What's on your table this winter?
There are lots of local options!

Winter doesn't have to mean a lack of local food -- there are plenty of farm stands and farmers' markets open all winter long, plus grocery stores and restaurants that feature local.
Winter farmers' market updates

New and updated!

  • Grow Food Northampton has announced a monthly Northampton Winter Farmers' Market to be held on January 23rd, February 13th, and March 13th from 10am-1pm at the Northampton Senior Center.


Ongoing and wonderful!


  • The Holyoke Winter Farmers' Market is open from 11am-2pm on the first and third Saturday of each month in the War Memorial building at 310 Appleton Street.

  • Greenfield pop-up winter market: Atlas Farm and Community Action are partnering for a pop-up on the second Saturday of each month from 10am-2pm, held at 156 Main Street.

  • Turners Falls pop-up winter market: starting January 30th, Atlas Farm and the Franklin Area Survival Center are partnering for a pop-up on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10am-2pm, held at 96th Fourth Street.
Great news: HIP (Healthy Incentives Program) will run without interruption through the winter, and all of the winter markets accept SNAP/EBT and HIP -- along with a number of farm stands. Spread the word!

Local Hero profile:
Winter Farmers' Market at the Hampshire Hall
Fresh, local food can be found even in the depths of winter at the Farmers’ Market at the Hampshire Mall. Cathleen O’Keefe, the market manager, says that during the winter we must “prioritize good food and good people” to stay grounded, and hopes that this winter market provides an opportunity for both. Vendors fill their tables with colorful squashes, cabbage, greens, root vegetables, apples, and more. The artisan breads are particularly popular, and you can also find eggs, cheeses, meats, and handmade soaps and gifts. Open every Saturday through March, the market is easily accessible and welcomes SNAP and HIP, providing the perfect location to stock up on fresh vegetables and enjoy the community. 
Local Hero profile: Oliver's Farmstand
Ruby Hutt and her husband moved to Goshen in the winter of 2016. Shortly after, they had their son Oliver. Becoming a full-time parent gave Ruby a chance to truly reflect on how she wished to spend her time and energy, and shortly after that, Oliver's Farmstand came to life. The stand took shape over the next three years, adding specialty products like pickled quail eggs, stuffed clams, and mushrooms, and expanding the products it offered every year. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, work, socialize, and shop, Oliver's Farmstand continues to provide safe access to healthy, hyper-local foods, and an opportunity to support dozens of local farms and specialty producers. 
Column: Think big to create a better food system
"Nine months into the pandemic, even with vaccines on the way, it is evident that the impacts will be with us for years to come. The most basic aspects of our lives have been upended, including how we feed ourselves. More and more people must rely on emergency food distributions — many of whom are the same people who are still working, often in unsafe conditions, to grow, pack, process, ship, and sell our food. The weaknesses of our national industrial food system have been laid bare." The COVID-19 Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program is one way that our state is responding.

Behind the scenes at local farms
CISA's weekly Valley Bounty column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette focuses on what's happening behind the scenes right now at local farms. Recent columns include: fiber arts at Winterberry Farm, toasting the new year with Headwater Cider's hand-crafted hard cider, and how Blue Door Gatherings has adapted to a time with no gatherings. Read Valley Bounty!

WRSI's Local Hero Spotlight interviews feature a local farm or business each week. Recent interviews include: feeding our communities with Joe Czajkowski Farms, decades of changes at Fitzwilly's in Northampton, and "farm-to-bar" cocktails with Muse Cider Bar at Valley View Farm. Listen to WRSI's Local Hero Spotlight!
Value-Added Survey
Lend a hand: please fill out and share this survey to help local farmers better understand what you like to eat. They can't grow it if they don't know it! Fill out before January 31st for the chance to win a $10 gift card.
CISA's Winter Workshops for Farmers
Attention, farmers! This winter, CISA is offering three unique programs that provide the opportunity to work in-depth on your business alongside your peers via group sessions and one-on-one mentorships. All activities will be held remotely. The courses are:
Quick Links

Check out our press page for news stories about local farms and local agriculture, along with our weekly interview series on WRSI, monthly column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and more!

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