As the first signs of snow and the colder days of winter arrive, the West Reading Farmers Market is entering an exciting new chapter. This year, we’re welcoming the cold with a brand new winter location. We will be setting up in the parking lot directly opposite our summer market space. It’s close, convenient and designed to make shopping locally easier and more enjoyable all winter long.
Find us next on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. When January arrives, we will transition to a bi-weekly schedule through April, making sure you can continue accessing seasonal goods and delicious foods even throughout the quieter months. Parking in the lot is free on Sundays, making your winter market visit even more accessible and stress-free.
Vendors are arranged to offer more protection from the wind, tents are positioned for safe and efficient shopping, and our walking aisle is spacious enough for families, strollers, wheelchairs or wagons.
Though winter may seem like the quiet season for farming, it’s actually a time when the dedication and ingenuity of our growers and producers shine the brightest. The abundance you’ll find at the winter market is the result of year-round planning, deep care for the land and a commitment to nourishing the community regardless of the weather.
Local farmers work hard to extend the growing season beyond the warm months, leaning on tools that help them continue providing fresh food when the ground outside is frozen.
One of the most important of these tools is the hoop house. A hoop house is a greenhouse-like tunnel that captures natural sunlight and traps warmth, protecting crops from frost and snow.
Inside these curved shelters, farmers grow cold-tolerant greens like spinach, kale, arugula, lettuces, carrots, radishes and hardy herbs long into winter. While fields lie dormant, these protected beds continue to be productive.
Equally vital to winter abundance are storage crops, the sturdy vegetables that hold beautifully for months when kept at cool, stable temperatures. Items like winter squash, onions, potatoes, beets, garlic, carrots, cabbages and apples are harvested at their peak in late summer and fall and stored carefully so they remain crisp, flavorful and nutritious throughout the winter.
These crops form the heart of cold-season cooking. They shine during the winter in soups, stews or oven roasted.
Our local food producers also work thoughtfully with the seasons, preserving the bounty of warmer months so they can continue crafting goods with local ingredients all winter long. By freezing fruits and vegetables at their peak ripeness, they ensure that jams, sauces, pastries, soups and prepared meals stay rooted in local agriculture year-round.
When you enjoy a berry dessert in February or a tomato-based chili in January, you’re tasting the summer harvest preserved with intention and care.
For many small farmers and producers, winter is the season that truly tests resilience. Fields rest, sales slow, and yet the work continues. Supporting local during the winter months sustains the backbone of our regional food system. Every purchase you make helps farmers bridge the slow season, ensures producers can continue crafting the goods you love and strengthens the local economy at a time when it’s needed most. Shopping the winter market is a simple act with powerful impact!
Join us Sunday and then every other Sunday from January through April as we celebrate the flavors and community spirit of winter. Grab your market bag and come discover how abundant the local harvest can be, even in the heart of winter.
Kendra Giangiulio is the manager of the West Reading Farmers Market.