Taste the Season

Fresh produce from Pat’s Patch of Baileys Harbor.

The snow may have comfortably settled onto the ground for the long haul and weekly trudges to the grocery store through wind and rain may cause many to long for the fresh produce that could be found at one of the county’s many farmers markets in summer.

But on Dec. 7, that despair can be put to rest thanks to Baileys Harbor Farmers Market Manager Mike Meulemans, who this winter is continuing a tradition he began last year – the Baileys Harbor Winter Farmers Market series.

The indoor farmers market, held at Baileys Harbor Town Hall on three Sundays this winter, is an opportunity to get out of the house and check out not only the local winter produce offerings, but a variety of handmade items as well – and for one vendor, on-site massages.

“We get people out,” Meulemans said. “It’s that reminder that even though it’s not sunny and warm outside, there are still a lot of local things that are purchase-able; things that are in the handmade, homemade market, from jewelry to fresh garlic, potatoes, Swiss chard, kale. We even had a new vendor that had handmade noodles. It was really neat.”

Meulemans created the Baileys Harbor Farmers Market almost three years ago as a warm weather opportunity to meet and greet local farmers and craftspeople while stocking your fridge and pantry with locally grown produce. Since then, he has had “a lot of call out” from farmers market attendees who longed for fresh produce and local offerings in the off-season.

The winter farmers market averages approximately 20 vendors, with the first one of this winter on Nov. 23 bringing in 17 vendors. Their offerings included a good mix of produce and handmade items, as well as winter wear.

“This is as local and grassroots as you can get because these are your farmers that you see down the street, these are your local knitters, local soap makers,” Meulemans said. “All of those types of things where it isn’t a chance where you can just go to a retail outlet to buy these really handcrafted items that you can in a market like this.”

The Baileys Harbor Winter Farmers Market will be held Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10am – 2pm at Baileys Harbor Town Hall, 2932 County Road F. For more information visit baileysharbor.com. The next indoor farmers market will be held Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015.