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| Photo: Flickr/Joana Petrova |
By Victoria Thatcher
The appearance last year of a winter farmers’ market in both Wayland and Natick was a cause of celebration for local food addicts. This winter a third made its debut, in Somerville, and now it’s really time for hats in the air.
Being able to grow and sell vegetables year round represents a turning point for local food and agriculture in New England. Along with farm share programs, winter markets will make it possible, for the first time in perhaps a hundred years, for farmers to make a steady living year round—a critical factor in preserving farmland and local food sources. It represents the intersection of old ways, like root cellars, and innovative methods for growing cold-season greens in unheated greenhouses. It’s also the result of surging demand for local fresh food.
Somerville Winter Market
This market was started in January and organized by Shape-Up Somerville and the City of Somerville. Products for sale include local vegetables, bread, pastry, honey, cheese, eggs, fish, meat, apples, fair trade coffee and wine from Massachusetts vineyards such as Turtle Creek in Lincoln, Mass. (If you haven’t tried these new regional wines, you’re in for a pleasant shock; they are top-class.) Upstairs on the mezzanine, you can sip a hand-made cup of coffee, munch a cider donut, and listen to live folk music. Get there early, lines can be long.
Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, at the Center for the Arts at the Armory. Vendors take cash, checks or tokens that can be purchased at the market table with your credit card. Open Saturdays, 10-2 pm, January through March 26. Three weeks left!
Wayland Winter Market
Started by Russell’s Garden Center last winter and growing strong, this market is brilliant, literally, because it’s situated in sun-filled greenhouses. In addition to the items listed above, you can buy pasta, soup, smoked meats, gelato, old-time root beer, pickles, and locally raised wool. Not to mention plants and gardening supplies. Homemade lunch food is available from a couple of vendors and you can relax at one of the cafĂ© tables dotted around the greenhouses.
Winter Farmers’ Market, Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Rd/Rte. 20 in Wayland. Some vendors take plastic, but most take only cash or checks. Open Saturdays, 10-2 pm, January 8 through March 12. Last chance this year!
Natick Winter Market
Started last winter and reopened in October 2010, this market is running until early April. It has craft sellers as well as hosting various food artisans, a meat vendor (Chestnut Farm), and a lobster vendor. It has no regular vegetable growers, but the Natick Community Farm is at the market the second Saturday of each month with fresh organic eggs and greens.
Natick Winter Farmers’ Market, Johnson Elementary School, Route 27, Natick. Open Saturdays, 9:30-1:00 pm, October 30, 2010, through April 2, 2011. Four weeks left!
For folks who are particularly interested in fresh local produce—and what locavore isn’t—there are four vegetable vendors of note at these markets.
Winter Moon Farm (Whately) sells root vegetables only, but their displays have customers lining up 50 deep. Heaps of red, yellow, and pink beets, creamy lavender-tipped turnips, coal black Asian radishes, rainbow carrots, and watermelon radishes cut open to reveal magenta interiors ringed in green.
At the Somerville and Wayland markets.
Until last year Steve Hancock, owner of
NorthStar Nursery in Westport, was growing perennial flowers. But this year he’s transitioning to using his greenhouse to grow winter salads, including arugula, spinach, and an array of baby Asian greens. He also has potatoes and onions.
At the Somerville Market.
Farmer Dave Jackson of
Enterprise Farm (Whately) has amazed Boston area locavores this winter by offering not only cold-season vegetables, but also yellow summer squash, tomatoes, kale, collards, romaine, strawberries and other “summer” produce. Even oranges! He’s able to do this because of an innovative partnership he set up this year with 14 small farms in New England, one in North Carolina, and three in Florida and Georgia. This intriguing distribution model raises some interesting issues related to what it means to support local farms and eat local.
At the Somerville Market.
Red Fire Farm (Granby) and owners Sarah and Ryan Voiland are selling a variety of cold-season storage vegetables and greens.
At the Wayland market.
Victoria Thatcher is a local food and agriculture advocate, gardener and editor.