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The market will be closed next Tuesday

Please note that on December 26 there will be no farmers' market. This is the only farmers' market closure for the season--we will be open on December 31 and January 2.

Chronicle features local holiday menus

Check out this week's food section in the San Francisco Chronicle for an article about the 100-mile Holiday Feast. Also mentioned are Ferry Plaza Farmers Market gift tokens--wonderful last-minute presents! Our supply is limited, so come by the Information Booth early tomorrow if you'd like to purchase some.

Early this morning, the Northern Hemisphere orbited into winter. Though nights are now growing shorter, there will still be more dark hours than light until the spring equinox in March. On California farms, these dark days can be a time of needed repose or of frenzied harvest. And though the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is still full of delicious food, the mood is quieter than in the midst of the super-busy and amazingly abundant warm season. Here’s some of what to look forward to this winter:

Citrus fruits are already in full swing and harvests will continue into spring. Last week was the end of our Market to Table educational programs for 2006, but our 2007 lineup of great chefs will kick off on February 2 with a Citrus Celebration.

Sweet subtropical fruits like cherimoya and white guava are coming into season right now and will be available through winter. Apples and Asian pears are no longer being harvested, but some varieties are cold-stored and will be available through the season. Kiwifruit harvest will continue throughout the cold-weather months. Date harvest is winding down, but the dried palm fruits are available year-round.

Root vegetables like carrots, turnips, rutabagas, beets, and parsnips are abundant and especially sweet since cold weather encourages the conversion of starch to sugar. Potato harvests are over, but some varieties store well in cool, dark conditions and will be available for most of the winter.

Though many cruciferous crops are harvested year-round, they are especially plentiful in the market through winter; cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, romanesco, kale, collards, mustard and others thrive in cool, wet conditions. Lettuces and other salad greens are exceptionally crisp and sweet right now, and chicories and arugula are milder than in warmer months. Asparagus should be in the market by mid-February.

Dungeness crab season opened on November 15 and since it’s nearly impossible to guess how long the catch will last, we recommend you buy it up while it’s available. Meats including beef, lamb, pork and goat will be in the market through the winter, some fresh and some frozen. Eggs will be available throughout the season, though truly free-range hens produce far fewer during the winter. Milk production also reaches a low in winter and some of our cheesemakers might not have enough to continue production through the season. The selection of aged cheeses will still be diverse.

Bulb flowers will crop up at the market around mid-January. Look for narcissus, daffodils, tulips and irises.

In February, you'll finally see the face of your grain farmer—Massa Organics will be attending the market with their delicious medium-grain brown rice.

See you at the Market!

This is the most up-to-date information about which sellers will and won't be attending the market as of Friday, when we send this letter. If there are no changes to a sellers' status, they will not be listed! To find out which farmers regularly attend each market, click here. Please understand that there are always last minute changes--it's the nature of farming!

Saturday, December 23

Out: Knoll Farms (until January 27), Pt. Reyes Preserves, Happy Wraps, Tierra Vegetables, Bernard Ranches, Short Night Farm (for the season)
Please note: This is the last week for Hoffman Gamebirds!

Tuesday, December 26

Market closed!