The number of winter farmers’ markets is increasing, according to the Agriculture Department’s updated National Farmers Market Directory. Venues that are open at least once between November and March are considered winter farmers’ markets. The expanded adoption of hoop house technology, which has enabled many smaller growers to extend their production seasons at low cost, has been a contributing factor to the growth of winter farmers’ markets. Learn more and find a winter farmers’ market near you at www.ams.usda.gov/news.

17

Percent of farmers’ markets that operate during winter.

38

Percent increase in winter farmers’ markets since 2010.

1,225

Number of winter farmers’ markets operating this year in the U.S. That’s up from 886 a year ago.

7,222

Total number of U.S. farmers’ markets.

States With Most Winter Farmers’ Markets

1. New York, 180

2. California, 153

3. Pennsylvania, 78

4. North Carolina, 73

5. Ohio, 50

6. Maryland, 48

7. Florida, 46

8. Massachusetts, 43

9. Virginia, 40

10. Michigan, 33

Pig: A Restaurant, is a 30-minute live theatrical production that zeros in on the pretensions of foodies. The play was performed five times in 2011 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Chelsea, N.Y., and the producers are hoping to take the production to Los Angeles. Exploring society’s obsession with what and how we eat was the goal of playwright Leila Cohan-Miccio, who previously edited the food blog Grub Street Boston. Lauren Conlin Adams, the only actor in the play, brings her experience waiting tables to the stage. The play includes foodie-centric gems such as a drink list featuring “bacon-infused bourbon” and “pork cheek bitters,” and a locavore praising edible weeds plucked along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. 

http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/news/view/1058

DC Cupcakes is a new series on TLC featuring Georgetown Cupcake, founded by sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne. Katherine and Sophie traded careers in fashion and private equity to pursue something a little sweeter — their passion for artful cupcakes. The women are lifelong bakers who were inspired by their grandmothers. They opened Georgetown Cupcake in February 2008 as Washington, D.C.’s first cupcakery, offering cupcakes for $2.75 each, $15 for a half-dozen or $29 per dozen. The business has expanded and includes a shop in Bethesda, Md. Two new shops (in New York’s SoHo district and Boston) are slated to open this year.  

http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/about.html

The 2^nd Annual Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference will take place Feb. 18-20, 2012, in Grand Rapids, Mich., at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel & DeVos Place Convention Center. The conference is presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation and Start2Farm.gov. Beginning farmers and ranchers interested in all types of agriculture are encouraged to attend. Farm Bureau membership is not required. The conference provides an opportunity for attendees to network with other farmers from around the country and learn from experts about how to start and maintain a thriving farm or ranch business. Beginning farmers often sell the food that they grow to niche markets. 

http://2012bfrconference.eventbrite.com/

The Chew is a new ABC program that aims to celebrate and explore life through food. A group of “dynamic, engaging, fun, relatable co-hosts” serve up everything to do with food on the show, from cooking and home entertaining to food trends, restaurants, holidays and more, with the goal of making life better, fuller and more fun. The show is broadcast live daily on weekdays from New York City at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Chew stars Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz and is promoted as “an innovative and groundbreaking new lifestyle series.” 

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew