Hilltown Families 
Springfield Winter Fare: Eat Locally Year-Round
Springfield Winter Fare: Eat Locally Year-Round
Locally grown wheat. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
This winter, CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), is bringing a vibrant, diverse one-day farmers’ market to Springfield. On December 18th from 10am-2pm, the first annual Springfield Winter Fare will be held at Springfield Technical Community College. The market will feature an amazing array of local foods, including root vegetables, squash, salad and cooking greens, fruit, herbs, bread and grains, meat, cheese, maple products, honey, pickles, and jam. Shoppers can mingle over hot soup from local restaurants (bring your own mug!), attend one of the several educational workshops scheduled during the market, and barter home-preserved local food with their neighbors (bring your excess, and go home with your neighbors’ goodies!).
Winter Fare is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of local food that is available year-round. Nancy Hanson of Snow Moon Farm in Northfield says, “Winter growing and seasonal eating are a natural progression of the local food movement, and local farmers have expanded their offerings to meet the demand.” In addition to filling the consumer desire for local food, winter markets provide an income stream for farmers outside of the traditional growing season. “Farmers’ markets keep our business alive, since our farmstand is somewhat remote,” says Roxanne Austin of Austin Brothers Valley Farm in Belchertown, “and winter markets fill a vital gap by giving us a way to sell directly to consumers all year round.”
CISA strongly believes that healthy, local food should be available to everyone in the community, so both the Winter Fare will accept SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps), and CISA will be matching the first $5 of all SNAP purchases.
In addition to the Springfield event, CISA is coordinating the second annual Northampton Winter Fare, January 15th from 10am-2pm at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School. For more information on Winter Fare and other winter farmers’ markets, including an independent biweekly winter market that begins on December 11th in Forest Park in Springfield, visit www.buylocalfood.org or call (413) 665-7100.
SATURDAY WINTER FARMERS’ MARKETS ALL WINTER LONG
- In Northampton from 9am-2pm — Winter Farmers’ Market in the basement of Thornes through April 30th. Food, live music and art.
- In Amherst from 10am-2pm — Winter Farmers’ Market at Amherst Middle School (170 Chestnut St.).
- In North Amherst from 10am-2pm — North Amherst Farmers’ Market happens a the Big Bule Barn at SwartzFamiy Farm (11 Meadow St.). www.northamherstmarket.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 2010
- 9am-1pm – FARMERS’ MARKET: Berkshire Grown will host a holiday farmers’ market at the old railroad station on Castle Street in Great Barrington. 528-0041 www.berkshiregrown.org Great Barrington, MA (MARKET)
- 10am-2pm – FARMERS’ MARKET: Berkshire Grown will host a holiday farmers’ market at the Williams College Field House on Latham Street. 528-0041 www.berkshiregrown.org Williamstown, MA (MARKET)
There is also the “food shed” – essentially a winter farmer’s market – at Enterprise Farm in Whatley on Tuesdays from 2p to 6p and Saturdays from 9a to 2 p. Enjoy!