The cover page of the Food Buyers Guide features a 

 specific food product with information and recipes on the 

 product. Also a market report is given by a market inves- 

 tigator regarding specials in the retail market. We also 

 work with the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Market News 

 office, providing wholesale price information to growers 

 during the local growing season. 



Mary Moffitt is the staff member in this Markets 

 program. 



Farmers Markets 



The second comprehensive Massachusetts Farmers' 

 Market Directory was compiled this year, containing a 

 profile of each farmers' market. The directory was mailed 

 to growers to assist them in planning their market season 

 and to market masters whose markets are short on 

 farmers to assist them in recruiting more. 



The Department hosted the fourth annual Taste of 

 Msasachusetts Tomato Festival at City Hall Plaza in 

 cooperation with Massachusetts tomato growers, the 

 University of Massachusetts Suburban experiment sta- 

 tion in Waltham, and the marketplace management. 

 Entries from across the state fell into several categories 

 including commercial, back yard grown and hydroponic. 

 All were judged on taste, color, firmness, cutting quality, 

 and shape. 



Six new markets for the summer of 1988 were estab- 

 lished with city and town Chambers of Commerce and 

 Mayors' Offices cooperating. 



Produce was dehvered once a week to the Quincy 

 Housing Authority from MCI Shirley. 



Anneli Johnson is in charge of the farmers' markets 

 programs; Doug Roberts covered western Massachusetts 

 in this area for the major part of the growing season. 



Farmers' Market Coupon Program 



In 1988, the program was further expanded. In 1988, 

 a total of about $225,000 was provided for coupons and 

 administration. TVventy-two (22) markets participated, 

 which represented a 60% expansion over 1987. 143 

 growers participated at these markets, an expansion of 

 25% over 1987. A total of 307,000 coupons were issued to 

 more than 30,000 households. 70% went to WIC, with the 

 rest to other recipients. Over $170,000 of coupons were 

 redeemed, providing an average of more than $1,000 in 

 revenues to each participating farmer. 



Key changes over the 1987 program included the 

 addition of Boston Urban Gardeners' Farmstsmd pro- 

 gram. Eight farmstands located at low-income housing 

 sites in Boston were supplied with fresh produce from 

 local farms, and coupons were provided to assist the 

 purchase of food. The program was unique in that it was 



a way to reach the truly needy when farmers themselves 

 were unable to set up cmd do the actual sales. Volunteers 

 from community centers and housing sites did much of 

 the work to set up stands and redeem coupons. 



In addition, a much greater share of the state's 

 markets were included in the program. Redemption was 

 large enough to have significant impact on farmers' in- 

 comes and on their decisions about where to sell. The 

 program also confirmed the commitment of both funding 

 sources and sponsor agencies to stay with the program as 

 it expanded and became a permanent operation. 



1988 was really the watershed year as far as 

 demonstrating the sustainability of the Coupon Program. 

 By this time, a dozen other states had started programs 

 similar to that in Massachusetts. Many of these were 

 intiated following a national meeting held in the March 

 of 1988 in Boston, at which representatives from 22 states 

 and the federal government heard about the program and 

 specifics about its operation. The success of the program 

 was also instrumental in securing Congressional support 

 for a national pilot program. 



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