ASHLAND — Marlene Kroll knew exactly what she wanted from Sunshine Farm at the Ashland Farmers Market Saturday afternoon: fresh strawberries.
“Are these locally picked?” she asked Katie Geoghegan, whose family owns the Sherborn farm.
The answer? Yes.
“A lot of my friends have been posting on Facebook about all the great local strawberries they’ve been picking,” Kroll said. “I figured if there are local strawberries, I’d buy some. I don’t have time to pick them myself.”
The theme of Saturday’s market was Strawberry Festival, which featured strawberry bread, cookies, cheesecake gelato, smoked strawberry chutney and even strawberry and chevre ravioli for sale.
Seven-year-old twins, Lea and Olivia Labrador of Boston, couldn’t wait until they got to their grandmother Bernice Labrador’s home in town before trying a fresh strawberry from the farm.
“They are really, really good,” Lea said. “I really like strawberries.”
Bernice Labrador said people at the market recommended the farm stand.
“They’ll eat them fresh or dip them in whipped cream,” she said of her granddaughters.
Valicenti Pasta Farm of Hollis, New Hampshire, sold strawberry, chevre and thyme ravioli.
“It is seasonal. Every year at this time we make it,” said employee Olivia Gillis.
She admits most people don’t expect strawberries in their ravioli.
“It is intriguing so people are curious,” she said.
Maria Costa, owner of Mama Lucia’s Soft Biscotti, helped with the theme.
“I filled them with strawberry for today. I normally don’t do that,” she said. “We sold quite a few.”
She typically sets up shop at the market every other week.
“I thought the theme was cute,” she said. “Even though it was a rainy day, people showed up. They brought their umbrellas. We appreciate them supporting local businesses.”
Geoghegan said the crop of strawberries has been good.
“We are a little bit late because of the rain,” she said. “You need the sun for them to ripen and that makes them sweeter.”
The farm sold about 240 quarts of strawberries at the market.
Kroll said her 90-year-old mother, Kay, has been craving strawberry crepes.
“That’s what I’ll make for breakfast tomorrow,” she said.
Jonathan Phelps can be reached at 508-626-4338 or jphelps@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JPhelps_MW
