Charleston W.Va. — The Winter Blues Farmers’ Market will be returning to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1-5 p.m. The market will feature local food products and is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) and the WVU Extension Small Farm Center and is held in conjunction with the West Virginia Small Farm Conference.

“The Winter Blues Market is a great opportunity for consumers to access high-quality, locally produced products while supporting the state’s agricultural community,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “This is one of the premier local food events in the state, and we hope to see everyone in the Great Kanawha Valley area come out.”

Admission is free and over 50 of the state’s top food producers will be on hand with everything you need to bring a taste of summer back to your table. Available to shoppers will be fresh, indoor grown produce, breads, a variety of frozen meats and a cornucopia of canned and preserved items. There will also be candy and confections, pet treats, corn meal and CBD products, along with bath and body items.

“If you want to shop the best selection, arrive early. Historically, large crowds come early and there is a chance vendors may sell out their “West Virginia Grown” food items quickly,” Leonhardt said. “Regardless of what you are looking for, it is vital that we back our homegrown farmers which puts money right back into our communities.”

The West Virginia Small Farms Conferences runs Feb 19-22 and offers numerous educational sessions on an extensive variety of agricultural topics.

The goal of the conference is to help food producers operate efficiently and profitably by providing reliable, tested knowledge about current trends, needed skills and the latest production and operation information.
Visit extension.wvu.edu/conferences/small-farm-conference for information about the Small Farms conference.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials who sits on the Board of Public Works.