Farmers Market Watch: Countdown is on

By Rick Nelson, Star Tribune

Last update: March 5, 2008 - 4:46 PM

If browsing the farmers market in warm weather feels far away, that's because it is: The Minneapolis Farmers Market kicks off its 2008 season on April 19, and the St. Paul Farmers Market follows suit a week later. But that doesn't mean that bundled-up farmers and shoppers are in hibernation, because an impressive selection of meats, poultry, dairy products, syrup, baked goods, chocolate, eggs and more are available at several winter markets.

The Minneapolis Farmers Market (312 E. Lyndale Av. N., www.mplsfarmersmarket. com) meets March 15 and 29 and April 5, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. A small and dedicated group of St. Paul Farmers Market (290 E. 5th St., www.stpaul farmersmarket.com) vendors convenes every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, through April 19. Watch as the market's swell new year-round indoor facility goes up across Wall Street. A wintertime facsimile of the Mill City Farmers Market gets together March 15 and April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Let's Cook (330 E. Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, www.letscook.com). And while it's a retail store and not a farmers market, Farm in the Market (920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis, 612-870-2908, www. farminthemarket.com), a gem inside the Midtown Global Market, is an open-daily showcase for a wide variety of products sourced directly from more than 40 Minnesota and Wisconsin family farms.