It is with an annual mixture of sadness and relief that I remind you that this Saturday, December 17, will be the final market day of the 61st Street Farmers Market 2011 season! The land has yielded its harvest, the chickens (mine anyway) have produced their eggs for the year and, like them, our farmers are ready for a rejuvenating winter's nap. We, too, will be financially and physically rejuvenating so that we can bring you another season of the region's best produce, meats, dairy, cheese, and baked goods in 2012!

Join us this Saturday, when there will be much to buy, see and do at the 61st Street Holiday Farmers Market! Here are some of this week's special holiday highlights:

Abbey Brown Soaps will again be at the Market with their extensive line of gourmet soaps and bath products, handcrafted and made with ingredients that are good for your body. Remember—you shouldn't put on your body what you wouldn't put in your body. Abbey Brown Soaps make fabulous gifts for women and men!

Sunkissed Organics will again be at the Market with their beautiful Holly Wreaths, Mixed Greenery Wreaths, Holly bouquets, tabletop Christmas trees (both spruce and juniper) that you can transplant in your garden or yard, and other fun things, as well as edible organic winter squash.

Faith's Farm is back from the butcher so that you can stock up for the winter! Kim will have bacon, ribs, roasts, chops, and much more, including Holiday smoked hams, loins and shoulders. You can also take home Free Beef Stock Bones—please bring your own bag. In addition, Kim will have great deals on Real Bar Soap and Laundry Soap!

In addition to their organic/pasture-raised lamb, goat, and beef, Mint Creek Farm will be selling Kilgus Farms milk and cream from pasture-raised cows. Try some of their Half & Half or Whipping Cream in your holiday desserts, coffee, eggnog....

Growing Power, River Valley Ranch, and Ellis Family Farms will be bringing a variety of greens, onions, leeks, carrots, squash, potatoes, cranberries, apples, chestnuts, mushrooms, and more (including eggs)....

Tomato Mountain will be offering early payment discounts through January 10 for its home delivery CSA for 2012. This certified organic CSA will begin mid-April with some of the beautiful lettuce, spinach, and greens you've come to expect from Tomato Mountain, as well as a variety of other seasonal produce...including, of course, tomatoes. Pick up an application at the Market.

At 10:30am, Chef Ichha Devi will be offering a tasting of some delectable dish that she will have cooked up—and that you can prepare yourself at home.

At 11am, the 61st Street Farmers Market Organic Chorale will be performing holiday music for real listening pleasure!

And, once again, to thank you for your patronage of the 61st Street Farmers Market this 2011 season, we will be serving complimentary hot apple cider from Ellis Family Farms.

See you at the Market!