With Christmas Day fast approaching, now's the time to plan your festive feast - Pembrokeshire style!

Over the next few weeks, the county's farmers markets will be jam-packed with Christmas produce.

Buy farm-reared turkeys, free-range geese, ducks, wild boar and traditional meats, fresh vegetables, local preserves, farmhouse cheeses, Christmas baking, wines, liqueurs, and much more.

If you're catering for family or guests with special dietary needs, many stalls have wheat-free, gluten and diabetic food for sale or to order, both savoury and sweet.

Haverfordwest Farmers' Market will be holding three Christmas markets - today (Friday) and December 12 and 19 - at Riverside Shopping between 9 am and 3 pm.

If they wish, shoppers can place Christmas orders at any of the three markets and pick up their festive produce at an extra market on Tuesday, December 23, between 9 am and 1 pm - fresh for Christmas Day.

If you're stuck for gifts, you could also buy a Christmas hamper or winter planted basket - or why not put together your own with a selection of different produce?

There's also a free prize draw with the chance to win a Christmas hamper of Haverfordwest farmers' market produce. Forms are available from stallholders at each Christmas market, with the draw taking place on December 19.

Meanwhile, carol singers from local schools will be putting everybody in a festive mood at the market on December 12 and 19.

A wide range of Christmas produce is also available from Fishguard's Christmas Farmers' Markets on Saturdays, December 13 and 20, and Pembroke's Christmas Farmers' Market on Saturday, December 20.

Kate Morgan, food officer for Pembrokeshire County Council, said buying home-grown produce not only supports the local economy, but helps you beat the credit crunch too. Her cost-cutting tips are: buy loose, local fruit and veg in season - it's cheaper and tastes better. There are massive mark-ups on packaged fruit and veg flown in from around the world; don't buy ready meals - make it yourself and it'll cost a fraction of the price. Buy some mince, potatoes and seasonal veg from the market, and you'll have a substantial cottage pie for the whole family; don't skimp on good ingredients - quality meat is more satisfying, and provides better value for money.

Haverfordwest Farmers Market was recently announced as the UK runner-up in the Certified Rural Farmers' Market of the Year category of the National Farmers' Market of the Year 2009.

The competition is run by the National Farmers Retail and Markets' Association (FARMA). Haverfordwest previously won the category in 2006. The winner this year is Brigg Farmers' Market in Lincolnshire.