The pine branches hang low at Cold Spring Park, and nestled between the trees is the entrance to the Newton Farmers Market. The market has a couple dozen vendors, and I stop at each of the tables.

There are long lines at the ice cream booth and at another booth making meat pies, and I stop at Nicewicz Family Farm, their table a monochromatic sunset glow. It’s stone fruit season, and peaches, nectarines, cherries and apricots cover the tables. Hands reach in to take the fruit just as fast as the vendor can replace them, and noses lean in only to smell the sweet air surrounding the stand.

A truck for Wally’s Vegetables is backed up over the rocks and dirt, and sits facing the street. From deep inside the bed, produce spills out onto three long tables formed into a U-shape. Underneath the tents, I pick out three green and golden and silky ears of sweet corn. It is finally corn on the cob season! I love this time of year when the days are long, the grill is hot, and fresh produce lines my kitchen counters, waiting to be charred and slow roasted.

There are piles of summer squash, crates of potatoes, and bundles of leafy greens around the corner, and eggs, mushrooms, and t shirts booths are on the other side of the market. There is an olive oil vendor whose table is replete with oils and vinegars, and infusions of sweets summer peach and spicy sriracha. At Quicksilver Baking Co., I find trays of crisp rugelach, apple cinnamon, apricot walnut, and raspberry flavored. I pop a small sample into my mouth and the sticky pastry is warm and sweet.

Before I leave, the Green Newton vendor reminds me to recycle, and a small woman sitting under a large umbrella tells me there’s still time to register to vote.

Visit the Newton Farmers Market now through October on Tuesdays from 1:30 – 6 pm at Cold Spring Park, and Saturdays from 9:30 – 12:30 pm on Elm Street. They have a rotating list of vendors, so check the town website before you head over. 

Alice Kathryn Richardson is a new media photojournalist based in Boston, MA. She created The Clean Food Club in 2016, and previously spent two years working on Deserts in the District, a series of short-form documentaries exploring food access and hunger in Washington, DC. She is committed to supporting local and sustainable food businesses by telling their stories with photo and video. Follow her on Twitter @AKR_Pictures.