The Highwayside Market

– Have you heard this?

“Have you been to the I-91 Farmer’s Market?”
“Which one?” You ask.

-Or perhaps,

“Mo-om pull over I really, really, really want some fresh strawberries.” Mom says “Can’t you wait until we get to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.” Child says “I can’t. I need them now!” “Ok, honey. Hold on, we’re almost to the rest stop.”

While these may be imagined conversations, with farmers signed up already for Farmer’s Markets at Charlton East & West, Lee East, Blandford West and Westborough the imagination is closer to reality than you may have thought.

I, for one, would be thrilled to have a pint of fresh strawberries on my way to visit my parents. I’m use to stopping at rest stop and looking for the lesser of the evilest of foods. Let’s face it, on the food pyramid most of what you find at a rest stop are in the little to never category.

For giggles I’ll share; my typical visit looks like this… I get out of my car, walk in- startled by the unnatural smells of high-sugar and overly processed foods and the controlled frigid or overly hot climate,- and go to the bathroom. Coming back into the main food area I vigorously read the menus and scour the aisles of the convenience store to find the least processed option. By the time I walk out with something that I typically wouldn’t dream of putting in my body, but hunger has pushed me to accept as nutrition, I’m cross-eyed and have a headache from reading long ingredient lists, nutrition labels, and turning in circles to see if there was something that I missed.

So I am thrilled that as long as they don’t compete with the businesses at the rest stations, farmers may hawk their wares at many Massachusetts rest stops this growing season. And that unlike the small local market in my town, I have a feeling its ok if I don’t stop every time I pass since there are plethora of travelers to keep the markets busy. I’ll still check them out if I pass, just not if I’m in a rush.

While “See you there?” is unlikely, I hope the presence of the markets ameliorates your travel this growing season.

Read more about it here.