Wintertime Saturdays at South Kingstown Farmers Market

Past flat fields as far as the eye can see, with neat rows of corn stalks dusted in morning frost, Washington County’s farmland is quiet during wintertime. Yet, inside the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus at Independence Square, the South Kingstown Farmers Market bustles with shoppers adding bunches of radishes, bundles of ripe carrots, and heads of lettuce to their reusable shopping totes. Wooden crates are filled with Granny Smith apples the size of one’s palm, ready to be baked into the perfect pie, and seafood caught in nearby waters rests on a bed of ice, ready to be served with a sirloin steak fresh from an East Bay farm. Even though agriculture slows down for the season, the winter’s
farmers market is in full swing.

Every Saturday morning from 9am to 12:30pm, patrons are welcome to bring their cups of coffee and tea to peruse a variety of vendors at Rhode Island’s longest-running farmers market. From poultry to skincare products, gluten-free baked goods to knife-sharpening services, the campus halls are a small business shopper’s dream, with provisions from across the state and live music setting the scene.

Enter through the sliding door entrance to find Barden Family Orchard from North Scituate set up. The multi-generation enterprise has been harvesting apples since 1931, and over its 90 years, the farm has expanded its crops to include peaches, sweet corn, raspberries, and more, and has even been featured on Sesame Street. Their fresh-pressed apple cider and jars of applesauce are a market favorite.

Rows of glass jars adorned with cute stickers and filled with strawberry jams, sweet zucchini relish, and more line the table of Off the Vine 45. Based in Warwick, their sauces, jams, and jellies are made in small batches for a reliable homemade taste. Grab a small spoon for a sampling of carrot cake jam or strawberry jelly; a fan favorite is monkey butter – a creamy jam made with golden bananas, pineapples, and coconut – which makes a perfect spread for toast, biscuits, or pancakes. For those looking to feel the heat, Off the Vine also makes hot sauces, ghost pepper jellies, and jalapeño spreads.

Other fresh-from-the-farm vendors include Lazy K Ranch, selling luxurious handmade socks, mittens, gloves, and cozy accessories, made using sustainable fibers from their herd of alpacas in rural Foster. Avid knitters can also purchase skeins of yarns in colorful hues.

The aroma of beef stew coming from a small crockpot lures folks over to the Slate Hill Cattle Company table. Customers are met with a smile from Martin Beck, an
established presence at the market from Portsmouth who sells premium grass-fed beef and pork, including skirt steaks, sirloins, and ground beef, along with tallow products made from cow’s fat for skin health. With fresh vegetables and potatoes from West Kingston’s Brandon Family Farm, and South Kingstown’s Chris and Kristina’s Market Garden, shoppers can assemble a fresh and locally grown meal. Learn more at SouthKingstownFarmersMarket.org.