This past Wednesday marked the last official day of Portland's Winter Farmers' Market in Monument Square. Once again traffic was steady as Portlanders lined up to buy local eats. The winter market is only in its second year, and this season Daniel Price of Freedom Farm and Simon Frost of Thirty Acre Farm were joined by Daniel Perron from Sumner Valley Farm.

With the winter market over, both Thirty Acre Farm and Freedom Farm plan to take the month of April to work on their farms. Daniel from Freedom Farm says he likely won't return to Monument Square until mid-May, but he told me Thirty Acre Farm will start showing up at the beginning of May.

But no need to despair about going a month without your local food fix, because Daniel from Sumner Valley Farm plans to show up in Monument Square every Wednesday starting April 1, even though the summer market doesn't officially kick off until May. Yesterday I spoke with Larry Burns of Hanson Field Flower Farm, who coordinates vendors at the Portland Farmers' Market. He told me that Sumner Valley Farm will be joined in April by a couple other farmers who plan to offer hothouse veggies.

With the winter market a success and this early start to the summer market, Portland can finally claim a year round farmers' market. And that's the kind of happy news I'm thrilled to share with you on the first day of spring!