In winter too!

It’s easy to support local farmers in the summer when tomatoes and peaches are at their peak—in fact, it’s hard to resist. But local farms have wonders to offer all winter long.

Here are a few ideas to support our robust agricultural community this winter:

•  Buy holiday gifts from local farmers. Wrap up a jar or two of Erickson Ranch jam, Brazelton Ranch preserves, or several bars of Morningbird soap or lotion. Whether it’s jellies, syrups, or shrubs or flavored sea salt from Lockewood Acres, or olive oil from Katz Farm, there are many gift options to choose from!

•  Give a gift card from your favorite local farm store or winery, such as Be Love Farm or the Suisun Valley Filling Station .

•  Instead of stocking up on wine for the holidays at a big box store, buy from a local winery such as Wooden Valley Winery, Tolenas Vineyards & Winery, and Vezer Family Vineyard. And there are many more to choose from!

•  Winter is a good time to sign up for a CSA box at farms. It helps the farmer plan for the planting season. If you already get a CSA box, keep that subscription going to keep yourself and family healthy with plenty of greens and winter squash. Try Full Belly Farm, Lockewood Acres, Eatwell Farm or Wilkinson Acres.

•  Buy local yarn to knit or crochet your next creation with yarn from the wool of local Vacaville sheep. Teach a young person to knit or crochet (masked-up, of course) and explain where the woolen yarn came from and why you bought it locally. Try Meridian Jacobs and Menagerie Hill Ranch.

•  Seek out local meat and turkey for your holiday table. Try Five Dot Ranch, Grabish Farms, Nature’s Bounty, or Stoneroot Field and Sea.

•  Support farming families affected by the COVID pandemic and recent fires through direct donations and strong local support through purchases.  Go to pleasantsvalleyagricultureassociation.com and suisunvalley.com.

•  Support SLT or make a gift in someone else’s name for the holidays!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Winter Solstice, it’s a win-win to include local farm products as part of your celebrations.