As local outdoor farmers markets wind down for the season, here’s how you can continue to eat local, seasonal and sustainably-grown produce and other farm products throughout the winter:
Northwest Pennsylvania Growers Cooperative is a group of 19 farms from Butler, Mercer, Lawrence, Crawford, Clarion, and Venango counties, who raise a full range of organic/natural products. The cooperative offers two wintertime opportunities. Customers can purchase a winter farm share/CSA in which they pre-pay a set amount prior to the growing season, and then receive a share of the harvest every other week. (CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a partnership in which farms and consumers share equally in the rewards and risks inherent in agriculture.) Add-ons are available for local eggs and meats, including ground beef, sausage or chicken. NWPA Growers also offers a Winter Market Webstore, through which customers can place orders online for specific items. There will be 8 pickup dates for shares and webstore orders, beginning November 29 and ending March 14, with nearby pickup sites in Butler, Grove City and Slippery Rock, as well as other sites. Find details about each of these options at http://www.nwpagrowers.com/ or visit NWPA Growers’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWPA-Growers-Co-op-362940736424/