Local veggies, coming soon to a stew pot near you.

In most areas of the country, farmer's markets shut down around Thanksgiving, and for the bulk of the long, dark winter months, the only option for acquiring local food is your local grocery store. That might not be the case much longer, though. The U.S. Department of Agriculture just released its figures for the number of winter farmer's markets, showing that the number of markets that operate between November and March has jumped 38 percent.

The agency has been pushing for more farmer's markets since 2009, as part of its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative designed to boost local food production and support smaller farmers. And it appears to be working. Spring and summer markets have been steadily growing in number, and since 2010, the number of winter markets has increased from 886 to 1,225, and those same markets now account for nearly 17 percent of the nation's 7,222 operating farmer's markets. The top 10 states for these markets are:

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)

Most of the growth can be attributed to better tools, the agency adds, such as hoophouses, which extend growing seasons in colder climates (and not, we might add, genetically modified crops or toxic fumigants that prolong storage).