{"id":26983,"date":"2020-12-21T20:58:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T01:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2020\/12\/22\/farmersmarket\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T13:54:11","slug":"farmersmarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/12\/21\/farmersmarket\/","title":{"rendered":"NECC Farmers Market Fills a Growing Need During Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Janel D’Agata Lynch (left in photo) and Courtney Morin (second from right) along with volunteers Stephanie Haskell and Zoey Lauria.<\/p><\/div>\n

When the pandemic hit in March, Northern Essex suspended its free mobile farmers market<\/a> for faculty, staff, and students, which is offered in partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank<\/a> once a month during the academic year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to get it back up as quickly as possible because we knew food insecurity would increase with COVID-19,\u201d said Janel D\u2019Agata-Lynch, Northern Essex\u2019s civic engagement, service-learning and community resources coordinator.<\/p>\n

Over the summer, a plan was hatched to launch a socially-distanced farmers market in September. Individuals sign up in advance, receive a timed appointment, and drive on to campus and get their food without having to leave their vehicle.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Agata-Lynch estimates that an average of 50 to 60 cars visited each campus for each market and that from September through November about 250 distinct households and over 1,000 individuals were served.<\/p>\n

One repeat\u2014and very appreciative\u2014 customer is Tiffany Bell of Haverhill, a practical nursing<\/a> student and the mother of six children ages 5 to 23.\u00a0 \u201cYou have no idea how helpful this is,\u201d said Bell. \u201cI feel blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the December market, Northern Essex volunteers, led by Courtney Morin, the college\u2019s Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, who is overseeing the Haverhill market as well as food pantries on both campuses, unloaded carrots, cabbage, salad, mangos, onions, and sweet potato; packed a bag for each client; and loaded the produce into the cars.<\/p>\n

Morin, who is also a Northern Essex Biology<\/a> student, is passionate about food security. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to be successful in class if you\u2019re thinking about where your next meal is coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to statistics shared by the Greater Boston Food Bank, 47% of community college students and 39% of 4-year university students were food insecure before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is reasonable to assume that those numbers are much worse now,\u201d said Christina Peretti, Greater Boston Food Bank\u2019s assistant director of programs and community capacity. \u201cWe supply our partners and their clients with nutritious food because there are negative health consequences to hunger. Fresh fruit and vegetables are often some of the most expensive items to purchase in the grocery store.\u201d<\/p>\n

Northern Essex\u2019s Farmers Market will start back up in January and run monthly on the 4th\u00a0Tuesday of each month. To learn more, contact D\u2019Agata-Lynch at\u00a0jdagalynch@necc.mass.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The college also offers food pantries and clothes closets on each of its campuses.<\/p>\n

For more information, contact\u00a0shopnecc@necc.mass.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t