Be good to your heart this Valentine's Day and get plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables at the U-District and West Seattle Farmers Markets: winter greens, beets, parsnips, carrots, winter squash, rutabegas, turnips.  And if you're looking for special sweets and treats for yourself or your sweetie, there are plenty of ingredients for romantic dinners and desserts: organic and grass-fed poultry and meats, oysters and salmon, sumptuous cheeses, hard ciders and wines, dried mushrooms and herbs, chocolates, breads and baked goods...plus LOCAL, seasonal flowers: georgeous tulips, and the season's first pussywillows and other early spring delights.   For inspiration on delicious cold-weather meals, check out the recipes shared by our eat-local-for-Thanksgiving contestants!  And don't forget gift certificates to the farmers markets - available in any amount at the market info booth.

University District (Saturdays, 9am-2pm, Year-round.) 

West Seattle (Sundays, 10am-2pm, Year-round.)

Broadway (Sundays, 11am-3pm, closed for winter - see you in May)

Columbia City (Weds, 3-7pm, closed for winter - see you in May)

Phinney (Fridays, 3-7pm, closed for winter - see you in May)

Lake City (Thurs, 3-7pm, closed for winter - see you in June)

Magnolia (Sat, 10am-2pm, closed for winter - see you in June)

                      Scenes from AppleLooza at U-Distr. Oct 3

Stretch your grocery dollars at the Farmers Markets!  If you think farmers markets are more expensive than grocery stores, this information might change your mind.  Click here to read about price comparisons.

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Click here to join our Ripe and Ready Google group, and know what is fresh every single week. We do not use this list for any other purpose.

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Agriculture and Climate Change

"Organic farming contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions because it reduces the consumption of fossil fuels (notably those used in fertilizer manufacturing), and reduces emissions of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide. It also reduces vulnerability of soils to erosion, while at the same time increasing carbon stocks in the soil. Consequently, conversion to organic farming is believed to be a viable way of reducing GHG emissions."

Introduction to Organic Agriculture and Climate Change Conference, September 28-29, 2009, Sofia, Bulgaria

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To read an excellent article on the future of farmers markets, click here.  You can also find links to more information about issues related to health, sustainable agriculture and farmers markets here.

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Our Farmers Markets are national news!  Go to our About Us/News page for links to feature articles and top rankings in Sunset Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Greenlight Magazine and more.

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HARDSHIP RELIEF FOR FARMERS:  The NFMA has established the Good Farmer Fund to help our market farmers hit with hardship due to natural disasters, illness or other causes.  For information on how to donate to help local farmers, click here.  Farmers interested in receiving emergency funds: please contact the NFMA directly by phone or email.

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Looking for more farmers markets besides the seven that we operate? Check out the Puget Sound Fresh or the WA State Farmers Market Association websites for market locations all over Seattle, King County and the Puget Sound area.

The right kind of biofuel: Zucchini Races at Phinney, Aug 29.