Every Thursday, rain or shine, people gather at Boothbay Farmers' Market from 9 a.m. to noon. Under a large white tent near the entrance, visitors will find tables overflowing with fresh, locally grown produce from Goranson Farm.

For Jan Goranson and her family, setting up at the market is a tradition more than 20 years long. She has been a familiar face at the Thursday market since its beginning, helping found Boothbay Farmers' Market after years of selling at markets throughout the region.

"We first started going to farmers' markets in 1986 in Damariscotta," Goranson said.

Her family's history with farming stretches back even further. Goranson inherited the farm from her parents, who primarily grew potatoes. Over the years, she helped diversify the farm's offerings to include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

"Cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes," she said, are just a few of the crops now available at the farm's stand.

For Goranson, however, the market has always been about more than selling produce. It has been a place where lasting memories and relationships have grown alongside the crops.

"My sons are 30 and 35 now, but they were young children growing up in the market," Goranson recalled. "They grew up knowing the farmers and the community."

Over the years, Boothbay Farmers' Market has become more than a place to shop. It has become a gathering place where neighbors connect over local food and shared values.

"I've called the farmers' market the new church because there's real community," Goranson said. "There's a community that exists to support local production, local agriculture and to keep our money local. Those are really the strong values we get to carry along every week."

Goranson Farm extends its impact beyond the market. The farm partners with Lincoln County Food Security and participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helping make fresh, local food more accessible to families. 

When asked if she had one message for the people who continue to support the farm year after year, she said: "We love them, and we appreciate them."