11-2-2009

Countdown to the Wintertime Farmers Market

Winter Market 2009Leaf peeping along the Blackstone River Bikeway this past Friday evening, the twists and turns up to Woonsocket were enveloped with stunning reds, golden yellows, regal oranges and stubborn greens. It’s a palette of colors that can only be fall in New England and always provides a new, exciting view of landscapes we thought we already knew too well.

That’s kind of like the weekly indoor Wintertime Farmers Market:

  • Opening day: THIS Saturday, November 7
  • Every Saturday 11 to 2pm inside Hope Artiste Village
  • 1005 Main St. in Pawtucket, just 5 blocks north of Providence line (directions)
  • 2009 Perfect Pickle Contest judging this Saturday at the market

Just as the season has supposedly run its course, there is a burst of new flavors and possibilities. Rhode Island farms are now producing more than ever for the winter months, offering up a tasty cornucopia of stunning reds, golden yellows, regal oranges. We’ve even got stubborn greens that just keep growing, from spicy arugula, juicy broccoli, tender pea tendrils, fragrant rosemary, crisp cabbage and zesty leeks.

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With 47 farmers and producers under one roof (up from 38 last year!), there are actually a wider variety of local foods available at the Wintertime Farmers Market than at any single market during the summer. What a change from when we began the Wintertime Market two years ago with 10 vendors inside AS220! Before the Wintertime, few farms produced for the winter months, because there were so few places to sell. But we all still need to eat. And the opportunity of the Wintertime Market has propelled more and more farmers to grow year-round. Happily, we found more space to include 8 farmers who are joining us for the first time this winter. Welcome:

  • Absalona Greenhouse lettuce varieties from Chepachet
  • Cook’s Valley Farm cauliflower, fingerlings, endive, chestnuts, pears from Wrentham
  • Fresh Meadows fresh and dried cranberries from Plymouth
  • Hill Farm forest-raised pork from Foster
  • NorthStar Farm mixed greens, beets, carrots from Westport
  • Pezza Farm eggs, herbs, brussel sprouts, poinsettia, wreaths from Johnston
  • Roots Farm salad mix and braising greens, radishes, spinach from Bristol starting in December
  • Schartner Farms chard, potatoes, sweet potatoes, shallots, jams, from Exeter
  • Plus 38 familiar faces from last year (see 2008 photos), and we’ve added a side room for snacks and lunch, made with ingredients fresh from the market: Farmstead grilled cheese, Cupcakerie, Mazie’s salads and dips; New Dawn curries; plus Chez Pascal’s Hewtin Dogs Mobile will be cooking up an all-local menu outside the Main St. entrance; yum!

Even as the colorful New England fall gives way to the quieter palette of New England winter, the Wintertime Farmers Market remains lively and bright. As the mild weather of this Halloween gives way to chilly, windy, even icy days, we’re dazzled each week by how the market transforms a long hallway inside an old mill building into a cozy, cheery and flavorful space.

See you Saturday 11-2 for the start of a new, delicious Wintertime landscape. Just 5 days to go!