farmers’ Market leaving their dogs in parked cars. It is dangerously hot inside a car for a dog, even on days as low as 70 degrees, especially with the lack of shade in the high school parking lot. Under no circumstance should a dog be left in a car when the temperature exceeds 70 degrees.

BTLT in the News, “Brunswick-Topsham land trust’s farmers market numbers down amid pandemic”

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers’ Market has temporarily moved to Brunswick High School in order to adapt to COVID-19 and despite the promising start at the first market of the season, the numbers are down. Alex Lear recently covered the topic in an article in the Forecaster.

Brunswick-Topsham land trust’s farmers market numbers down amid pandemic

Despite a slight uptick in traffic from the year before on opening day, the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers’ Market has seen decreased numbers in the following weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Several factors are at play, according to Jacqui Koopman, the market’s manager: Not all vendors are back, only one member per household is asked to attend, and the market is at a different site this year.

Koopman said 632 vehicles were counted at the May 2 start of this year’s market, up from 625 on opening day the prior year. But last Saturday saw 599 cars, down from 829 last year.

“We didn’t know what to expect” prior to opening, she said. “I know that we are a very popular market and we have a loyal following. And I also know that people are shopping more at farmers markets because it’s outdoors and it’s safer, and access to local food is easier that way.”

Still, “things are in flux,” which may have an impact on numbers, Koopman said.

…

Click here to read the rest of the article!

Coming to Market this weekend?

If you are planning to visit the Farmers’ Market this season, please remember that we have some important changes to keep our community safe and continue supporting local farms during this challenging time.

  • Send one shopper per household to the Market. We need to limit the number of people at the Market. Of course, logical exemptions exist for those who cannot get out independently. Please also leave your pets at home!
  • Come with a purpose and shop quickly. Please limit your time at the Market by coming with a list and planning your visit before arriving. Click here to view a map of the Market layout at Brunswick High School.
  • No congregating. While we take pride in the community we have cultivated at our Farmers’ Market, we need to limit the amount of congregating and socializing at the Market.
  • Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer.
  • Stay home if you feel ill or have been around someone who is sick.
  • Stay at least six feet away from others.
  • There are no outhouses available to customers.

The BTLT Farmers’ Market is temporarily being held at Brunswick High School. The Market is open to the general public every Saturday from 9:00am-12:30pm and high risk populations are exclusively permitted to shop from 8:30-9:00am.

Click here to learn about the other Farmers’ Markets in our area.

We look forward to seeing you this Saturday!

A Snowy Market

Read more