Do you know about our 7 Sonoma County farmers markets?

If you make New Year’s resolutions, I have a suggestion. Make ’23 the year you support local farmers at one of our 7 year-round farmers markets. There are markets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and weekend markets on Saturdays and Sundays.

Farmers markets are one of the best ways to understand seasonality and connect with local farms. Some markets thrived during the peak of the pandemic, while others saw a sharp drop in customers. The challenge now is to get those who stopped attending farmers markets to return and to inspire new customers to make a habit of shopping at farmers markets. My approach is to get as much as I possibly can from farmers markets and farm stands and then fill in, especially with pantry staples such as salt and pepper, at locally owned grocery stores.

Hilda Swartz has managed farmers markets longer than anyone in the county. On Saturdays, she heads up the Oakmont Farmers Market, and on Fridays, the Sonoma Valley Farmers Market, which she has overseen since 1985.

Swartz was a founder of the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, now held in the west parking lot of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. The market is currently managed by Pegi Ball, who says it’s doing pretty well right now.

Kelly Smith and her partner, James Fenston, manage three year-round markets, a number that more than doubles as late spring and summer approach. Their markets did well during the pandemic.

“The fires did more harm to our markets than the pandemic,” Smith said recently.

The Santa Rosa Community Farmers Market, which moved from the Veterans Building to Farmers Lane, is thriving. The Tuesday market is doing well, too.

To make farmers markets a primary source for fresh foods, focus on the one closest to where you live. All year-round farmers markets are a mix of well-known vendors who attend several markets and others unique to a specific one. For example, Laguna Farms, Ortiz Brothers, Hector’s Honey, Schletewitz Family Farm and The Patch vendors attend multiple markets. Paul’s Produce and Oakhill Farm are among the unique vendors at the Sonoma Valley market. Min-Hee Gardens, with outstanding kimchi and pickled vegetables along with fresh produce, attends the Santa Rosa Original market.

In addition to fresh produce, market vendors also sell eggs, cheese, meats, bread and dairy. Pure Puer Tea attends the Sebastopol and Santa Rosa Original markets, with some of the finest teas you’ll ever taste. The Oakmont market has Costas tacos, available to enjoy on the stop or to take home. In Sebastopol, you’ll find Joe Matos cheese, along with their newly available grass-fed meats.

You may have noticed a favorite vendor missing from your local market. Sebastopol, for example, has lost several. Dominique Sweets now attends just the Santa Rosa Original market. Lata’s Indian Cuisine, one of the most popular prepared food vendors, is on hiatus until May.

Franco Dunn has retired his One World Sausages, a tremendous loss to those of us who loved his fabulous sausages, made from recipes from around the world. How did he get them? As an online scrabble player, he connected with people in many parts of the world. Once he got to know them, he would ask about local sausages. We enjoyed the results.

As for the nonfood vendors at farmers markets — sellers of local crafts, jewelry, clothing, baskets, candles and pottery — they help markets survive the lean months, before the spring and summer harvests kick in. State regulations require these vendors be grouped together and not alongside food stalls. If you’ve ever attended a “farmers market” with a lot of commercial goods, including foods from national producers and all manner of little items from China, it is likely just an outdoor market, not a certified farmers market. There is a big difference.

Here is a list of Sonoma County’s year-round farmers markets:

Santa Rosa Community Farmers Market, founded in 2013, is managed by James Fenston. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays at 1501 Farmers Lane, Santa Rosa; ilovefarmersmarkets.org.

Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, founded in 1978 and managed by Pegi Ball, takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays year-round in the west parking lot of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Spring Road, Santa Rosa; thesantarosafarmersmarket.com.

Oakmont Certified Farmers Market, founded in the mid-1990s, takes place 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at 6585 Oakmont Drive in east Santa Rosa.

Petaluma Eastside Farmers Market, founded in 2012 and managed by Kelly Smith, takes place 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Lucchesi Park Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Ave; ilovefarmersmarkets.org.

El Mercadito Farmers Market, founded in 2020 and managed by Althea Armada, take places from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays at 665 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa; ilovefarmersmarkets.org.

Sebastopol Certified Farmers Market, founded in 1994 and currently managed by Barbara Hom, takes place in the town plaza at McKinley and Petaluma avenues, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays; sebastopolfarmersmarket.org.

Sonoma Valley Farmers Market, founded in 1985, takes place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays in the parking lot of Depot Park on First Street West, just north of the Sonoma town plaza; svcfm.org.

This soup is flexible; you can vary the greens based on what you have in your garden or fridge or what you buy at a farmers market. Whatever greens you choose, also include spinach and Italian parsley, as both keep the soup green; without them, it can turn gray. I almost always have this soup on hand in cooler months, and I enjoy it hot or chilled. If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to add more vegetables to your diet, this is a good place to start.

Winter Greens Soup

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

3 - 4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

2 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

Kosher salt

6 cups homemade stock or broth

1 bunch collards, trimmed and cut into thin crosswise ribbons

1 Lacinato kale, trimmed and cut into thin crosswise ribbons

1 bunch chard, trimmed and cut into thin crosswise ribbons

1 bunch spinach, trimmed and chopped

1 bunch Italian parsley, large stems removed, chopped

Zest of 2 lemons, optional

Black pepper in a mill

Crème fraîche, sour cream or hot sauce

Pour enough olive oil into a heavy soup pot to coat the bottom of the pot somewhat generously. Set over medium-low heat, add the onion and carrot and saute until limp and fragrant. Add the garlic, saute 2 minutes more, add the potatoes and cook 3 minutes more, stirring several times.

Season with salt.

Add the broth or stock, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour a little olive oil into a large saute pan or wok set over medium heat. Add the collards and kale, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted. Uncover the pan and use tongs to turn the greens. Continue to cook for another few minutes, until the greens are almost tender. Add the chard, spinach and parsley. Turn to combine with the other greens, and cook until wilted. Season with salt and remove from the heat.

When the potatoes are tender, add the greens and the lemon zest and cook for about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, taste, correct for salt and season generously with black pepper.

Ladle into soup plates; top with crème fraîche, sour cream or hot sauce; and enjoy right away.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve chilled and topped with a generous spoonful of plain whole-milk yogurt.

• Top each serving with a poached egg and a generous shake of hot sauce.

• Cut several radishes into small julienne, fold into a cup of whole-milk yogurt, season with salt and pepper and add a generous spoonful to each serving.

• Sear scallops, allowing 2 to 3 per person, in butter for about 90 seconds per side. Season with salt and pepper and set atop each serving.

• While the soup cooks, fry 4 sausages of your choice, cut them into ¼-inch thick slices and scatter them on the soup just before serving.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The New Cook’s Tour of Sonoma.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.