Winter Farmers’ Market Held in Springfield’s Forest Park Neighborhood

WWLP, January 23rd, 2016, by Sy Becker.

Winter Farmers markets have really come into their own here in Western Massachusetts.

Forest park’s old monkey house is now the place where Pioneer valley farmers sell their seasonal produce every few weeks. Since farmers markets in winter started to catch on, shoppers have understood the benefits of buying these healthy foods during the colder months.

Jennifer Vose of Springfield told 22News, “We bought squash, we bought salad greens and tomatoes, cucumbers, which were hydro grown, so it’s kind of a special treat to have in the wintertime fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.”

“The winter market has a lot of the root vegetables and will do well in cold storage. So the apples we can get last all the way to April,” said Joyce Moriarty of Springfield

Knowledgeable shoppers have been of help to the Western Massachusetts farming community sell their produce in winter.

Each Saturday the winter farmers market moves on to a different venue. Next Saturday the farmers will welcome Hampshire county customers at the Amherst regional middle school.