Bruno Balkcom, 8, of East Greenwich, and Bella Saborio, 8, of Cranston, shop at a farmers market in East Greenwich earlier this fall. A Coastal Growers Market will be open on Sunday in Saunderstown.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Fresh food enthusiasts who want to buy locally grown produce, vegetables and meat for their Thanksgiving dinner can shop at several Farmers Markets this weekend.

Visit any one of the following markets to pick up Rhode Island grown or produced fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese, bread, pies, and meat.

Other local items available include a variety of winter squash, potatoes (sweet, red, or white), kale, collard greens, leeks, salad greens, onions and garlic, eggs, roasting chickens, pork, beef, cheese, pies, and prepared foods.

The markets are sponsored by Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a network local food growers.

Open on Saturday •Hope High Farmers’ Market

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In front of Hope High School, at the corner of Hope and Olney Streets in Providence.

•Pawtuxet Village Farmers’ Market

9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In the parking lot at Pawtuxet Village, 60 Rhodes Place at Cranston

•Aquidneck Growers’ Holiday Market

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Newport Vineyards & Winery, 909 East Main Rd. in Middletown

Open on Sunday:

•Coastal Growers’ Holiday Market

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Rd. in Saunderstown.

MOST PLAN TO CUT BACK ON HOLIDAY SPENDING

Three-quarters of Americans are planning to cut back on holiday spending, according to a holiday survey done by Consumer Reports.

Gifts and travel lead the list of items that consumers plan to cut out this year.

Also, the Consumer Reports survey found that 6 percent of Americans — some 12 million consumers—are still carrying debt from last winter’s holiday season. And despite the uncertain economic climate, 88 percent of Americans expect their holidays to be at least as happy as last year.

Cumberland Farms offers free coffee

Cumberland Farms is introducing a new type of coffee, called Farmhouse Blend, by offering it free at any of its stores in the Northeast on Fridays through Dec. 5. After that, a cup of coffee, or any of its other hot beverages, will cost 99 cents.

“A great cup of coffee shouldn’t cost as much as a gallon of gas nor should anyone have to take a lot of time out of the day to get it,” said Ari Haseotes, president and chief operating officer for Cumberland Farms.

BANKRUPTCIES IMPERIL GIFT CARDS

Gift cards have become one of the most popular holiday gifts.

In fact, shoppers spent an estimated $26.3 billion on gift cards at retailers last Christmas season, compared with $24.8 billion in 2006 and $18.5 billion in 2005, according to the National Retail Federation.

But be careful this year because already some big retailers, including Sharper Image and Bombay Co., have filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving gift card holders with millions of dollars of what the courts consider unsecured debt. Both chains have since closed.

Consumers Union said that when Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy protection this year, it left an estimated $20 million on unused gift cards and maybe as much as $40 million when merchandise certificates and related promotional cards were included. At first Sharper Image said it would not honor the credits. Later it successfully petitioned the court to allow it to accept gift cards if consumers spent twice the value of the gift card on a single transaction.

“That wasn’t such a good deal, and who knows if anybody used their cards that way,” said Anthony Giorgianni, associate editor of Consumer Reports, which is published by Consumers Union.

In August, home-furnishing retailer Bombay Co., which closed 388 stores, won approval from a U.S. bankruptcy judge to pay off gift card holders 25 cents on the dollar.

Gift card holders could lose more than $75 million just from store and restaurant closings this year, said Brian Riley, senior analyst at Tower Group, a consulting company.

“The only way that number will change is up,” Riley said.