New Hampshire farmers markets: summer and winter guide

New Hampshire has farmers markets in most of its towns, and the larger ones run in both summer and winter. Summer markets are open air, usually once a week, in a town lot or on a green. Winter markets move indoors, often to a hall or a former shop, and many run on Saturdays from late fall into spring. Dates and locations change from year to year, so confirm a market's schedule on its own page or with the town before you go.

How do farmers markets work in New Hampshire?

A market is a group of local farms and food makers who set up on a fixed day and place. In summer you will find vegetables, fruit, eggs, meat, cheese, honey, maple syrup and baked goods. Many markets also have prepared food and a few craft stalls. Each market is run by a town, a nonprofit or a group of growers, and each sets its own rules for who can sell.

New Hampshire is also a state where a lot of the food is seasonal and local by habit: maple in early spring, berries in summer, apples and cider in the fall.

Which towns have the larger markets?

Local listings point to several. These are examples, not a complete list:

• Concord: A downtown winter market was listed on Saturdays at 7 Eagle Square, with one listing saying it runs through April. Concord also has summer markets in the downtown area.
• Nashua: Older listings describe a Sunday market that moves indoors on Main Street for winter and uses a lot near the library in summer.
• Keene: Older listings describe a winter market on South Lincoln Street and a summer market near Gilbo Avenue.
• Portsmouth: A seacoast market at City Hall appears in summer listings.

Because most of these listings are a few years old, treat the places and days as leads to check, not as a schedule.

When is the winter market season?

Winter markets generally start in November and finish in April or May, and many run once a week, often on Saturdays. They are smaller than summer markets, with root vegetables, greens from heated greenhouses, meat, cheese, bread, preserves and baked goods. Some are in a heated indoor space, which makes them comfortable on a cold morning. A market that was uncertain for a winter season in one year, as a business news story noted, may have a different schedule in the next.

What should you buy at a New Hampshire market?

Go in with a rough plan:

• Summer: sweet corn, tomatoes, berries, peaches, greens and flowers.
• Fall: apples, cider, squash, pumpkins and maple products.
• Winter: storage vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and onions, plus meat, eggs, cheese and baked goods.
• Any time: local honey and maple syrup, which the state is known for.

Ask the farmer how long an item keeps. Many New Hampshire farms sell directly and are glad to explain.

How do you pay?

Most vendors take cash and many take cards or mobile payments. Some markets accept SNAP and similar programs, and some run matching programs for fresh produce. Ask at the market's information table or check its website.

Can you eat lunch at a farmers market?

Often, yes. Many markets include a coffee stand, a bakery and one or two prepared-food stalls. A winter market in a hall may have tables. If you are traveling for the day, pair the market with a place to eat in the same town.

What if you have allergies or dietary needs?

Producers can tell you exactly what is in a product, which is an advantage over a packaged item. Ask about nuts, dairy and gluten in baked goods, and ask whether a stall shares equipment.

Is a farmers market cheaper than a supermarket?

Sometimes, and not always. A market is a good place to buy a small amount of very fresh food, and in peak season, prices on items such as tomatoes, corn and berries can be competitive. In winter the choice is narrower. The real advantage is that you can ask the person who grew it how to cook it and when it was picked. If you are shopping on a budget, ask about seconds, which are slightly imperfect produce sold at a lower price, and visit near closing time.

What should you bring to a market?

Bring bags, since many markets ask you to reuse your own, a cooler bag if you are buying meat or dairy and have a drive home, and small bills for stalls that do not take cards. In winter, wear layers for indoor halls that can be chilly. Arrive early for the best choice, and late for the best prices.

How do you pick a market when you are traveling?

Look at the day first. A Saturday morning market is the busiest and most social, and a midweek market is calmer. Then look at the setting: a market on a town green or beside a river is worth the trip on its own. Finally, check whether it has prepared food, because a market with a coffee stand and a baker is a better destination for a morning out than one with only produce.

How do you keep track of a good stall?

A good stall is easy to forget by the next market. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. For a market, a page can list the traders and, for a market with set days, the days it is on. Following a market lets you ask for a reminder on its market days, and a rating of a dish stays with the stall that sold it.

More guides to read next:

• New Hampshire Lakes Region and White Mountains: where and when to eat
• Where to eat on Lake Winnipesaukee: Wolfeboro, Meredith and Weirs Beach
• New Hampshire meals tax and tipping: what the restaurant check adds

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.