Meet The Farmers
REC markets are sourced by local farmers all year long
Summer Standing Market Vendors
Beaver Brook & University Park
Barnabus Fondia
Barnabus Forndia is a World Farmer and REC vendor originally from Liberia. He has been farming in the US for the last 5 years and will be entering his second season at the 2021 Beaver Brook Park Farmers Market. Barnabus and his family offers a bounty of naturally grown ethnic crops to a diverse crowd last year, including many from the African diaspora. Among the crops he grows are tomatoes, peppers, sweet potato leaves, amaranth greens, malabar spinach and lalu.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Fridays
Valeria Nyonkuru
Valeria is both a vendor at one of our standing markets and the REC YouthGROW Farm Mentor! She works in both greenhouses at WPI and Holy Cross as well as the Oread Street YouthGROW Farm. Valeria grows culturally diverse crops such as edible gourds, pumpkin leaves, amaranth greens, jilo. With her extensive background growing food, she's always teaching us new tricks and techniques!
Where & When: University Park, Saturdays
Traveling Cap Mushroom Company
Traveling Cap Mushroom Company is a small-scale mushroom farm located in West Boylston, MA where they cultivate a passion for gourmet mushrooms. With over a dozen years of experience, their owner, Gabriel DeCicco, aims to bring high-quality, healthy mushroom options to local communities.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Fridays; University Park, Saturdays
Bearfoot Farm
Bearfoot Farm, a small, family-run farm on 14 acres of forested land in North Grosvenordale, Connecticut, was founded in 2021. The farm raises fruits, vegetables, herbs, chicken eggs, and quail eggs using organic farming techniques and stewardship practices. Additionally, they sell baked items, canned produce, pottery, and wood crafts. Their goal is to provide their community with wholesome, locally grown food through farming in harmony with the environment.
Where & When: University Park, Saturdays
Harper's Farms
Harper's Farm & Garden is a fourth generation family farm owned and operated by David Harper. They grow over 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables on 85 acres of land using their own compost and manures. They utilize natural pest control strategies including predator wasps and lady bugs. Their (and our) favorite item they sell is their very special "Mirai" corn! They never sell their corn that's more than a day old.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Mondays and Fridays
Rock Harvest Farm
Rock Harvest Farm is a sustainably sized vegetable farm located in New Braintree, MA. It is owned and operated by Laura Davis, who's been farming for the last 10 years. They specialize in growing unique vegetables that you may have never seen before, but they have the classics too! Laura is a passionate farmer in love with her pea trellis, and ever expanding asparagus and strawberry plantings! Best garlic around central MA.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Mondays
Black Seed
Farmers Market
Black Seed Farmers Market connects community members of diverse backgrounds with each other, as well as with local farmers, some of whom are recent immigrants and/or refugees in order to foster wellness, belonging, and a supportive local economy around healthy food.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Mondays and Fridays; University Park, Saturdays
Coolidge Hill Farm
Jared Duval farms about 5 acres of diversified fruits and vegetables on a lush 25 acres property. Jared previously worked for the last landowner and now owns the land himself. He hails from Petershams and has been running the farm for the last seven years. He focuses on using Integrated Pest Management and also raises heritage breed pigs.
Where & When: Mondays at Beaver Brook; Saturdays at University Park
Crown and Root Farm
We are a small farm located in Oxford, Massachusetts just outside of Worcester. We pride ourselves in growing high quality nutrient-dense vegetables and fresh cut flowers for our community using organic practices. Together, we believe a thriving local food system is a staple of a thriving community. We want to be a part of and help to continue to build our already strong New England local agriculture scene to help shape food culture in Massachusetts and beyond with honest sustainably grown food.
Where & When: University Park, Saturdays
Bread Box Co.
The Bread Box bakes fresh breads, cakes, desserts, cookies, savory pies (11 varieties including Vegetarian and Vegan), and vegan soups amongst other things, as well as seasonal fare. Everything is handmade & homemade from scratch in small batches. Baking with ingredients that are (as available) locally sourced, organic/Non GMO. Tamsin is passionate about being earth friendly and is dedicated to being Carbon Footprint friendly - sourcing ingredients wherever possible from local, small and independent businesses.
Where & When: Beaver Brook, Fridays
Mobile Market Growers
YouthGROW Farm
Youth Growing Organics in Worcester, or YouthGROW, is an urban agriculture-focused youth development and employment program for Worcester teens. Youth and staff work together to grow a variety of vegetables, including greenhouse tomatoes, culturally relevant crops like jilo, aji dulce, pigeon pea and high tunnels greens like arugula and spinach.
Nuestro Huerto
Urban Farm
In collaboration with the EAT Center, Nuestro Huerto provides farm space, tools and support for individuals who arrive to America as refugees. Nuestro Huerto is a safe space for new Americans to grow culturally significant produce and sell them to our mobile market to make some money. Find diverse produce at a mobile market stop near you!