Editor’s note: MG contributor Katharine Boyle checked out Sunday’s debut of the Winter Farmers’ Market at the Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morris Township. Here are her impressions.
By Katharine Boyle
We were hoping to buy some produce (potatoes, kale, some seasonal vegetables) but we didn’t find any. Interestingly, though, the vendor who sold Berkshire pork to my husband Dave told him he had brought some vegetables and he sold them all within the first 30 minutes of the market’s opening. So, more vegetables should surface next month, we suspect (and hope!).
We weren’t thinking it would be indoors but I for one was relieved about that– not just for me, but for the vendors who are there all day. Also, it made for a very social atmosphere, in many ways, even more social than a typical outdoors farmers’ market experience.
There were two vendors just outside the entrance (pot pies and Italian heat-and-eat), but they seemed to have been busy as well.
We will definitely go back next month. One vendor had wine (Villa Milagro) and what made it unique to us is that this local wine company only uses one-third of the sulfites typically used to produce wine.
We bought one each of the four varieties he had and I suspect we will get more. Villa Milagro does not participate in the wine fest at Fosterfields so we were pleased to have them at the Winter Farmers’ Market.
It was nice to meet some new vendors and see some of the regular vendors from the Morristown Farmers’ Market downtown.
The Winter Farmers’ Market is organized by Sustainable Morristown, the Foodshed Alliance Farmers’ Access Network and the Morris County Parks Commission. It’s scheduled to return on Feb. 9, 2014; March 9, April 13 and May 11. Admission to the winter market is free for shoppers.
Photos by Katharine Boyle for MorristownGreen.com