Illinois Offers a Wonderland of Winter Markets (VIDEO)

The leaves may be off the trees and snow may cover the fields, but across the state, you can experience fresh, local foods and seasonal offerings at winter markets – even during Illinois winters.

“Winter farmers markets are a new and growing opportunity where we can teach consumers about the seasonality and diversity of crops,” says Janie Maxwell, executive director of the Illinois Farmers Market Association (ILFMA). “Illinois is a really diverse state as far as climate goes, so we have a long growing season for fresh foods.”

Kale, spinach, chard, mushrooms and turnips are a few examples of crops available at the winter markets, as well as cottage foods, which include baked goods, jellies, jams, honey, dried fruits and vegetables, plus year-round staples like eggs, meat and dairy products.

“With the expansion of the Cottage Food Law, farms can take a seasonal product and turn it into something that can be preserved or frozen and sell it in the winter,” Maxwell says. “The farmers market is a great place for consumers to access cottage food products and for vendors to try out new products.”

See more: What Are the Most Popular Farmers Markets in Illinois?

Carbondale Conjures Community

At the Community Farmers Market in Carbondale held inside University Mall, many farmers do just that – offer fresh produce and value-added goods to customers.

Flyway Family Farm, located in Makanda, grows a wide variety of specialty mushrooms in a climate-controlled indoor facility. The farm began selling at the Carbondale winter market about 10 years ago, and owner Mike Hatfield says it was a perfect fit.

“A lot of mushrooms prefer cool weather, so we grow a lot more in the winter months,” Hatfield says. “We always have product available, and selling at the market is a great way for us to provide fresh, local produce straight to the consumer. The mushrooms we sell are all picked within 24 hours of the market.”

He adds the market provides face-to-face connection between farmer and consumer and allows a bit more time for conversation than the busier summer markets.

“They have a chance to ask us questions and learn more about the product and how to use it,” he says.

All Seasons Farm in Cobden also sells at the Carbondale winter market. The farm grows fresh vegetables and herbs year round and raises chickens.

“We grow a lot of high-quality, heirloom varieties of vegetables that are focused on exceptional taste,” says Jill Rendleman, one of the owners. “A few of our winter signature items include spinach, kale, chard, lettuces, Asian turnips and carrots.”

The farm’s five high tunnels allow them to grow crops indoors and outdoors during the cooler months.

Rendleman says their farm has also been selling at the winter market for close to a decade, and not only does it allow consumers access to healthy food during the winter months, it also provides something to do when the outdoors isn’t an option.

“The market is definitely a different atmosphere than in the summer,” she says. “It’s indoors and a little slower. People take their time and are more interested in talking to the farmers about products. They bring their kids, and it’s an all-around great event.”
Both All Seasons and Flyway Family farms offer value-added products at the market along with fresh commodities.

Glacier’s End Farm, located in Johnston City, brings only cottage foods to the market, including drinkable vinegars, syrups, hot sauces, pickles and more. Owners Derek and Libby Ervin say for cottage foods, selling at farmers markets provides a built-in customer base they find invaluable.

Prairie State Produce

Although Carbondale remains one of the most popular, Maxwell says Illinois counts close to 30 winter markets and expects that number to increase.

At the Winter Wicker Park Farmers Market in Chicago, Kyle Jacobson of Jacobson Family Farms offers seasonal produce and fruit, mushrooms, microgreens, honey, CBD products, pasture-raised meats and eggs. Located in Antioch Township in Lake County, the small-scale farm grows fresh food year round with the help of greenhouses.

“We have two plastic film greenhouse coverings and then we blow air through the two layers of plastic, so it acts like a dual-pane window,” Jacobson says. “We then add a frost blanket over the rows and those two layers of protection allow us to grow a lot throughout the year.”

The produce varies by season, but the farm sells fresh vegetables all 52 weeks a year, he says.

Learn more about Kyle Jacobson’s farm in this video:  

“In the winter, freshly harvested root vegetables and lettuce are big sellers at the market,” Jacobson notes. “French breakfast radishes with tops still on them is something you don’t often see from other farms in January.”

Besides Wicker Park, Chicagoland has a host of other indoor farmers markets, including Woodstock, Evanston and Batavia, to name a few.

To help the public find the closest winter market, Maxwell says the ILFMA publishes a list of winter markets on its website at ilfma.org and publicizes it on its Facebook page. It also offers training for market managers that could help if a market wanted to open in the winter as well as warmer months.

Learn more about Illinois winter markets in this Partners podcast: 

Listen to “Taste Winter Fresh in Illinois” on Spreaker.

See more: Winter Farmers Markets in Illinois