Tamales and “La Hoja” Corn Leaves at the Lynn Farmers Market

By Gus Schumacher 

Dave Dumaresq was persistent. A young farmer growing over 100 crops in Dracut, Massachusetts, Dave called and said, “Gus, you’ve got to drop by the Lynn Farmers Market when you’re in town.” It begged the question, what is so special about the Lynn Farmers Market?

He replied, “It’s the market for my newest crop, corn leaves for tamale wraps.” So on a recent Thursday morning I left the Cape in the pouring rain and with the wipers on high drove up to Lynn.

As I arrived, I saw a line of families waiting to buy bunches of corn leaves. To my amazement, corn leaves for tamale wraps were a big seller. So were hot yellow peppers and unusual varieties of eggplants, and other vegetables I had never seen raised by farmers in the Bay State let alone sold at farmers markets here.

But it was not the vibrant chiles or the odd eggplants that held my attention. It was the corn leaves. Customers bought bunch after bunch and by early afternoon, the total exceed 150. That day it represented about 20 percent of his business. I joked with Dave, saying, “You’re making more on corn leaves than sweet corn.” He just smiled.

Early in the morning of each market day, his crews harvest the leaves carefully, picking just the freshest and widest from the low on the stalk. They are bunched and sold within hours.

Customers, eager for the tamale wrappers, were using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and the nutrition incentives offered by The Food Project through Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program.

Protected Farmland: The core of Dumaresq’s farm is enrolled in the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, which pays farmers the difference between fair market value and agricultural value in return for a deed restriction precluded any non-agricultural development. He also rents an additional 60 acres. One of the many challenges he faces is the trend of landlords shifting from five-year leases to one-year leases. He is keen to secure leases on farmland protected through APR to avoid losing leased land to development.

By the numbers: 20,000 square feet of heated hoop houses; 13 farmers markets; 1,100 member summer CSA, 500 in the fall and 70 in the winter; 55 fulltime employees in season, eight in the winter.

Marketing: Dumaresq’s cropping pattern encompasses a wide variety of ethnic crops to meet the growing ethnic market, principally Hispanic and Asian immigrants and refugees. At the various farmers markets, he participates in nutrition incentive programs, including Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP) and Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program. He also runs a CSA program for SNAP clients with Groundwork Lawrence, a non-profit that provides half the cost to SNAP clients, who pay the balance paid at the weekly pickup with a swipe of an EBT card.

Testimonials from members of the Farm Dave’s CSA

“How HAVEN’T we benefited, is the real question!! Prior to joining Farmer Dave’s CSA, we didn’t eat nearly enough vegetables. We also relied a lot on take-out food and frozen meals. Our diet has become so much healthier since our farm share began. We have also been enjoying some rich family time while cleaning and storing our vegetables, planning our meals, looking through cookbooks, and cooking together. Our relationship has certainly strengthened over this past growing season! I have also been a very picky vegetable eater throughout my entire life. Being a part of this CSA has expanded my palette and has introduced me to many yummy veggies as an adult.”

“Our family eats MUCH healthier. We’ve tried lots of different recipes and discovered that we actually LIKE veggies after all. Who knew? Also, it’s great to share with friends and neighbors: When I had way to much corn, I sent 5 ears over to the family down the street. I gave bags of fresh green beans to friends. They all loved it.”

“Let me count the ways . . . my trips to the grocery store are reduced; I am forced (in a good way) to be creative and flexible about meals in order to incorporate what’s in season; I feel connected to the Earth and the earth around me; I am voting with my pocketbook against big agribusiness; I’m supporting the survival of an important part of New England culture; with the winter share, Thanksgiving will feel authentic: it will really be about giving thanks to Mother Nature and the farmers who grow our food — much of the same food (e.g. corn and squash) that was grown by the indigenous people who farmed the land before the European invasion; the staff is a joy to see every week — like the Sesame St. refrain, ‘the farmer is a person in your neighborhood . . . ‘”