Join us for the Winchester Farmers Market and Environmental Fair
This Saturday, 9:30 - 1:30, Town Common
Don't miss the last outdoor market of the season! |
Greetings!
Welcome to the October 31 issue of the Winchester Farmers Market newsletter.
This Saturday will be the last week of the outdoor farmers market, but it will be an incredible day! The environmental fair is taking place (see details below), there will be lots of music and children's activities (including fun Halloween activities, and you can stock up on fall produce and other products from your favorite farmers market vendors as well as two new vendors: Stillman's Farm meat and Lane's Lobsters. Stop by the Soluna Garden Farm tent this week for a free Halloween treat--a sample size package of one of their herb and spice blends or teas.
Thank you to all of our customers and vendors for a great farmers market season. Your attendance at and participation in the market are what make the market possible. And a big thank you to market manager Fred Yen and all of the volunteers who are working every week to make the market run smoothly and be so enjoyable.
Mark your calendars for November 21, when an indoor farmers market will be held with many of your favorite market vendors. The November market will be held at the Parish of the Epiphany (70 Church Street) from 9:30 to 1:30. Look for further details in a future newsletter.
Stop by the market manager's tent to buy a Winchester Farmers Market T-shirt. See below in this newsletter for information about how you can get other great farmers market logo items, including canvas bags, mugs, and framed prints. These make great holiday gifts, and they are always available online!
You can check the farmers market website for additional information about the market, including vendor profiles and frequently asked questions. Visit the website for Sustainable Winchester, the sponsor of the farmers market, to get information about current projects, monthly meetings, and volunteer opportunities.
Try to bring your own shopping bags to the market, and please ride your bike or walk to the market if you can. If you drive, park your car in the Aberjona or Shore Road lot to leave parking spaces surrounding the common open for short-term parking near downtown businesses. The Aberjona lot, which runs along the commuter rail track across from the post office, is free on weekends, including the permit spaces in the end of the lot.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday on the common, and thank you for a great season!
Sincerely,
Winchester Farmers Market Organizing Committee
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This Week at the Market |
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Vegetables: arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, collard greens, corn, fennel, garlic, gourds, kale, kholrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radish (black, daikon), scallions, squash, Swiss chard
Fruit: apples
Herbs: dry herb and spice blends, herbal tea, mulling spices
Other products: bread; chocolate; cow, goat, and sheep milk cheeses; fish; lobsters; meat
Entertainment: It Don't Mean a Thing (9:30-11:00), Winchester Ballet Conservatory (11:00), Los Sugar Kings (11:30-1:00), Julia Cirignano (1:00-1:30)
Artist: Friends of Art Show and Sale of masks, mugs, and hot cider
The Halloween Horribles costume parade around the town common will be taking place alongside the market! Families meet on the Town Common at 10 am for a costume parade and to go trick-or-treating at many downtown businesses. This event is being coordinated by Family Action Network, Winchester Recreation, and the Chamber of Commerce.
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| Featured Item of the Week: Pumpkins |
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 What would Halloween be without pumpkins! Carving jack-o'-lanterns is one of the most fun and festive Halloween activities, but if you've never done anything with a pumpkin other than carve a jack-o'-lantern, you are missing out on one of the most delicious and nutritious fall vegetables. Every part of a pumpkin is useful. Pumpkins flowers and vines are edible. The flesh can be steamed, boiled, baked, or roasted. You can even use hollowed-out small pumpkins to serve soup in or a hollowed-out large pumpkin as a serving dish. Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting whenever you cook a pumpkin (or any other winter squash).
Pumpkins taste great in both sweet and savory dishes. Stock up on some pumpkins this week at the market. Whatever you don't eat right away (or use as a jack-o'-lantern) can be cooked, mashed, and frozen for use throughout the winter in soups and baked goods. Try these tasty pumpkin recipes.
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| Environmental Fair on October 31 |
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The Winchester Farmers Market will be hosting an Environmental Fair on Saturday, October 31 on the Town Common. Our sponsors for the fair will be Nexamp and Tretorn. The hours will be 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
This will be an educational event for everyone on energy, the environment, and outdoor recreational activities in and around Winchester. There will be over thirty exhibitors for many different products, programs, and community groups.
Come learn about:
There will also be lots of fun activities for the whole family:
- Many children's activities and performances.
- Our regular, fabulous farmers market
- Several musical performances
Come enjoy the day, shop for produce from local farms, learn about efficient energy use, let your children play, listen to live music, and dance.
The following exhibitors will be at the environmental fair:
High School Electric Car
High School Environmental Club
Market America
McCall Science Class
Diane Welch aka The Bird Lady
Winchester Conservation Commission
Winchester Energy Management Committee
Winchester Idling Reduction Campaign
Winchester Trails
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| Get Your Own Farmers Market Logo Prints and Other Items |
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We now have prints and several other items available showing the market's fun veggie logo (the one at the top of this newsletter). These would make great holiday gifts, and you can order them at any time!
Show your support for the market every day of the week by getting one of our logo items! And remember that you can buy a farmers market T-shirt at the market manager's tent every week at the market.
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| Follow the Farmers Market on Twitter |
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The market is now on Twitter. Follow winchfarmmkt to get the latest updates directly from the market on Saturday mornings. |
| Volunteer at the Market |
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We need volunteers this week to help with the farmers market and the environmental fair. If you are able to help, please sign up at our online signup sheet to let us know when you are coming.
If you are interested in volunteering to help during the winter with planning for the market for the 2010 season, please contact us by e-mail and watch for a newsletter about an end-of-year meeting as well as planning meetings for next season.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help throughout this season. Your assistance is especially important in keeping the market running smoothly, and we appreciate everything you do!
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