BuzzAround Raynham

June 1, 2025



~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time

Freedom Food Farm: Bringing Nutritious Food from Farm to Table 

Freedom Food Farm in Raynham is an organic farm committed to growing and distributing nutritious food to their community, but they don’t just stop there. As Narcissa Segura, the farm operations manager, puts it, they are “friends with the weeds.” With absolutely no pesticides or chemicals on location, the food grown on the farm is nutrient-dense and completely organic. Freedom Food Farm also focuses on soil health, because healthy soil improves the quality of the food: “We really believe in the nutrient-dense quality of our food,” Segura said. They grow lots of veggies in no-till spots, which means they rarely have to water them. Segura explained that the farm’s hope is to preserve the land they have to provide future generations with access to healthy soil and healthy food. 

But what do they do with all this nutritious, pesticide-free growth right here in Raynham? 

Freedom Food Farm can be found all summer long at the Union Square Farmers Market in Sommerville. However, if you can’t make it out to Somerville, you can order your own produce from their website www.freedomfoodfarm.com.

Freedom Food Farm’s impact doesn’t end at the farmers market. They have partnered with Hope's Harvest, a food distribution program in Rhode Island, since 2012. Instead of wasting the food they don’t sell, Freedom Food Farm donates it to Hope’s Harvest, which takes the excess food and distributes it to folks experiencing food insecurity. They’ve also built connections with Boys and Girls Club, Food Not Bombs, and various hunger relief programs. By connecting with food distribution programs, Freedom Food Farm can bring fresh food to communities that may not have had access to it. Freedom Food Farm isn’t just about growing produce, it's about building up the communities around them. To learn more about Freedom Food Farm and to get your own fresh veggies, visit www.freedomfoodfarm.com.

Written by Meghan Boucher, Emerson College BuzzAround Intern. 

Historical Tidbit:

Raynham 's Beginnings

In 1639 the town of Taunton was founded. Shortly after in 1652 the townspeople discovered iron ore along the Two Mile Forge River. With this exciting discovery, 23 people came together to set up the iron works on the east end of Taunton. This hub later became the town of Raynham.

It wasn't until 1731 that Raynham was officially incorporated as a town in Massachusetts. However, over the next century and a half. Raynham's iron works became the longest, continuously operating works in the state, ending operation in 1873.

Raynham's industry didn't just stop with iron ore though. Ship building was also important to the early town's economy. As the town grew, thanks to the introduction of a railroad track in the 1840s, other businesses started popping up. Shoe factories, saw mills, and box factories sprung up industrializing the town.

Although Raynham got its beginnings in the iron industry it grew with the times, constantly changing and developing into a town now home to about 16,000 people.

Written by Meghan Boucher, Emerson College Buzz Around Intern

Source: Raynham Historical Commission

TOWN HALL

Town Clerk

508-824-2700

Treasurer/Collector 

508-824-2702

Assessors    508-824-2704

Selectmen        508-824-2707

Building Dept.       508-824-2708

Board of Health      508-824-2766

Planning         508-824-2745

Veterans Service Officer 508-828-4527

Town of Raynham

Public Library

508-823-1344

RaynhamPublicLibrary.org

Council on Aging

508-824-2740

COA

Food Pantry

Raynham Food Basket

2nd and 4th Thursday of the month

9 - 11a

494 Church St, Raynham 774-406-5612

Congratulations!

Doreen Yourell

you won a

a $25 gift certificate to

 Sarcastic Swine BBQ in Abington

Bee sure to play our Historical Tidbit Trivia Game at the bottom of this newsletter.

Enter for this week's prize of

a free month of training and a free uniform from Unity Martial Arts, Raynham

Raynham Youth Fishing Derby

Thanks to the Raynham Fire Dept for sponsoring!

And thanks to many for the donations of food and prizes.

Video Courtesy of The Raynham Channel

Taunton River Festival

Sun, Jun 8, 11a-4p

Weir Village Riverfront Park, East Water Street

Admission is free!

Get ready for a day of fun at the Taunton River Festival! Enjoy a variety of live music from The Jethros, The Whelks, Unlikely Strummers, and the Taunton Civic Chorus, as well as a dance performance from Silver City Dance Center. Food from County Fare Hotdogs, Frosty Friends, Gonzalez Food Truck, Grammie's Malasadas, Rise Cafe, and South Shore Smokehouse will also be available at the festival. Finally, free 40-minute boat tours on the Taunton River will be offered beginning at 11:30 and occurring every hour after that (12:30, 1:30, etc.). Reservations are required for tours, so be sure to email director@savethetaunton.org to book a tour! For more information about the event, visit Savethetaunton.org/taunton-river-festival.

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Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative

Whose Grown Up Are You? (Virtual Webinar)

This training discusses the impact of trauma on the brain and body and how to foster resilience in young people. In addition, its helps viewers to become familiar with the term "caring adult" and identify how imperative their role is within child development.

This professional development is brought to you by the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Taskforce, the Family Center, the Drug Endangered Children’s Initiative, the Plymouth Youth Development Collaborative/Plymouth Public Schools, and High Point Prevention Services. brbridginglives.org

Hallway Stroll for Incoming Kindergarteners 

Mon, Jun 9

6p-7:30p

Merrill Elementary School

Merrill Elementary School will be opening its doors to its incoming kindergarteners on Jun 9. Bring your little ones to tour their new school with current first graders as their guides. The last tour will leave at 7! Be sure to come check it out!

Source: Raynham Merrill Elementary FB

Join the Board of Library Trustees

Interested in making a difference in your community? The Library Board of Trustees is looking for new members! Trustees take part in policy making, strategic planning, and other responsibilities that support the library and community! Meetings will be held by the Board of Trustees on the second Monday of the month from 7p-8p. Those with nonprofit, legal, or construction backgrounds are encouraged to apply. If interested, send your resume and letter of intent to the Board of Selectmen at ddooney@town.raynham.ma.us! 

Source: Raynham Public Library FB

bmchealthsystem.org/bmc-south

Support RYBA Raffle

$10 / ticket are due in by June 1st

There are some great prizes

Prize $500 in Scratch Tix

Prize #2 Solo Firepit Package

Prize #3 Mirbeau $500 Gift Certificate

and more!

Tickets Available at the Sports Complex

Raffles helps raise to keep the complex in great condition.

Questions? Email Malday22@hotmail.com

RYBSA FB

Loving this hometown support for our softball teams!

"Softball this one’s for you🥎Let’s show those baseball players how it’s done🥎hit the sign on field 5 & win free slushies for you & your team!!!"

Reposted from Raynham Youth Baseball and Softball FB

River Stewardship Grants Program

Ongoing

Any Organization on the Taunton River

The Taunton River Stewardship Council (TRSC) is pleased to offer the River Stewardship Grants Program to support local efforts to address streamflow obstruction and reduced river access in the Taunton River and its tributaries. In recent years, the TRSC has been notified of numerous areas along the Taunton River and its tributaries that are inundated with instream wood obstructions, preventing safe recreational passage and potentially impairing fish passage. We acknowledge that instream wood is ultimately a benefit for the river ecosystem, providing habitat, bank stability, and river-channel stability. We also recognize that recreation and fish passage are important values in the Taunton River system. The need for this fragile balance is why the TRSC River Stewardship Grants Program was developed.

Requests for funding can range from $500 to $10,000. All funding requests should be presented to the TRSC and are voted upon at regularly scheduled meetings.

If you are interested in applying, please read the guidelines PDF on TauntonRiver.Org and email all materials to Gloria Bancroft at director@savethetaunton.org.

Climate Can-Do: Simple Kitchen Swaps

We use plastic every day, most of the time without thinking about it. But scientists have discovered tiny, toxic, pollutants called microplastics all around the world. From Antarctica to the oceans, and even our own tap water. These tiny particles are a result of excessive plastic consumption and pollution. Here are simple switches we can make in our daily lives to decrease our contact with these toxic microplastics– and it all starts in the kitchen.

• Switch to bamboo or wood cutting boards. The plastic cutting boards we use to cut up our fruits and vegetables can scratch off tiny bits of plastic that stick to our food and are then consumed. Wood or bamboo is a better alternative and can even keep your knives sharper for longer!

• Use glass food storage containers. The plastic food containers we use to store leftovers get a lot of wear and tear. Over time this erosion can cause an increased amount of microplastics in our food. Alternatives like glass or pyrex are more long lasting and microplastic free!

• Don’t put plastic in the dishwasher. Even though we can make some switches, it’s unrealistic to get rid of all the plastic in our houses. However, the plastic we have left, like bottles or containers, can be washed by hand. The high temperatures of the dishwasher degrade the plastic over time.  

Glass, pyrex, wood, bamboo are all great alternatives, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid plastic–and that’s ok. Making these simple switche protect you, and the world around you. There is still a lot of research being done and much to learn about its effects. Scientists suggest a balanced diet, exercise, and plenty of sleep is always a sure fire way of having a healthy lifestyle.

Written by Meghan Boucher, Emerson College BuzzAround Intern

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Inventor's Club: The Interesting Science of You!

July 21-25, 2025

8:30am* - 3:00pm

or

8:30am* - 1:00pm (half-day)

ages 7*- 11

The Inventor's Club engages children in the habits of mind and the innovation and design process of engineers and inventors. Children will learn that collaboration, creativity, curiosity, empathy, imagination, inspiration, and perseverance are important mindsets to have while innovating and designing. 

Children will engage in the engineering design process through asking questions, brainstorming, planning, designing, testing, improving, and communicating ideas. Children will become adept at inventing solutions to problems as they learn that this is the main goal of engineers and inventors.

Our theme in 2025, The Interesting Science of You: Children experiment on their senses, and invent products that trick, enhance, or adapt based on the senses used. Raynwater STEAM

Friends of the Raynham Public Library Raffle

Come show your support for the Friends of the Raynham Public Library with their upcoming basket raffle! Get your tickets for a chance to win some exciting prizes. You can buy your tickets at the Main Desk of the Library. It’s $1 per ticket, 3 for $2, or 8 for $5! Drawing will be on Fri, Jun 20. Get your tickets now!

Source: Raynham Public Library FB

Bridgewater Raynham Girls Youth Lacrosse Celebrates a Dominant Regular Season

May 16th

Let’s GO DBR! The youth lacrosse team had 2 big wins this past week on Tuesday and Thursday, ending their regular season 6-1. .. Congratulations are in order for Rachel (Tuesday) and Sammi (Thursday) for being selected as the players of the game for the week! It’s been 3 short months since these players and coaches joined forces and already they have become a force to be reckoned with on the field - couldn’t be more proud of this outcome!

Reposted with Images from BR Girls Lacrosse FB

Copyright 2025 Buzz Around Raynham. You have our permission to share and copy this issue in its entirety as much as you like. If you take it in part, please give credit. ("Buzz Around Raynham 6/1/25")

At the Buzz Around, we promote community and family. Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. 

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Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies.