LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Container ships wait weeks in harbors to be unloaded and unstable supply chains struggle with broken links. During a season of gift giving, this can cause stress. Will presents ordered online arrive in time? Will beleaguered department stores have mostly empty shelves?

Turning our eyes to alternative local sources can alleviate these uncertainties.

Even in rural Lake County, shopping options abound, whether a family-owned storefront, farm, winery, craft fair or artist studio.

Farmers’ markets are another, perhaps surprising, resource. We currently have two in the county, and in addition to seasonal produce, both offer opportunities to find creative and unique gifts.

I spent last Saturday morning perusing stalls at the farmers’ market near Kelseyville, and I can be found most Friday evenings at the farmers’ market in Middletown. Both offer a variety of handcrafted items, from jewelry, birdhouses and works of art to soaps, candles, baskets and jams.

Local honey, baked goods and oils (both olive and walnut) are among the foodstuffs offered and make appealing gifts, especially because they’re handcrafted or harvested locally.

Cornelia Sieber-Davis is the market manager for the Lake County Farmers’ Finest market, and she tells me that this Saturday, Dec. 18, will be a special one themed for the holidays.

The Saturday morning market is now year-round and is back at the old Steele Wines facility on Thomas Lane at the corner of Highway 29 between Kelseyville and Lakeport.

The property has been purchased by Shannon Wines, and a major remodeling of the tasting room, dubbed The Mercantile, is now finished and also offers gifts.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is located at the winery’s side lot.

The DeJulius family, with a farm near Middletown, spearheaded the creation of Middletown’s Friday night farmers’ market, which opened in the spring of this year.

As a resident of Middletown, it has been a thrill to see the market thrive. It’s held on the massive lawn in front of the library-senior center complex on Highway 29.

I’ve so often reveled in the energy there, with kids running around, music, dinner options and the large number of vendors lining walkways under the oaks. With darker days upon us now, the time for the market has shifted an hour earlier, from 4 to 7 p.m.

This Friday, Dec. 17, is the last market of this season, but I look forward to its reopening next year.

What follows is a pictorial essay of the farmers’ market in Kelseyville to showcase the variety of gift items that were on offer there last Saturday. Some of the vendors are a constant presence, while others pop in on occasion.

The Middletown market offers equally creative options, and a few of the vendors appear at both markets.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown, California.