The Winter Markets

Tuesdays have been the days when I would pick up vegetables from Roxbury Farm, at one of their CSA drop off points in Albany. But now the season is finally over.

The only remnants of our share from the farm in my fridge are a bag of oddly long turnips, one winter squash on the counter, and some sliced, pickled watermelon radishes. But we’re running on empty. We’ve been supplementing the CSA vegetables with frozen veggies for awhile, although that is a story for another time.

While I do truly love CSA season, I also appreciate when CSA season comes to a close. This year was another challenging one for the farmers, but the smaller yields made my life a little bit easier.

Now that I’ve been cut off from Roxbury Farm until late spring, I need to get my winter veggie fix. And that means one thing.

It’s off to the winter farmers markets!

Mostly, that means the Schenectady Greenmarket. I do love the feel of it, tucked away in the Proctor’s lobby, and in the theater’s basement. But it is also the most convenient for my schedule.

Migliorelli is one of the farms that no longer makes it all the way up Schenectady, and I still miss the farm’s broccoli rabe. But Bella Terra should still be there, and it’s been months since I’ve bought anything from those guys. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s faces.

Just a couple weeks ago, I returned to the Saturday market in the Troy Atrium for the first time in many years. It was amazing to see how much it has grown. Unfortunately, I was in town to judge the grilled cheese contest, so buying produce was out of the question. Still, I was able to play market tourist for a little bit, and I liked what I saw. That said, I wasn’t looking too closely at the prices, which rumor has it are a little higher than many have grown accustomed to in these hinterlands.

More than anything else, I’m feeling out of touch with the markets. I don’t know what’s new, who is where, or if anyone is growing something super special. However, I’m looking forward to finding out.

In the meantime, if anyone has any tips, I’m all ears.