Farmers’ markets may seem like a summer kind of thing — the perfect place to get fresh fruits, unique crafts and some delicious food. In Utah, however, the Farmers’ Market is year-round with a a market for every season, and the Winter Market is currently going on downtown at the Rio Grande on alternating Saturday mornings.
The Winter Market isn’t like its summer counterpart. Yes, there are traditional market goods like fresh vegetables and artisan bread, but there is also a variety of interesting seasonal items like teas and beers.
Interested vendors must apply to sell at the Winter Markets, and if selected from the variety of applicants they are asked to pay a small fee. These selections are made purposefully to ensure a wide variety of unique goods at each Market.
Ross is a honey farmer from Davis County whose honey was one of the goods on sale.
Hallie Matern makes all-natural raw dog treats. Her store originated when she began creating her own treats for her dog, a pit bull with a sensitive stomach. She offers tripe, chicken, antler bones and many other options for all breeds and sizes of dog. If the dog likes to chew, she has a treat for that, too. The best part is that all her treats are slow-smoked and made with local hormone-free meats.
No pets? No problem — they are not allowed inside the Rio Grande anyway. Talk to Dewy about her Dewdrop Herbal Teas or DeAnn about Solstice Chocolate. Dewdrop teas have all local wild-grown ingredients and include flavors like cinnamint, a nice winter blend, or tropical sunrise, lovely for those indoor book-reading days. DeAnn Wallin’s Solstice Chocolate is so named because the cacao is harvested on the solstice twice yearly. It makes a lovely accompaniment to a nice cup of tea hot or cold. The best part is if Saturday is too far away, this delicious treat can be found at Harmon’s and Whole Foods as well.
Perhaps tea isn’t to your taste. Never fear; Tom makes delicious citrus-y ginger beer and Fizzbloom offers fun bubbly drinks made from local roots and flowers, all naturally sweetened. Garwood’s ginger beer is sold in a glass jug, which is refillable and super cool. It, along with Fizzbloom products, is non-alcoholic. If you’re looking for alcohol, it can be found though at Bitters Lab, where they make fresh handcrafted bitters for mixing with cocktails.
In addition to all this, there are fresh farm-fed beef stands and even fish and handmade pasta. You can find drinks hot and cold, as well as granola and yogurt.
The Winter Farmers’ Market runs every other Saturday now until April 22, with the next one taking place on Saturday, Feb. 11. More info about the Winter Farmers’ Market as well as the Farmers’ Market program in general can be found here.