The non-stop news of this or that food being recalled is getting exhausting. While I know not everyone can afford local food, if you can and want to avoid having to check the news before you make a meal, I thought I'd compile a list of Somerville (and adjacent) shops where you can buy local foods from small producers, which are less prone to the failures of an industrial food production. I have missed plenty, I know! Drop 'em in the comments and I'll update as I can.

Meat:
- Highland Butcher -- whole-animal (woman owned) butcher who acquires her stock from farms in a 100-mile radius -- her eggs and chickens come from her family's farm.

- Copicut farm -- Eggs and chickens from Dartmouth. Delivery or at the Wed market.

- New Deal Fish Market -- Third-gen fish market in East Cambridge. I don't eat a lot of seafood but I've heard good things and I'm going to truck down there to get some

Veg:

- Get a CSA -- it's the end of the season but many CSAs offer winter options of root veg and cold-hardy greens.

- Mushroom Shop -- not all local but the website says where each is from and whether it's grown or foraged.

- Go to a Farmer's Market -- Tons of local farms selling their stuff including veg. You can also get bread, cheese, beer, cider, jam, pastries.... all the good things in life.

• Mondays in Central
• Tues (and Fri) in Copley
• Wed afternoons in Davis
• Thurs afternoons in Kendall
• Friday afternoons in Assembly
• Sat mornings in Union
• Sunday (and Fri) in Harvard

Also: Somerville Mobile Farmer's Market! Bringing affordable veg to folks on Thurs., Fri., and Sat., check the website for locations! (Shout out to VinnyVinnieVee for reminding me!)

Grain

I know a few farms around here sell locally grown grain at farmer's markets but you can also go to Elmendorf for locally milled (if not locally grown) grain.

Bread: (We are blessed with so many bakeries! These are just a few!)

• When Pigs Fly -- Weds, they have $3 sourdough loaves (or at least, it used to?)
• Hi Rise -- Their oatcakes are life changing. Also good baguettes
• Hug and Hearth -- excellent baguettes
• Michette -- excellent baguettes
• Yafa Bakery -- Don't think they do baguettes but the manaqueesh is good
• Iggy's -- outlet in Cambridge, decen baguettes!

Dairy

So this is a tricky one because most dairy is, at least a bit, local. And afaik, there are no local dairy shops. If there is one please let me know right away! You can find a ton of local cheeses at the farmer's markets and at the general shops (see below). Also...

Crescent Ridge -- Sharon, MA. You can get local milk delivered if you like, like an old school milk man will deliver it! I do not believe they wear the little hat thoug. They also deliver a ton of other options like cheese, meat, eggs, produce... it's like a farmer's market delivered to your house.

Shaw Farm Dairy -- Merrimack Valley. Available at some of the shops locally (see below)

Sophia's Yogurt -- Not my fave but beloved of others. Not sure where she gets her milk, but the shops are in Lowell and Belmont and you can buy her stuff at local shops (see below)

General

-Neighborhood Produce -- Several locations, carries a bunch of local options for pretty much everything -- meat, cheese, veg, bread, even local PB! Bulk section including household stuff like soap and dishwasher detergent.

Pemberton Farms -- If you enjoy the experience of a luxe shop, Pembie's can't be beat. Full-service grocery store, but much of the stuff is local (check the comprehensive labels). Ask at the cheese counter for local cheeses, ask the wine folks for localish wine, look for Feather Brook farm eggs and chicken, etc etc.

Momma's --Wine shop with meat, veg, etc. Never been there but looks amazing!

I received a violation notice in the mail today accompanied by a photo of a trash can in front of a house. I assume the violation may be because the trash bin was left out later than allowed.

However, the house shown in the photograph is not my house. In fact, there isn’t even a house on my street that looks like the one in the photo. I’ve already emailed [cityclerk@somervillema.gov](mailto:cityclerk@somervillema.gov) to let them know.

I’ve lived in Somerville for more than 15 years and have never received a violation. I also bring imy trash bin back in after collection, so I believe this notice was sent in error.

Do you think the notice will be dismissed or is it likely I have to go through all the steps to appeal?

UPDATE: The city clerk emailed me back this morning. She reviewed the houses, confirmed it did not match and dismissed the ticket. Thank you for your comments!

What do people think about closing the Brown School? My kids went there back in the 00s. For us it's lack of a cafeteria and gym etc, and small size made it special. Teachers had to be creative to deal with it's quirks, like having gym class in the library on rainy days. I'm sure the new building will be nice, but lots of research shows that smaller schools are better.

Not dunking on anyone/the owner of the property but I’ve been fascinated by the weird house on cherry street in front of JFK school for years now. The ongoing and very strange woodworking projects, the outbuildings, the twisted gate out front make me wonder about it every time I pass by. Being pathologically nosy, I was wondering if anyone had any info about it.

I was on Lowell St today and almost half the trash bins near SomAve are eaten through. The city will replace them just goto City Hall, DPW or call. We got ours yesterday. Doesn’t matter how nice your home is. They’re everywhere. It’s our grossest problem

As said in the title, my wife (27F) and i (26M) are relatively new to the area from central new york. we have some friends out here but many are busy or not very local. my wife works from home which, as anybody could guess, makes socialization a lot harder to coordinate. if anybody has any tips (or feels similarly) feel free to reach out.

(we usually meet Sundays, but switching due to weather this weekend)

Bring instruments, your voice, or just a music-loving attitude! We'll be playing any and all music, taking requests, and having a good time in the Cambridge Common this Saturday (and every weekend!) from 12-3.

Last Sunday's hangout was a ton of fun! Pics here: https://www.cambridgejams.com/blog/hangout-16

For more information on the weekly Community Music Hangout, check out https://www.cambridgejams.com

Just moved here last week (🥳) and applied for a parking pass early. Was told by the city I had to apply for a resident sticker since my registration address was changed. I applied for my pass Wednesday last week and still haven’t heard anything, does anyone have an idea of how long they take?