The Austin Area Farmers Market is ready for winter.

The farmers market is beginning the indoor winter market season from 4 to 6 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Oak Park Mall. This indoor market will be held every Thursday at that time.

Vendors from the summer market will be selling locally produced fresh baked goods, seasonal fruits and vegetables, farm raised meats and eggs, honey & honey products, maple syrup, soaps & lotions, jams & jellies, gluten free products, artisan crafts, holiday gifts and much more.

“We’re going to have more vendors this year,” Karl Milliron, farmers market treasurer, said. “Several of us made a commitment late in the season to keep on going until Christmas and others will continue throughout the winter until next May. We still have a lot of vendors with late season produce that needs to be sold.”

The winter market will continue to accept EBT benefits through its token system and continue to offer the $5 matching benefit on the first $5 of EBT spent by customers every time they come to the market. The promotional matching dollar program is made possible by a grant from BCBS of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health. The program makes it possible for all vendors selling food products to accept SNAP EBT benefits and credit/debit cards using this new token system. Customers can swipe their cards at the token booth and receive tokens that are spent like cash in the market among the different vendors.

Those wishing to join the Austin Area Farmers Market should contact Heidi Harrabi at 507-210-7636.