Dear friend,

This year was anything but normal.

Even a simple trip to the grocery store was no longer something to take for granted.

But it was a great year for our farmers’ markets!

The news was full of stories about food shortages. This created a real awareness of the fragility of our food pathways and an appreciation of locally grown food.

Interest in healthy food, becoming more food independent, teaching children how food comes to the table, and the sheer pleasure of being outdoors led to record numbers to our farmers’ markets and farm stands.

Free Range labels are regulated by the USDA only for poultry produced for meat. The requirements are very high: poultry can use the label if the chicken had any access to the outdoors each day for some unspecified period of time; it could be just a few minutes, and does not assure that the animal ever actually went outdoors to roam freely.

This Holiday Season, Build Gift Baskets For Your Loved Ones With Products From Bucks County Vendors

By Courtney Linder

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to dream up the perfect gifts for your friends and family. And even if you can’t be physically together this year, you can still spread some warmth and holiday cheer with a thoughtful present. Right now, we’re obsessed with handcrafting beautiful gift baskets, combining artisan goods from our favorite farmers markets, Doylestown and Wrightstown, with tasteful flourishes that will make the goodies inside even more memorable. 

The best part? You can source all of the perfect elements for your foodie baskets by supporting local vendors. Try hitting one of the two markets remaining this year in Doylestown on Saturday November 14 and Saturday, November 21. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on South Hamilton Street between West Oakland Avenue and West State Street. 

Alternatively, you can visit the farmers market in Wrightstown, located at the Middletown Grange (576 Penns Park Road), running from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., also on Saturday, November 13 and Saturday, November 20. Or, before the holiday season ends, visit the Wrightstown Winter Farmers Market, which will be held outdoors at The Anchor Church (980 Durham Road) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, Saturday, December 19, and Saturday, December 26 (limited vendors), with more dates in 2021.

If you don’t feel like leaving the comfort of your home, you can order from your favorite businesses directly online or give them a call to place an order. Most places should be able to coordinate a safe, contactless delivery. 

Planning on building a basket? Show us what you’ve put together, and we just may share it with our followers on Instagram (@doylestownfarmersmarket or @wrightstownmarket) or on Facebook. Happy crafting!

Farmer Stephanie Spock writes...

As farmers, John and I consider ourselves lucky. We farm in a spot that is protected on all sides by trees. We have a half-acre pond to irrigate from, which means we have water even in the middle of a drought. Our soil is pretty permeable so water drains easier. We don't have a fear of fires raging around us.