Farmers market’s new manager plans ‘exciting’ new season

May 11, 2022 | Mike Lydick
mlydick@thereminder.com

Westfield Farmers Market manager Lisa Zlody, left, stands outside the Episcopal Church of the Atonement last summer with the 2021 market manager, Mary Kadomoto.
Reminder Publishing photo by Michael Ballway

WESTFIELD – Lisa Zlody, the new manager of the Westfield Farmers Market, calls it a “community gem.”

Zlody is looking forward to an “exciting and successful” 15th season when the market opens next month. She became the manager at end of the 2021 season after having been a general volunteer for the market for the past few years.

During the off-season, Zlody has been working with the market’s management team of five other volunteers. They have been planning, organizing, and implementing the needs of the market to make sure everything is ready when the new season begins.

The 2022 season will run every Thursday from noon to 5 p.m., starting June 2. The season will end Oct. 20, which is a week later than previous years. The market is on the grounds of the Episcopal Church of the Atonement, at 36 Court St., Westfield. More than 30 vendors and five nonprofit organizations have signed up to participate this year.

Zlody said the market has recruited several new vendors with a variety of goods for sale, “so we can continue to appeal to the diverse communities that we serve.”

Since some vendors come full-time and others part-time, Zlody adjusts the market’s layout from week to week to ensure every vendor has a space, and that their customers know where to find them. She said that with retirements or life transitions of some vendors, the market is looking to fill a few gaps.

“Specifically, we’re looking for a bread baker and a dairy to join the market on a full- or part-time basis,” she said. Two small farms, Gray Raven Farm and Just Grow Up Farm, as well as a hot-sauce maker, Galactic Hobo Hot Sauce, and Botanical Blends, which crafts herbal tinctures, will be joining the market for 2022.

Zlody said the market will also welcome back two past vendors that were unable to attend for the past two seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sweet JJ’s will return with their delicious baked goods,” she said. “The Boomsma family – who some customers may remember because of their school bus – will once again be selling vegetables and pork that they raise organically on their farm. Also, Firefly Fields will be back with their goat milk products – and, occasionally, actual goats.”

Another favorite that will return to the market is demonstrations from artisans, crafters and food vendors that were suspended for the last two years because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“We have some wonderful demonstrations planned. They will be promoted on our web page, on our Facebook page, and in the weekly newsletter we send out to subscribers,” said Zlody, who has called Westfield home for more than 15 years and is retired from a human services career in Central Massachusetts.

“Resuming vendor demonstrations will be a very positive aspect of this year’s market,” she added. “Customers enjoy seeing how the items they purchase have been created, as well as to learn about new ways to prepare the food available at the market throughout the season.”

The market will also be an opportunity for people to meet Westfield’s new mayor, Michael McCabe. Zlody said she and the management team are working out a time to schedule “office hours” for McCabe so he and his constituents can have an opportunity to meet and talk.

Zlody, who also has been coordinating the scheduling of local musicians for the market this season, said she recently obtained “a very generous” grant from the Westfield Cultural Council to support the music expenses.

As a general volunteer, Zlody had helped to set up and take down the market tents, greeted customers, filled out market loyalty cards for customers, and processed SNAP transactions.

In her new role, Zlody now coordinates all publicity for the market, so residents of Westfield and surrounding communities are aware of the market and its events from week to week. She works with another volunteer to keep the market’s web page up-to-date.

Zlody also coordinates schedules of the market’s nearly 30 volunteers, especially any ongoing trainings that may be required or recommended by the agencies that regulate the market’s permits and licenses. Those agencies include the Westfield Board of Health, the Massachusetts and federal departments of agriculture, and the state Department of Transitional Assistance.

Similarly, she is responsible for ensuring that all health and safety regulations are known and practiced by all vendors and volunteer staff.

“As always, the health and safety of our vendors, customers, and volunteers is always a priority,” said Zlody. “We will continue to provide hand sanitizer and disposable masks for all who request them.”

The Westfield Farmers Market began in 2007 and was originally located on the Park Square Green, before moving to the Episcopal Church in 2015. According to Zlody, by then the original grant money that funded the market had run out. But a few loyal vendors wanted to keep the market going.

“They approached the church for permission to operate on their lawn, which is when the Episcopal Church took over management of the market,” she explained.

Zlody said that in 2015 the market opened with seven vendors. Today, it operates with the help of numerous volunteers from the greater Westfield community, many of whom, like her, are not church members.

“We believe in what our market has to offer to the community and we want to see it succeed,” she said.

The 2022 season will be its eighth year at the church. During that time, Zlody said it has more than quadrupled in size and developed a customer base of more than 400 people attending each week.

“Our mission is to provide affordable, healthy food to the communities we serve, and to support local agricultural producers. The market does include some craft vendors, but we remain focused on continuing to provide locally-grown food to our customers.”

Free parking is available behind the church, with a parking lot entrance on Pleasant Street. For more information on the Farmers Market, visit www.westfieldfarmersmarket.org.

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