I'm a little tired of all the newbies talking about
Wilson Farm. While I'm glad that these people are discovering (and liking) Wilson Farm, I wish I heard more from people who are devoted to this place. The newbies think they found a diamond in the rough but what they don't realize is that there are hundreds of locals who travel in all kinds of weather all throughout the year to go to Wilson Farm once, or twice, or three times a week. One of those devotees is me. I've been shopping for produce at Wilson Farm, religiously, every week for the past 4-1/2 years. Now that's devotion indeed!
And now, this is MY time to talk about my love for Wilson Farm. Let me take you on a tour...
This is the Weekly Specials Tent. The old farm building isn't big enough to carry all the produce and various goods that Wilson Farm sells and the Weekly Specials Tent is a good way to expand their real estate and provide more product to customers. It's also a good way to highlight seasonal goods, specialty items, impulse buys and discounted produce.
Behind the Weekly Specials Tent is Wilson Farm's Garden Center. They sell potted plants, seeds, gardening equipment, mulch, you name it they got it. The tent and the Garden Center are open year round. When the weather gets colder the tent is more enclosed and they set up special space heaters to keep customers warm. Come summer time, the tent comes off completely and it's transformed into an open air market.
During the autumn months, the Weekly Specials tent has a table set up with hot Apple Cider Donuts and freshly dipped Caramel Apples with toppings. You can buy them right on the spot. The donuts are divine. Their $0.50 each and they are piping hot. I like buying one and munching on it while I wander through the tent looking at all the other goodies.
Wilson Farm goes all out every season and they are big on the holidays. Here is their Halloween/Fall set up. Lots of fun decorations, pumpkins and other goods to buy.
Once you go inside the actual store, you find yourself in a totally different setting. This old barn with high-ceilings and wood beams has been remodeled into a foodie paradise. While the Weekly Special Tents will have produce, all the vegetables and fruits can be found inside the barn. I have a mental map of the store and I know where everything is and I plan my shopping list accordingly.
One of the great things about Wilson Farm is that they try sell locally grown produce whenever possible. Some of their produce comes right from their own fields. They'll proudly label it "Our Own" in those instances. I love Wilson Farm green beans especially. Although the ones in the picture are from Georgia (they label all produce with the state or country it came from), most of the time the Green Beans are from the farm. I love this big bin. I stick my hand in and just start grabbing beans. It's so much fun.
Wilson Farm grows a lot of their own produce year round. They also have chickens on the farm and sell their own eggs. You can order your Thanksgiving Turkey or your Christmas Ham from them. They have a huge variety of prepared foods and have two chefs on staff who create and develop recipes. They host a lot of events. Last time I went they were having their last Hayride. They also have Tomato, Strawberry and Corn festivals. In the Weekly Special Tents, they'll serve samples of produce or prepared foods. There is no way your local supermarket does any of this.
Something else I love about Wilson Farm is their staff. I've been going there for so long a few of the staff members know me by name. In the blurry picture above, towards the left is Juan. He's my buddy. I stop and talk to him every time I visit. He's always got my back. There is also Bill. He's an expert on fruit and I always trust his opinion. He got me hooked on Cara-Cara oranges! Then there is Pat. He's a super-friendly guy who is very helpful. He does all the signage for the store because his handwriting is just that good. Ask any of the staff members for help and they'll go out of their way to be of service to you.
Wilson Farm also has the most amazing array of flowers I've ever seen. You'll find quite a variety here.
In the back, is the prepared goods section. This is also the area where you'll find most of the fruit. They utilize space very well here. The barn also has a meat section with some selections you won't find at your regular supermarket.
Wilson Farm also has a fantastic Cheese shop with tons of variety of cheese from all around the world. And a couple for sampling. They also have a great bakery with breads, desserts, coffee, cakes, cookies, etc.
The biggest complaint about Wilson Farm is that it gets super busy. The customers are not very nice. They'll push at your cart, block an aisle and won't think twice about cutting you off. I highly recommend going during the week or later in the afternoon on the weekends when the hussle and bussle dies down. The busiest part of the store with the most traffic congestion has to be the Packaged Foods section (as seen above). This is where the non-cooks or short-order cooks gather to stock up on ready-made lunches, dinners and sides for meals. These goods are a tad expensive so I usually steer clear of this area. But sometimes I like to look at the different items to get ideas for meals. And on occasion I'll pick up a package of their delicious Shrimp Scampi with Mixed Peppers and Linguine.
Isn't this place gorgeous?
As I left the store last week, I was greeted by a huge display of pumpkins. There is always something else that will make you linger just a little bit more before you leave the store and head home.
Hope you enjoyed my tour of Wilson Farm! And if you are ever in the Lexington, MA area make sure you stop by Wilson Farm.
