BIDDEFORD — The Winter Farmer’s Market drew a steady crowd Saturday morning, adding credence to the thought that these days, people like to buy foodstuffs and other items produced locally and directly from the farmer, the baker or the chef.

Winter markets are a growing trend ”“ no pun intended. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there were about 900 winter farmers markets across the country in 2010, up 17 percent since the previous year.

This winter market, located at 100 Main St. in the old Pepperell Mill, opened in mid-February and will wind down April 30.

Then on May 7, the Farmer’s Market will open outside, at the same location. Instead of Saturday mornings, the Farmer’s Market will be open Saturdays and Thursdays from 3-6 p.m.

Dee Weaver, who owns The Sweet Specialist, organized the winter market in the original location of the old Pepperell outlet store. Now a museum featuring artifacts and equipment once used on site in the textile manufacturing process, it seemed like the perfect spot for a market. The store is in the heart of Biddeford’s downtown, with lots of room inside for vendors and lots of room outside for parking.

Weaver, who has a shop at North Dam Mill, said she’s accepting applications for the outside market, which can accommodate up to about 20 vendors. Organizers chose the late afternoon hours for the outside venue, she said, because many folks said they’d like to drop by the market but they work on Saturday mornings.

Priscille Nadeau of Biddeford stopped Saturday for the first time and picked up a bunch of carrots along with a bag of mixed salad greens, grown in greenhouses just a few miles away at Sunset Farm Organics off Route 35 in Lyman. Then she stopped at Weaver’s stall for a cookie to sweeten the morning.

Susan Deschambault counted a goose egg and some parsnips among her purchases and eyed the tri-colored carrots.

“Just look how pretty that is,” she said, pointing to the bunches in varying hues of orange and yellow.

Deschambault had shopped here before. The market, she said, fits in perfectly with the whole “buy local” movement.

Ed Wright of Wright’s Haven Farm in Limington has been with the market since its inception. His wife Deborah is the farmer, he said, while he makes cheese and mans the stalls at farmer’s markets. In Maine since 2006, the Wrights have about 40 cows, 60 goats, 15 sheep and two new lambs born Saturday morning, six pigs and 200 chickens, more or less.

“You have to love what you do. We made a decision to go into business and we chose the business of farming,” said Wright, a business consultant in his day job. The Wrights offer pork, beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, fresh cheese and yogurt. He said they use no hormones, no antibiotics and the animals are free range.

Beth Hill of Redneck Ridge Farm in Arundel set up her stall in the Winter Farmer’s Market for the third time this season, selling raw milk and butter. The farmer’s market, she said, is “going good.”

At the Guzman Gourmet Salsa stand, Ed Guzman of South Portland was selling baked beans, stromboli and and macaroni salad to augment salsa sales, while at the next booth, Tim Clements of Creeping Thyme Farm in Buxton was offering samples of goat cheese, yogurt and goat’s milk fudge.

Debbie Maucieri of Kennebunkport popped a tidbit of feta in her mouth and then examined the other offerings ”“ she said she tried the queso fresco with sundried tomatoes and liked it.

She’s made the short trip from Kennebunkport to the Winter Farmer’s Market before.

“I came here a couple of weeks ago, The veggies are awesome,” she said.

Clements, of Creeping Thyme Farm, said the crowd has been steady.

“We see a lot of repeat customers,” he said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.