Thanks to all for a great market season in 2009:  to the farmers and vendors for bringing high quality, local product to market, and to the customers for supporting the farmers, both during the regular season and during the Winter Market.  Check back here for information on the 2010 market.  If you would like to receive email information about market plans or offer comments, please send us a note at info@brightonfarmersmarket.org.

One of our farmers, Brian Beh of Raindance Harvest Farm, sent out the following note on the winter solstice.  His words perfectly describe the efforts he, as well as other farmers at the market, utilized this year to be able to offer such a bounty of vegetables so late in the season:

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is the shortest day of the year and farmers should be resting but we aren’t. I spent the afternoon harvesting baby spinach, mizuna, mustard, tatsoi, and chard. We grow these greens using techniques described by Elliot Coleman in the Four Season Harvest. The greens were seeded in September and Early October so they would have enough time to mature before the Day length shortens too much. We only used a little heat at night during early November. Once the greens are established we allow the “High Tunnels” to freeze. Now we only heat to thaw out the greens for harvesting. This growing technique uses the least amount of energy possible.

Ida