Winter Markets Offer Great Shopping

If you live in a region where fresh local fruits and vegetables are available all year then you may not appreciate this post. But those of us who live in regions where the growing season is short — like 120 days short and less — then you can imagine the thrill of going to a Winter Farmers’ Market.
Vermont now has several dozen farmers’ markets that are trying to extend sales into the winter.
Of course the variety is less colorful than the summer markets. Root veggies abound and a few cold weather brassicas wait for creative cooks and hearty locavores. Lewis Creek Farm still has an abundance of leafy greens, familiar roots but they also have eggs and colorful jars of pickles lining the shelves. And, of course meat and eggs, baked goods and crafts are all available throughout the season.
And winter farmers’ markets are the place to go if value-added products are on your shopping list. Jams, jellies, pickles, cheeses line the aisles. You’ll find the usual and the unusual. Bella Farm has a great pesto that will provide a spark of summer into your winter meals.
Vegetables aren’t the only thing that gets preserved for us to enjoy. Stray Cat Flower Farm has beautiful dried flowers that remind us that nature finds ways to keep things beautiful. You can buy stems and do your own arrangements or you can buy an arrangement.
Buying isn’t the only thing that you’ll get at a winter market. The social factor is a pretty great antidote to cabin fever. You’ll find most vendors happy to talk about their wares and you’ll undoubtedly run into lots of friends and neighbors while you shop. The only thing I need to remember for future markets is to bring more quarters for the parking meter…