We are so excited that HARVEST MARKET has agreed to be the Winter Farmers Market sponsor for 2012.  Their store has a complete selection of organic and natural foods, nutritional supplements, and natural health care products. The also serve the greater community as a resource for health information through our large book selection, monthly events, and knowledgeable staff.  You can find them at  7417 Lancaster Pike in Hockessin, DE.
It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to one of our special vendors, as Red Haven Farm will no longer be with us………     Also Papa’s Pastries and God’s Country Cheeses are taking a break from Winter Market, but we plan on them returning in the Spring.
We are very excited to welcome several new vendors to the Kennett Square Farmers Market, including Mountain View Poultry, Birchrun Hills Farm, and Beyond The Spice.  Read on below for details about each of these new members of our ever-growing and evolving market.
Congratulations to Jack’s Jams for earning five ribbons in the 96th PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW.  Jack’s Strawberry Jam and Jack’s Spiced Peaches earned him two first prizes, his Bread & Butter Pickles and Apple Jelly both earned third places, and the Cherry Jam was awarded a fouth place…  Make sure to visit him at Market and try some of his prize-winning wares.

Birchrun Hills Farm crafts handmade farmstead cheese from their beautiful herd of Holstein cows. They will feature such unique varieties as Birchrun Blue, Fat Cat, Equinox, Experimental and the elusive Red Cat!

Mountain View Poultry Farmcarries an expansive line of the finest local organic meats and products such as grass fed chicken and turkey (all cuts and sausages), raised in an open field without antibiotics or other chemicals. They will also have organically pastured eggs and other prepared items for sale.

brings slow-cooked artisan simmer sauces which use all fresh produce, no paste, puree, dehydrated, oleresins, or process ingredients  (except coconut milk) and flavored with “subcontinental spices”.  They are all vegetarian and you add meat, seafood or vegetables to your personal taste.  Bhartha, Tikka, and Coconut Ginger are among the choices.
 Other returning vendors include:

Big Sky Bakery
Countryside Farm and Bakery
Guinea Hen Garden
Jack’s Jams & Jellies
Maiale Meats

Will Hurd Architecture

ROASTED TURKEY BREAST with spinach-blue cheese stuffing

INGREDIENTS

“Farmers markets are no longer a novelty; they’ve become a necessity,” says Abby Morgan, manager of the Kennett Square Farmers Market. And to meet customers’ needs, the Kennett market as well as the West Chester Growers and Bryn Mawr Marketss are simply braving the cold and staying in the same location, albeit with abbreviated hours and fewer vendors. Others, like the East Goshen Market, are moving to indoor locations close by. See sidebar for market days and times.

Winter Market Wonderland

What you’re likely to find at a winter market might just surprise you. “A lot of people think eating local during the winter means eating only meat, cheese and bread. Not so!” Abby Morgan assures me. Some nearby producers, like Countryside Farms and Down to Earth Harvest, use hoop houses and greenhouses to extend the growing season, thus making fresh, local produce available during winter months. Also, hardy crops that store well, like apples and root vegetables, are still available when temperatures plummet.
The best way to find out what producers are bringing each week is to subscribe to your favorite markets’ mailing lists. You might also want to check out their blogs, websites and Facebook pages, especially for the most up-to-date information on cancellations for bad weather. Some markets stay open if there’s just a dusting of snow, but don’t care to brave ice storms!

Winter CSAs

If you like the idea of shopping before you shop, ask whether vendors at your favorite market run a winter CSA (community-supported agriculture). CSAs usually work like this: you pay a set amount at the beginning of the season to a farmer who then provides you with a box of locally produced goods every week or every other week. Often, you may pick up your CSA share at the vendor’s stand at the farmers market. It’s that easy.

When a CSA share is too much of a commitment, consider pre-ordering groceries week by week. Simply contact vendors in advance — contact information is generally on market websites — and ask them to set aside your order to pick up on market day. The East Goshen market is largely a pre-order market, but vendors also bring extra goods so non-planners can eat well too!  

Markets With Benefits

Besides providing healthy local food, winter markets — especially those held outdoors — offer other advantages: a few minutes of exercise, a much-needed dose of fresh air and maybe sunshine, and the chance for friendly conversation.

“It’s easy to get isolated in the winter. Going to the market keeps people connected,” remarks Molly Terlevich, who co-founded the Bryn Mawr market, now in its second winter season.

Winter is also the time when farmers are making plans for spring and summer crops, explains Donna Levitsky, co-founder and co-manager of the East Goshen market. So if you’ve developed a love of English peas or peppery arugula, winter is the time to make your preferences known.

        What will you find at the winter farmers’ market?  Local farmers grow root crops during the summer, and these can be stored and sold during the winter months.  High tunnels and greenhouses make it possible for farmers to provide greens and herbs year round.  Additional farm items include soups, meats, mushrooms, cheese, eggs, honey, baked goods, jams and so much more.
         Since it’s First Friday in Kennett Square, also look for several craft vendors, including Lisa’s Infinity Scarves and Bumblee Handmade Cloth Diapers.  And then stick around town for an pleasant evening at the Art Stroll.  Find more details about the Art Stroll at Historic Kennett Square.

See you at Market!!       

It’s amazing to realize this will be the final market of 2011! We have appreciated the support of our many patrons this past year and       look forward to seeing you all throughout 2012 and beyond! Don’t forget the market continues all winter long.
A thoughtful and unique holiday gift often involves something homemade or locally made.  Local products from the Farmers Market, including fresh fruits and veggies, pasture-raised meats, eggs, artisan cheeses, breads and baked goods make fantastic gifts.  Seasonal greens and plants abound to festoon your dwellings!  You might consider pre-ordering through one of the vendors and arranging for pick up at a later date, or perhaps freezing a few items in anticipation of your holiday celebration.
The Kennett Farmer’s Market offers an alternate option as you search for that perfect present.  Give the gift of fresh, local fare in the form of a Farmers’ Market Gift Certificate.  They will be available from Abby, our Market Manager, and redeemable throughout the year with all participating vendors.
Speaking of Abby, she will be making geodesic holiday ornaments from recycled paper at Friday’s market, as a fun activity for children and adults alike.  Stop by the Market Table and give them a try.
Once again, the Winter Farmers Market will be set up along East State Street and in the Genesis Brick Walkway from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm.  Free parkingis still offered in the metered spaces in the Municipal Parking Garage.  The next Winter Farmers Market is scheduled for Friday, January 6, 2012.  Can you believe it? We wish you the very merriest of the season!

The first session of our Outdoor Winter Market was a major success and the consensus has been to extend our hours to 2 pm through 5 pm on the first and third Fridays of the month, November through April.  There is adequate lighting along State Street in downtown Kennett to make this convenient. In the event of bad weather, the market will move indoors to the parking garage.

The details for the Online Advanced Ordering Program are still being worked out, however many of the vendors have their own individual systems to place advance orders (see the notes below).  We are always open to constructive suggestions for ways to improve the market experience.  Drop us an email with any thoughts or ideas.

            This week, look for plenty of fresh and unique Thanksgiving menu ingredients this week, as well as opportunities to get an early start on your Holiday gift shopping.  Our next Winter Market will be First Friday, December 2nd from 2 – 5 pm with many special crafts & arts vendors.

The Outdoor Winter Market is here!  Each first and third Friday of the month, November through April, you will find us along State Street in downtown Kennett.  In the event of bad weather, the market will move indoors to the parking garage.  Along with many of our regular farm vendors, who still grow produce in their greenhouses, we will feature a variety of bakers, food producers, and also craftspeople during the First Fridays of the month.  Note:  the winter market hours will be from 2:00 to 5:00 pm only!

The Kennett Farmers Market plans to introduce its first Online Advanced Ordering Program!  Looking forward, customers will be able to preorder many items for the Outdoor Winter Market.  Details are still to be worked out, so look for more information about how to contact your vendors and pick up your orders. 

                             OUTDOOR WINTER MARKET VENDORS                            

AT FIRST FRIDAY MARKETS!

Historic Kennett Square

Winter Open Air Market

Every First and Third Friday

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

November through April

Along the State Street Sidewalk, between Broad and Union Streets

 Additional First Friday Festivities along the Genesis Brick Pathway

Craft vendors, music, refreshments, and more.

          Whoever thought that eating locally while still maintaining a diet rich in greens and a diversity of produce was only for the West Coast dwellers can consider themselves happily mistaken. While our farmers maintain greenhouses and hoophouses throughout the cooler months, we can benefit from a plethora of green, even as the days grow shorter and nippier. Fill your holiday menus with local fare, from produce to pastured meats, farmstead cheeses, artisan breads and gourmet chocolates. For the holidays, find the most unique gifts for your loved ones, by buying one of a kind, showcased items from talented local artists.

               With decreased hours, the market will be quicker to the punch, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Please take us up on our offer to gather your groceries for you. If you sign up for our email newsletter, you will have a complete listing of items available at market, emailed to you at the top of each market week. All you’ll need to do is email us your grocery list, and we’ll gather your items for you. You can pick up your bundle at a time and location that is convenient for you, and pay upon receipt. For those of you who are unable to attend market due to work or other engagements, this is the perfect solution. Consider it a free Winter CSA, only you choose what you want, and there are no strings attached. Please take us up on it! To receive our email, drop us a line at ksqfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Join us Friday, October 7^th, from 2:00 – 6:00 pm, and experience the fermentation sensation, in addition to our usual, dazzling display of First Friday Vendors.

 Featuring…

• “Cheesemaking 101″ with Red Haven Cheesemaker, Kate Stroh
• Special Guest Marisa McClellan, of Food in Jars
• Hard Cider and Fruit Wine for sale by Frecon Farms
• Saurkraut demonstrations with David Siller, of Philly’s Cobblestone Krautery
• Handmade home fermentation tools, “Dunkers,” by Cara Graver, of The Cob Studio
• Cooking demonstrations with local chef Jason Ziglar of Once Upon the Palate, featuring preparations with Art in the Age’s artisanal spirit, Root
  
• Philadelphia’s Art in the Age, featuring a tasting of their trio of locally distilled, all organic spirits: Root, Snap, and their latest, Rhuby
• Pickles by Philly Bill’s Dills
• Artisan Cheese
• Dilly Beans and Saurkraut by Samuel Stoltzfus, of Countryside Farm and Bakery
• Fermentation Salon, Featuring “Salami 101: the Ins and Outs of Curing Meat” with Maiale Deli & Salumeria owner, William Rawstrom
• Handmade accessories and designs by Heirloom
• Equine inspired prints and handcrafted jewelry by Brooke & Donna
• Jamaican Food by Irie Blue Mountain Coffee
• Children’s activities
• Live music by Tim Mudgett

Join us from 5:00 to 6:00 pm across the street, at Talula’s Table, for a local cheese and spirit happy hour, as we feature tastings of Art in the Age’s line of artisan spirits, paired with the best in local, artisanal cheeses from Birch Run Hills, Lindendale, Yellow Springs, Calkins Creamery, Cherry Glen, and many more. Cozy up to a bubbling vat of Rhuby Fondue, featuring Art in the Age’s latest spirit, Rhuby, a delightful, bright distillation of the essence of spring: rhubarb, carrot and beet, rounded out by sultry vanilla, cardamom and coriander. The perfect “cap” to a day in celebration of fermentation. See you there!

              As summer rolls into fall, we all experience a time of transition. What better way to ride this tide of change, fully rooted yet embracing the growth and movement of what is to come, than by eating seasonally? Why not make this transition as delicious as can be?

Summer is certainly a feast, but fall is quite the savory season unto its own. With a broad variety of winter squash cropping up, alongside a merry return of our favorite cooler crops of roots, hardy greens and spicy salad greens alike, our cooking evolves toward soups, roasts and hearty

preparations.

As we are so fortunate to have this incredible seasonal bounty at our fingertips, each Friday, right in the center of Kennett, let us embrace it!

We are pleased to announce that, as your market features vendors with year-long growing and production seasons, we will be staying open, weekly, all the way up until Thanksgiving. In addition to this season extension, participating vendors will compose our Winter Market, which is to take place in the same summer market location, every other week, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m, beginning after Thanksgiving. Our Winter Market will also feature an on-line buying option, for those of you who would like to order your goods in advance, and be “in and out” of the market in a flash. Be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter for more details.

          With the seasonal addition of an array of local artisans to participate in the Winter Market, you have the splendid opportunity of sourcing your holiday gifts right from the hands that made them. The Kennett Winter Market will be the ultimate dovetailing of the unique offerings of Chester County: where food and artisanal craft unite.

          As the cooler months of fall swoop in to settle us back into our routines, we encourage you to stay true to your market, and join us weekly as we delight in all that our wonderful growers and producers provide. Let your weekly jaunt to market be your respite from the rat race of the supermarket rush. Perhaps you’ll learn something new about where your food comes from, or a keen tip on how to jazz up your weekly menus.

Feeling tied up, and can’t make it to market? Let us do your shopping for you, free of cost! Email Abby at ksqfarmersmarket@gmail.com, to place your order and identify a pick-up location and time that works best for you.

 Stay tuned for updates, as we gear up for our third annual Kennett Square Fermentation Festival, Friday October 7th, where we will be celebrating the fizzy occasion with local spirit tastings from Art in the Age, fruit wine and hard cider by Frecon, saurkraut demonstrations by David Siller, children’s activities and more! Also stay tuned as we feature new fall season vendors, in addition to the new weekly fall menus and selections from the vendors you know and love!