Before the Fireworks: A Tradition 250 Years in the Making

June 26, 2026

Boom, y’all! America’s birthday is almost here! Bold stripes, bright stars, brave hearts… and plenty of good food. It’s a tradition — one of the things the Fourth of July is all about. And this year, as our nation celebrates 250 years since 1776, there’s even more reason to gather around the table.

Naturally, we’ll celebrate with fireworks, flags and family gatherings. But there’s another American tradition that has been part of our story from the very beginning — growing food and sharing it with our communities.

Long before grocery stores, farmers brought their harvests to town markets where neighbors came not only to buy fresh food, but to catch up on local news, exchange ideas and strengthen their communities. Farmers markets were among America’s earliest gathering places, connecting the people who grew the food with the families who enjoyed it — and connecting neighbors to one another.

The American story has always been rooted in resilience, self-reliance and community. Farmers embodied those values, providing for their families, caring for the land and helping sustain the towns around them.

Sometimes, they even gave their lives.

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Concord Hymn (1836)

Many of America’s founders believed the independent farmer represented the backbone of the new republic. And when the Revolutionary War began, ordinary farmers and farmhands answered the call, serving in the Continental Army and fighting for the communities they called home.

The world has changed dramatically over the past 250 years, but those values remain just as relevant today.

Every Sunday at the Salem NH Farmers Market, we help carry that tradition forward.

Our local farmers harvest vegetables just hours before the market opens. Bakers rise before dawn. Beekeepers, cheesemakers, flower growers, fishermen and artisans bring the fruits of their labor directly to our community. Every conversation between a vendor and a customer continues a tradition that stretches back generations.

As you plan your Independence Day cookout or picnic, consider filling your table with food grown and made close to home: fresh strawberries and blueberries, crisp greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, locally raised beef, pork and chicken, farm-fresh eggs, locally caught fish, artisan breads, cheeses, honey, maple syrup and handcrafted desserts.

When you shop local, you’re doing more than buying fresh food. You’re supporting the people who care for our land, strengthen our local economy and help build a more connected community.

This Fourth of July, celebrate a tradition that has endured for generations: farmers feeding their neighbors and local markets bringing people together.

In an age of online shopping and global supply chains, spending your Sunday morning at a farmers market is a simple way to celebrate the same values that have sustained communities for centuries — independence, stewardship, resilience and neighborliness.

Before the fireworks light the sky, stop by the Salem NH Farmers Market. For 250 years, Americans have gathered around good food, hardworking farmers and strong communities. It’s a tradition worth celebrating — and one we’re proud to continue every Sunday.

Some traditions are worth keeping.

“[Farmers] are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous… they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds…”

— Thomas Jefferson, writing to John Jay, 1785