The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

Day-After Christmas Farmers Market

December 26th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Posted in Sustainability

Truncated version of Dupont Circle market

The Dupont Circle farmers market here in the District of Columbia is usually jammed with shoppers on Sunday even during the winter. I made my usual walk there this morning and thought at first the market was closed, perhaps because of the Christmas holiday, or maybe because the weatherman is forecasting a possible snow storm. But when I rounded the corner I saw that the market was indeed open for business–just barely.

Only a fraction of the vendors bothered to set up their tents and they were pretty lonely. And cold.

No competition for the apples today

Look at all these apples. And where you might be pushing your way through crowds to get at them on any other Sunday, today you would have them all to yourself. Pity the poor vendor, who has to stand there in the cold waiting for customers to show up. I wonder when D.C. will have the good sense to build an indoor winter farmers market.

Selection of meat from EcoFriendly

I usually buy my eggs from a lady who drives in from West Virginia. She wasn’t there today, so I wandered over to the EcoFriendly stand. They also sell a variety of meats and poultry from farmers in Central Virginia. I love their pork chops, but they rarely have them.

Plenty of seasonal paperwhites

You could also select from a range of vegetables, herbs and flowers. There was no shortage, for instance, of seasonal paperwhites.

Buffalo steak for dinner, anyone?

The meat vendors were out in force: pastured, lamb, pork and beef were widely available. Or maybe your tastes run more toward local buffalo?

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  • Diane

    Rhode Island has two (that I know of) indoor winter farmers’ markets, both in the lobbies of old mill buildings. They are wide spaces, almost able to handle the booths and crowds but a bit gloomy. They are a lot more comfortable though than outdoor markets in winter. One is in Pawtucket and serves the northern area near Providence. The other is in my town of North Kingstown, called Coastal Growers. We have been well supplied with store apples, cider, root vegetables and, until a couple of weeks ago, some hardy members of the cabbage family including broccoli Romanesco (wonderful, nutty flavor). There is also meat, eggs, cheese, ice cream, baked goods, coffee, honey and maple syrup, crafts and music. Sometimes we go just for a bag of carrots, some apples and a chance to reconnect with real food.
    Perhaps your market management could arrange a deal in an underused space.