Days shorten and the year draws to a close, as does the 2011 farmers’ market season.  This Sunday, December 18, is the final Long Season Winter Farmers’ Market.  Many thanks to all for a great season, especially to the farmers whose labors have enriched our lives throughout the year.  We would like to wish them a well-earned rest, but know that they will be working hard over the winter to prepare for next year’s crops.   The cycle of the seasons continues!

This week there will be lots of last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers at the market, as well as treats for holiday meals.  Lavender Moon Herb Gardens will have soaps, lotions, lip balms, flavored cocoa, culinary spices, and evergreen kissing balls decorated with juniper berries and pine cones.  Seaway Trail Honey is bringing local certified Kosher honey in little gift bears and violin bottles, plus honeycomb and beeswax ornaments, gift bags and bows included.  Spirit Wind Farm and Fiber Studio will have alpaca yarn plus items made by local artisans from the farm’s flock — wraps, scarves, shawls, and much more.  Andy’s Specialty Garlic and Produce is bringing red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce; red potatoes; Hakurei turnips; sweet carrots; kale; bok choi; spinach; and beets.  Bolton Farms will have hydroponic lettuces, pea shoots, microgreens, watercress, parsley, cilantro, and both carnival acorn and butternut squash.  Clearview Farm is bringing free-range, organically fed eggs, white and purple top turnips, rutabaga, tatsoi, mizuna, Daikon radishes, leeks, beets, potatoes, kale, arugula, carrots, and fresh herbs.

Fisher Hill Farm has frozen half and whole turkeys, plus frozen corn, beans, rhubarb, and strawberries (all from the farm), plus sweet potatoes, regular pototoes, onions, beets, cabbage, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and winter squash.  Bloomfield Honey has lots of gift packs, which include soaps, hand salve, lip balm and bee balm made from beeswax and honey, mixed honey packages (2 flavors plus dipper and recipes), mini honey gift packs (2 flavors plus a spoon), plus beeswax ornament and candles — 50% off mini bee balms if you buy 10.  Tripleberry Farm is bringing pesticide-free frozen blueberries and jams, plus handcrafted chocolates, packaged for gift-giving.

You’ll find some of our vendors and others over the winter at the Highland Park Winter Farmers Market, held Wednesdays 3-6 pm at 249 Highland Ave, through May.

The Long Season Winter Farmers’ Market is a collaboration between the Brighton and South Wedge Farmers’ Markets, sponsored by the Town of Brighton and the South Wedge Planning Committee.  This is the final week of the market; it will meet between 1 and 4 pm in Brighton’s Brookside Recreation Center, 220 Idlewood Road, with a second entrance off  S. Winton, just south of the Westfall/S. Winton intersection.   To receive information about next year’s Brighton Farmers’ Market, sign up for email newsletters at www.brightonfarmersmarket.org or “like” the Brighton Farmers’ Market Facebook page.