BRATTLEBORO — Vendor applications are now being accepted for the eighth season of the Winter Farmers' Market, which will be held again at the River Garden in the heart of Brattleboro.
Space for new vendors is limited, but interested parties are encouraged to submit an application before the Sept. 1 deadline.
The 2013-14 Winter Market opens Nov. 2, and will be open every Saturday through March 29, 2014, for a total of 22 markets.
The regular market hours for the Winter Farmers' Market will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hours extended to 3 p.m. for the markets between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Organizers say preference is given to regional agricultural vendors, in keeping with the market's mission.
A wide array of products is typically offered, including locally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, baked goods, local wines, and handcrafted items such as clothing, jewelry, pottery, and soaps.
This is a juried market. New vendors or returning vendors with new craft or prepared food products will need to present their items for jury at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the River Garden. Agriculture vendors selling farm produce need not be juried.
For information on the jury process, call Susan Dunning at 802-228-3230.
Local sourcing for prepared foods sold at the market is essential. This means that prepared-food vendors must increasingly source products from local and regional growers and producers as the WFM continues to explore ways to reduce or eliminate waste and improve the market's environmental footprint.
The Winter Farmers' Market is a project of Post Oil Solutions, a citizen group seeking to advance cooperative, sustainable communities in light of concerns about global climate change and the end of cheap oil. Its goal is to raise awareness about sustainable practices for the homes, neighborhoods, and larger communities of Windham County, and begin creating the infrastructure it says is needed in our region for a post-oil society.