MURRAY, Utah — It's been warmer than usual outside. That's made it a tough season for skiers, but for growers like Chad Midgley, it's actually been a good thing.
“I grew these tomatoes. Tomatoes in January! They taste really good," said Midgley, the owner of Chad’s Produce.
He’s one of over 20 vendors who helped kick off the first day of Wheeler Historic Farm’s winter market on Sunday. FOX 13 News spoke with the people growing, cooking, and creating right here in our community.
“I have peas outside that are this tall that I planted in October," Midgley said. "Usually, I don’t plant them until the spring. But I had this feeling it was going to be a warm winter, and they’re alive and growing."
Midgley, who has grown crops for 30 years, sold fresh produce including apples, pears, strawberries, spinach and tomatoes during the market. All of it was grown at his farms and greenhouses in Ogden, Syracuse and West Bountiful.
That’s not the only thing that’s growing. Sarah O’Donnell is the owner of Mecca Bar Co. — it’s their second time serving coffee and their treats at the winter market.
“My favorite way to serve is out of our ski gondola, which is a real gondola from Steamboat Springs, which we’ve renovated into a bar and coffee shop," O’Donnell said.
The beverage catering company, which started in 2020, serves custom drinks and espresso for events like weddings and parties. They also provide handcrafted bar rentals. O'Donnell says they recently opened a cafe in the Granary District.
“A part of it for me is just seeing people that follow us. That’s so motivating and rewarding," she added.
For Kathryn Moore, bees are what motivate her craft.
Moore, who's based in Pleasant Grove, started The Bee Side in 2022. She creates shadow boxes, layering cardstock into detailed designs. She donates a portion of her sales to The Bee Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy, as a way to save bees.
“Without the bees, we will all die. We will have no food," Moore said.
Now in its third year, the winter market runs from Jan. 4 to April 12, every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wheeler Historic Farm Education Center in Murray.
“Look at all the people here today," Midgley said. "It’s the busiest I’ve ever seen it!"
