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August 12. 2012 10:13PM
Bushels of veggies available at Saint Joseph Hospital's weekly farm stand in Nashua
NASHUA — Freshly-picked corn, garlic, potatoes, onions, hot peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, wax beans, green beans, shell beans, nectarines, cucumbers and eight varieties of summer squash and zucchini.
Those are the items on sale at the St. Joseph Hospital Farm Stand every Tuesday.
Sheila Caren, the hospital's public relations specialist, is a customer at the market.
“The benefit for me?” Caren said. “I can bring home fresh vegetables on a Tuesday evening and plan my meal around that.”
The produce comes from Country Dreams Farm, owned and operated by Mason-based farmers Drema and Patrick Cade. Since they lost access to a permanent farm stand they ran for years, the Cades work various farmers markets seven days a week.
Kristen Rioux, community health educator at the hospital, said the St. Joseph market is in its fourth year.
“It's to give the community access to a farmers market on a weekly basis for fresh vegetables and idea for staying healthy,” she said. “And more importantly, to purchase local-grown products.”
Rioux said different foods are highlighted during different parts of the season. Some days, recipes are available, along with cooking coaching from the farmers.
The educational component is key, Rioux said. Cade conducted a seminar, From Farm to Table, informing market-goers about the farming process and suggesting what to do with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Similar initiatives are on the horizon.
“We try and highlight something and then provide the ingredients,” Rioux said. “What do they need to make that same recipe?”
The customers run the gamut of hospital-goers, from patients to employees to delivery men. But the hospital cafeteria is one of the largest purchasers from the market.
Dave Dicicco, retail operations manager at the cafeteria, said he buys produce every Tuesday.
Fresh, local, organic produce are the benefits to shopping here, he said.
“The best part about it is that people see it here, and then we offer it at the cafeteria. Today we have a zucchini and tomato dish on, and tomorrow we're using the corn for corn on the cob.”
Dicicco doesn't stock up on the produce here because he prefers serving fresh-picked items. He said the difference in flavors is noticeable between items picked the same day, and ones that have been sitting under refrigeration.
Drema and Patrick also work the downtown Nashua farmers market.
The St. Joe's Farm Stand, a permanent feature at the hospital, will run through the end of the growing season. There is talk about including more farmers in the seasons to come.
Becky Mullis comes to the market every week to pick up what she called her favorite snacks. Bound to a motorized wheelchair, this is one of her sources for fresh produce through the week — the Main Street Farmers Market is out of reach.
“Drema used to have a farmstand at St. Louis Church, and I used to go there every week,” Mullis said. “Then she said she wasn't going to have it there, it was going to be here from now on, so I've been coming here since then.”
Mullis, who belongs to Country Dreams' CSA (community supported agriculture program) picks up her weekly share at the hospital.
This Tuesday, she came for some extra cucumbers and tomatoes to supplement her share.
“It's convenient for me,” Mullis said of the CSA. “Like in the fall I like to buy the pumpkins ahead and cook them to have fresh pies.”
The farm stand runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Thursday, next to the cafeteria at St. Joseph Hospital, 172 Kinsley St. in Nashua.
srios@newstote.com
Those are the items on sale at the St. Joseph Hospital Farm Stand every Tuesday.
Sheila Caren, the hospital's public relations specialist, is a customer at the market.
“The benefit for me?” Caren said. “I can bring home fresh vegetables on a Tuesday evening and plan my meal around that.”
The produce comes from Country Dreams Farm, owned and operated by Mason-based farmers Drema and Patrick Cade. Since they lost access to a permanent farm stand they ran for years, the Cades work various farmers markets seven days a week.
Kristen Rioux, community health educator at the hospital, said the St. Joseph market is in its fourth year.
“It's to give the community access to a farmers market on a weekly basis for fresh vegetables and idea for staying healthy,” she said. “And more importantly, to purchase local-grown products.”
Rioux said different foods are highlighted during different parts of the season. Some days, recipes are available, along with cooking coaching from the farmers.
The educational component is key, Rioux said. Cade conducted a seminar, From Farm to Table, informing market-goers about the farming process and suggesting what to do with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Similar initiatives are on the horizon.
“We try and highlight something and then provide the ingredients,” Rioux said. “What do they need to make that same recipe?”
The customers run the gamut of hospital-goers, from patients to employees to delivery men. But the hospital cafeteria is one of the largest purchasers from the market.
Dave Dicicco, retail operations manager at the cafeteria, said he buys produce every Tuesday.
Fresh, local, organic produce are the benefits to shopping here, he said.
“The best part about it is that people see it here, and then we offer it at the cafeteria. Today we have a zucchini and tomato dish on, and tomorrow we're using the corn for corn on the cob.”
Dicicco doesn't stock up on the produce here because he prefers serving fresh-picked items. He said the difference in flavors is noticeable between items picked the same day, and ones that have been sitting under refrigeration.
Drema and Patrick also work the downtown Nashua farmers market.
The St. Joe's Farm Stand, a permanent feature at the hospital, will run through the end of the growing season. There is talk about including more farmers in the seasons to come.
Becky Mullis comes to the market every week to pick up what she called her favorite snacks. Bound to a motorized wheelchair, this is one of her sources for fresh produce through the week — the Main Street Farmers Market is out of reach.
“Drema used to have a farmstand at St. Louis Church, and I used to go there every week,” Mullis said. “Then she said she wasn't going to have it there, it was going to be here from now on, so I've been coming here since then.”
Mullis, who belongs to Country Dreams' CSA (community supported agriculture program) picks up her weekly share at the hospital.
This Tuesday, she came for some extra cucumbers and tomatoes to supplement her share.
“It's convenient for me,” Mullis said of the CSA. “Like in the fall I like to buy the pumpkins ahead and cook them to have fresh pies.”
The farm stand runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Thursday, next to the cafeteria at St. Joseph Hospital, 172 Kinsley St. in Nashua.
srios@newstote.com
