Merrimack Farmers Market Off to Sunny Start

A small crowd browsed the Merrimack Farmers Market in the first half hour of the opening market of the season Wednesday afternoon, sampling honey, ordering cupcakes and taking home bouquets of flowers, strawberries and salad greens.

Barrett Hill Farm Assistant Manager Adam Hoffman said the Mason farm had a table full of pints of strawberries thanks to an early and bountiful crop.

"The strawberries are in wicked early because of all the hot weather we had in April," Hoffman said.

Barrett Hill Farm is one of a handful or farms attending the market. He said they offer pretty much any fruit or vegetable that thrives locally and visitors to the market can expect to see strawberries, tomatoes, corn, peaches and much more as the growing season rolls on.

At DJ's Pure Natural Honey, Owner John Blake was handing out samples of honey produced in the hives he maintains around Southern New Hampshire. The honey is unlike what most people buy in stores because it has no additives like the corn syrup found in most store-bought honey.

People are interested in learning more about what's happening with the hives and they like knowing where the honey came from he said.

Down the row of vendors, a brown van with a cupcake display case in the window had a steady stream of customers walking up to the window to check out Gone Baking, a new pastry company Merrimack Patch

Owner Jenny Cheifetz, a mom from Bedford was kept busy selling cupcakes, cookies and chocolate dipped pretzels, while chatting with customers about the on-the-go bakery.

Next to Gone Baking, at Trombley Farm's stand, Heather Stickney said the Milford-based farm enjoys this market because it introduces their farm to some people who may have never known about them.

The farm grows more than 30 varieties of tomatoes, and more the 20 varieties each of pumpkins/gourds and peppers.

A self-proclaimed foodee, Stickney said she loves to incorporate different foods into dinner each night and she enjoys bringing that option to their customers.

"We love being able to help people experiment with incorporating new foods into their meals," Stickney said.

The Merrimack Farmers Market is held every Wednesday in June, July and August from 3:30-6:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Tractor Supply, 515 Daniel Webster Highway. Check out the Merrimack Agricultural Commission's Facebook page and the Town of Merrimack website for more about the farmers market.