With Thanksgiving only a month away, it is time to begin planning a menu. Whether serving a small family or a large group, it is easiest to begin stocking up early. For Berkshire-area residents, the farmers’ market is making it easy to support local agriculture while serving one’s guests a delicious meal.
While the regular market season closes at the end of October in Great Barrington, two special markets are being held prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Thanksgiving market will take place on Saturday, November 19 from 10 am-2 pm at Muddy Brook Elementary School. The December market will take place on December 17 at the same location and time and will include local craft vendors for holiday shoppers. Entertainment will be presented during both markets and pre-order pickups will be available.
Rose Levine, the market manager, said that she strives to set these markets apart from the everyday super market “We promote the market as a place to meet,” she said. Tables and chairs, coffee, and breakfast items all add to the experience. As mentioned above, there will be entertainment at both special markets as well.
Items for sale include produce, cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, bread, pies and other baked goods, plus pickles and jams. The Holiday markets are hosted by Berkshire Grown, a local consortium that:
“supports and promotes locally based agriculture as a vital part of a healthy Berkshire community, economy and landscape. Berkshire Grown pursues this mission by increasing public awareness of eating locally and healthily through education and outreach; by encouraging supportive agricultural programs and public policies; by establishing local food and farm networks; and by promoting the growing and marketing of locally grown foods.”
More information about Berkshire Grown and the holiday markets can be found at http://berkshiregrown.org/holiday-farmers-markets-2011.
Levine, who has been with the Great Barrington market for over eight years and the Lenox market for six, explained that the mission of both markets is to support local agriculture, “local” stretching from Massachusetts to Vermont, New York, and Connecticut. “We have cheese from Vermont and apples from New York,” she added.
Use this opportunity to purchase locally grown, ultra-fresh ingredients to make this year’s holiday meals something special.
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