Brookline Rallies To Help Support Farmers Market

BROOKLINE, MA — As the beloved Brookline Farmers Market gears up for its 43rd season in Coolidge Corner June 3, the nonprofit that runs it is asking the community to help raise money to keep it alive this year.

"To make a long story short – the Brookline Farmers’ Market is in trouble," Farmers Market co-director Abe Farber said in a GofundMe. "We want to keep providing Brookline and the larger Boston area with delicious, healthy, local food. But we need your help to do it."

The nonprofit farmers market management had to drop a number of vendors for the 2020 market to meet town requirements for keeping people distanced.

But when that happened, the market took a hit. Vendors pay a weekly fee that allows the market to operate. Between fewer vendors, the regular cost of insurance, parking lot rental fee, and new costs associated with keeping the market safe amid the coronavirus pandemic — everything from handwash stations, hand sanitizers, cones and signs —it was a financial blow.

So they got an idea: On April 15, they created a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $7,500.

In the past, they'd asked the community to help raise funds just specifically for their SNAP Match fund to fight food insecurity in Brookline by doubling SNAP users buying power, but they hadn't asked for help on this scale before, and weren't sure how people would react.

More than 100 people donated just that in just over a week.

"It is truly heartwarming how our community has stepped up to support us," said Faber.

But even as the market made that first goal, they realized they needed another $2,000 since the beginning of the campaign.

"If we can hit $9,500.00, we believe that will ensure that we can break even this year," Faber said.

The money will be used to cover police details, portable toilet rentals, pay for the market manager and SNAP associate and supplies.

"We believe that by next year we can return to our self-sustaining nature," Faber said. "We just need a little extra help from our community to cover the Pandemic related losses."

This year's market:

The Brookline Farmers’ Market is held in Coolidge Corner at the Centre Street West Parking Lot, each year. The lot is behind the Coolidge Corner Theatre just across Centre Street from the main parking lot in Coolidge Corner.

The 2021 market will run every Thursday, 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., from the first Thursday in June until the last Thursday before Thanksgiving.

To donate to the Brookline Farmers' Market you can donate on GoFundMe, which is a Patch partner.