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Grow fresh, local vegetables all winter long — and build a thriving, profitable farm that never sleeps
Discover how small-scale farmers are transforming the "off-season" into their most productive and profitable time of year. The Winter Market Gardener shows you exactly how to grow abundant, high-quality vegetables year-round in northern climates — even through the darkest months.
Inside, you'll learn practical systems and proven methods for cold-season success:
- How to plan and plant for continuous harvests using crop calendars, cold-hardy varieties, and precise scheduling.
- Best shelters and tools for northern growers — from row covers and caterpillar tunnels to efficient, low-cost greenhouses.
- Smart strategies for profitability — extend your CSA season, supply local markets, and keep your income steady all year.
- Detailed winter crop profiles for dozens of vegetables, with cultivation and storage tips tailored to cold climates.
- Efficient workflows and soil health practices that save time, conserve resources, and boost quality.
Drawing on decades of on-farm research, experimentation, and innovation, this beautifully illustrated handbook distills the techniques developed at Quebec's renowned Ferme des Quatre-Temps and Les Jardins de la Grelinette.
Written by Jean-Martin Fortier, bestselling author of The Market Gardener (300,000+ copies sold), and Catherine Sylvestre, director of vegetable production at Ferme des Quatre-Temps, this book offers both inspiration and actionable guidance for farmers, homesteaders, and serious gardeners committed to growing through every season.
If you've ever wondered how to grow vegetables year-round, keep your markets supplied in winter, or design a resilient, climate-smart farm — this is your field-tested roadmap.
Start building your year-round harvest today — and turn winter into your most rewarding season yet.
"The essential guide for winter market gardening for the new generation of growers is here!!! "
–Zach Loeks, edible ecosystem designer, author, The Two-wheel Tractor Handbook and The Permaculture Market Garden
"The core challenge of growers in the north is learning how to feed our communities with fresh, local, real food in the winter. With great research and detailed charts, this book shows exactly how to do just that. I think every grower should buy it, read it, and incorporate its ideas. An indispensable book."
–Ben Hartman, author, The Lean Micro Farm
"In this book, you will find all manner of useful planning considerations and practical tips and evaluations of structures, tools, diseases and pests, crop notes, and optimal storage conditions to help you extend your seasons and production for as long as possible through the winter months … A lovely extension to Jean-Martin’s previous handbook, and a great resource for those looking to up their winter growing practices."
–Richard Perkins, author, Regenerative Agriculture
"…this book was written by two people who have devoted their lives to helping feed communities better. Winter is no longer off-limits, it’s open to all of us."
–Michael Kilpatrick, educator, Growing Farmers, farmer, The Farm on Central
"Drawing on the Parisienne market garden tradition and Eliot Coleman’s seminal works, The Winter Market Gardener presents years of new research, experimentation, and practice. It covers every aspect of growing vegetables for market year round in a cold climate to build community resilience and reduce imports. It's comprehensive, well laid out, full of information, and engaging."
–Maddy Harland, editor, co-founder, Permaculture Magazine
"Jean-Martin’s passion for organic farming is contagious. He is always innovating, experimenting, and sharing his findings with others and The Winter Market Gardener is no exception. This book is practical, thorough, well-researched, and an invaluable resource for cold-climate growers."
–Erin Benzakein, Floret
Jean-Martin Fortier is a farmer, author, educator, and advocate for regenerative, human-scale, profitable agriculture. For over 20 years he and his wife Maude-Helene Desroches have operated les Jardins de la Grelinette, a successful 2-acre microfarm. His bestselling book The Market Gardener, which has sold a quarter million copies in nine languages, describes the biointensive principles used at his micro-farm. In 2015, he established a research farm, la Ferme des Quatre-Temps, where he trains apprentices and develops new strategies for market gardening, including year-round production. His methods of production are taught to a worldwide audience through the Market Gardener Masterclass, an online course of the Market Gardener Institute, which is tailored to small-scale food growers. He is the founder of Growers & Co., a tool and apparel company which celebrates sustainable, local, and equitable food producers. Jean-Martin farms and lives in Quebec, Canada.
Catherine Sylvestre is the director of vegetable production at la Ferme des Quatre-Temps, a collaborative farm project inspired by the principles of ecological polyculture and regenerative agriculture. Leader of the market garden team, she trains program participants and develops and implements best practices for cold season growing, specializing in crop protection and greenhouse production for northern climates. She is also technical advisor at the Market Gardener Institute, where she studies and teaches organic agriculture. In addition to her field experience, Catherine has a BSc in Ecological Agriculture and Professional Agrology and a Master's degree in Political Science. Her academic focus has been the rich and complex relationship between human beings and nature, which meets in agriculture. Through her research, writing, and training, Catherine hopes to provide other farmers and market gardeners with the tools and knowledge to produce their own successful winter harvests. She lives in Quebec, Canada.
Foreword
Introduction: Yes, We Can Grow Vegetables Year-Round. . . and Why We Should
The Knowledge and Skills of Northern Growers
Using Simple Shelters to Protect Crops
Winter Crop Planning
Vegetables in Winter
Tools for Winter Growing
Tending to Winter Crops
Fall Harvests for Cold Storage
Growing and Selling Vegetables Year-Round
Conclusion
Appendices
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About the Authors
About New Society Publishers