The cold is here to stay! A few winter markets will close up shop this month, but there are still December farmers markets that will be open all winter long.
Your local December farmers markets will have less vendors and less customers as well, making it a great time to talk with farmers and learn more about where your food comes from.
At the December farmers markets, fruits are limited to cranberries and stored apples. There should be lots of root vegetables and squashes, along with meat and dairy, other food vendors, and mushrooms and microgreens.
December Farmers Markets
At the December farmers markets, you’ll see a lot of root vegetables, greenhouse grown leafy greens, and winter squashes. You’ll see meat and dairy, and maybe locally roasted coffee, olive oil, and many other items locally produced.
Of course coffee and olives don’t grow locally, but they are delicious options to add to your meals. It’s great to talk with the producers and learn more about what makes their foods special.
Vendors that sell cottage foods, bakery products, and non local products like coffee and olive oil are likely to be at markets year round. Their foods aren’t seasonal like the produce is.
You may also see tea blends, microgreens, seafood, mushrooms, and fermented foods as well. Truly, you can make wonderful meals using just the ingredients at the December farmers market.
It is cold out, so you might not be interested in traveling to a farmers market each week. Since most of the food you’ll see there will last a while, you might choose to stock up more and go less.
Local milk I have bought stays good in the fridge for two weeks. Frozen meats stay good for months. Root vegetables will easily last two weeks if properly cared for.
Breads and baked goods can be frozen. Ferments last a long time in the fridge. Microgreens are short lived, but you can dry mushrooms for later. Plan to use the greens quickly, or set up for growing your own!
Now is the time to enjoy stews made with root vegetables and squash, along with slow roasted meats. Warm up your house while cooking, then warm up your insides while eating.
Enjoy the December farmers markets this year! Challenge yourself to eat locally during the winter, and support our farmers and food vendors. Think about what you might want to preserve for next winter so you can eat locally all year long!
