Gloucester, Mass., April 11, 2024 - Backyard Growers, a food equity nonprofit organization, announced that Gloucester’s new farmer’s market will open for the season on Wednesday, June 19. Brought to the community by Backyard Growers, the Backyard Growcery is a weekly market at Burnham’s Field. The Growcery will  operate every Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30pm, from June through October.

Kicking off its first season, the Backyard Growcery is a community and food-centric market. The Growcery will feature multiple local farms and food purveyors. In addition to increasing access to locally-grown produce and food products, the Growcery will host a full calendar of workshops centered on gardening, art, and food systems.

The Growcery will be centrally-located at Burnham’s Field, nestled between two thriving community gardens managed by Backyard Growers. Burnham’s Field not only features a parking lot and adjacent street parking but is also highly walkable from much of downtown Gloucester and the MBTA. The Growcery is approved to accept SNAP, senior coupons and will be rolling out additional incentive programs to ensure that all of Gloucester is able to enjoy this new community resource. 

“A thriving farmer’s market is essential to building a healthy and resilient local food system that supports both residents and food producers,” said Alison DiFiore, Executive Director at Backyard Growers. “At its best, a farmer’s market is a highly visible tie to where our food comes from as well as a tangible resource for community members and food producers. It’s also a space for connection around shared experience and community-building. The mission of Backyard Growers is centered around empowering people to grow their own food. It feels full-circle to offer a farmer’s market as a way to expand and strengthen the circle of growing and providing food within our community.”

Backyard Growers is a nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate healthy, connected, resilient communities. Over the last decade, the organization has worked towards building a healthy food system on Cape Ann, increasing equitable access to resources like seeds, seedlings, and knowledge, as well as growing space in the form of community and residential gardens. The organization now manages six community gardens in Gloucester, including two community garden sites at Burnham’s Field. The organization also plants, grows, harvests, and provides taste tests of fresh produce to almost 2,000 Gloucester Public School students in their school gardens and cafeterias every year.

To learn more about the Backyard Growcery, visit www.backyardgrowers.org.