Greetings to all Belmont Farmers' Market Customers, friends, and
supporters,

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a special greeting for you from the committee, and some of our
Market Vendors. First of all, we extend sincere thanks to the Belmont
Town Departments who support us: The department of Public Works,
Health, The Belmont Police, and our Town Selectmen who authorize our
market each year.

We also want to express our gratitude to all the residential neighbors
in the Cross Street/Channing area whose streets have been full with
extra vehicles parking on market days. The intersection at Cross and
Channing has been enhanced with a new pedestrian striped crosswalk
this fall. These improvements will make the intersection more user
friendly this coming season!

We'd like to encourage all of you who care about sourcing local to
patronize our local businesses downtown – both during the farmers'
market season and in the winter months. It's also

Speaking of winter months, as you're looking for affordable, unique
gifts for loved ones – consider buying some of our organic cotton
T-shirts (s, m, l, xl! You will be supporting the market and clothing
your family in style. Or buy a handsome, sturdy tote bag (can be
filled with locally made items). Bags and T-shirts feature our
striking Belmont Farmers' Market logo—black and white and definitely
red even at a distance.

Greetings from our Vendors:
Kimball Fruit Farm would like to thank all of our faithful Belmont
Farmers Market customers. Heat, rain, and thunderstorms did not keep
you away. We appreciate your business. It has been great to meet and
get to know so many nice people. We wish you Happy Holidays and a safe
and healthy winter.
This winter Helen of Kimball's became a grandmother. Will was born six
weeks early but is thriving. Wendy will spend some time with her three
teenagers and husband and do some substitute teaching. Wendy's brother
Carl and his wife Marie, the farm owners, will do some traveling. This
includes their annual trip to Jamaica. Many of our farm workers are
from Jamaica. We have a fondness for the people there and they
welcome our visits. Carl and Marie will be working on a church and a
school, doing some painting and adding new bathrooms.
The Kimball Fruit Farmstand has now closed up for the season. We have
donated all leftover produce to our local Soup Kitchen and Food For
Free. We have been checking out the new seed catalogues and dreaming
about next year's warmth and growing season. If there is anything in
particular you want us to grow please drop us a line. Kimball's
website is a work in progress but coming along: kimballfruitfarm.com
or feel free to write Wendy @ hillsacres1@....

Stillman's at The Turkey Farm
Thanks for our faithful Belmont Shoppers! While the market season has
ended, the good eats have not! Purchase our conscientiously raised
meats and poultry through the winter months. Now is the time to take
advantage of our farmers' market season's end special: Recieve 5% off
all orders of $50 or more and receive 10% off orders of $100 or more.
Offer good throughout November. We will be in the city weekly,
attending farmers' markets and making deliveries. If you are looking
for something special or would like to place an order, call or e-mail!
Delivery is available for large orders.

Jamaica Plain Farmers' Market:
Join us all winter at The Jamaica Plain Farmers' Market on Saturdays
from noon-3pm. We will be selling our meats and poultry as well as
seasonal produce while it is available.

Holiday Orders:
We are sold out of turkeys for the 2008 season, however we are sill
accepting all other holiday orders. If you are planning a special
meal and would like to include our meats and poultry in your special
holiday feast, call or e-mail to place an order. Custom requests
welcomed.

Holiday Farm Open House:
Join us in Hardwick to usher in the Holiday season on December 7th
from noon-4pm (weather date: December 14th). Highlights include a
tour of the farm, a holiday greens sale and refreshments served. See
our website for details and a full schedule!

Meat CSA:
Accepting new memberships for January 2009. In addition, CSA members
are entitled to a 20 percent discount on all farmers' market purchases!

Sillman's at The Turkey Farm
561 Thresher Rd ♦ PO Box 373 ♦ Hardwick, MA 01037 ♦
413.477.0345 ♦
www.stillmansattheturkeyfarm.com

The Underwood Greenhouses, Belmont, MA.
The Underwood Greenhouses - historic greenhouses over 100 years old -
are known for the wonderful annuals and perennials during the spring
and summer. This year we are experimenting with something
new…..growing lettuce in the winter! After extensive repairs and the
installation of new roofing material and ventilation systems, it
seemed a shame to leave the greenhouses vacant and unused all winter.
Heating them during the winter is out of the question as it would be
too costly. Growing lettuce during the winter seems to be a perfect
fit as it does not require heat; just a little attention from the
grower. This will be the first crop of lettuce "gardened under
glass" in Belmont in over 200 years! If you want to be on our "lettuce
list", send an email to: sssala@.... We can't guarantee a large
harvest this winter, but who knows what the future will hold! The
owners of the Underwood Greenhouses remain dedicated to educating high
school students, community scout groups, and senior citizens, as well
as anyone else interested in greenhouse agriculture and horticulture.
Many thanks to all who have bought our plants at the greenhouse and
at the Belmont Farmers' Market. Your continued support helps to save
our wonderful historic structure.

Merrimack Valley Apiaries
http://mvabeepunchers.com To find the exquisitely tasty MVA honey
during the off season, take a trip to Greenwood Tree Farm at 96 Dudley
Road - Billerica, MA 01821 - TEL: (978) 667-5380 which will be Opening
Saturday after Thanksgiving 2008.
Stroll through our fields, pick out your OWN Christmas Tree - Cut it
yourself if you'd like - Or choose from our selection of ready to go
pre-cut / wrapped trees (All Sizes Available!) Selections from field
include Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir, Blue Spruce. Selections from precut /
wrapped: Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir. The staff of Greenwood Tree Farm will
be available to help you load up your tree upon asking.
Enjoy popular traditional Christmas melodies playing in the background
as you browse the farm for your perfect tree.
For other great holiday gifts, stop in and sample some of Crystal's
Own All Natural Varietal Honey inside of our Gift Shop - The Hot Cider
and Honey will be waiting...www.greenwoodtreefarm.com. Go there for
wreaths, kissing balls, trees and HONEY. You can also find the MVA
honey at Russo's in Waltham, and at Wilson Farms in Lexington.
Dec 4th marks the annual holiday lighting ceremony in Belmont Center,
and we hope you can make it to see the festivities! The Belmont
Farmers' Market has officially joined the Belmont Center Business
Association this year and continues to support the BCBA.
If you are in a position to assist your neighbors this season a local
program has been established to assist qualified residents with fuel
and utility expenses. Information is included in the Belmont
Municipal Light Department's Watt's Up bulletin that arrives with
current electric bills. To contribute to the fund, checks should be
made out to "Adopt a Furnace" and be sent to BMLD, 40 Prince Street,
Belmont MA 02478 to the attention of Debbie Bottiglio. Questions?
Please call Janet Amadur LICSW, Belmont Health Department's Outreach
Worker at 617-993-2729 for more information.

Donations to the Belmont Food Pantry, according the local newspaper,
can be sent to Community Newspaper Company at PO Box 9191, Concord MA
01742 to the attention of Gifts of Hope. Make checks out to Belmont
Food Pantry.

In closing, we committee members are all grateful for what you have
done to make a seasonal farmers' market take place in our community.
This year, more than ever, it seems like a Thanksgiving time best to
dwell on what we have - our blessings of family, friends and one
another in community - and we have faith that there will be good times
or prosperity ahead, less turbulent than now.

RECIPE
Now, one more harvest recipe. A sweet dessert for a celebratory time:

Butternut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Some think that squash for dessert is a little strange, but try this
cake and it might change your mind!
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup maple syrup (you could also try this with honey, but it's a
little more dense so use just 2/3 cup honey)
2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
2/3 cup grapeseed oil (or any mild oil will do)
3 eggs
1 cup cooked mashed butternut squash or canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons spices (try a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,
and cardamom)
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place oil and maple syrup in a bowl and beat
well for a minute or 2.
2. Add the eggs gradually and beat well. Then add the yogurt and beat
a bit more.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices over the
mixing bowl, then add butternut puree. Beat all ingredients until just
mixed.
4. Line a greased round cake tin with baking paper. Pour the mixture
into the tin, then bake about 40-45 minutes or until cooked when
tested with a skewer.
5. Serve warm or allow to cool completely and try it with this amazing
cream cheese frosting:
Cream Cheese Frosting
Place 8 ounces light cream cheese, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon
molasses in a food processor and process until smooth.
Cake serves 8 to 10.