Roots run deep at Washington farmers markets

Laura Raymond
Food Access and Regional Markets Program

Walk most any farmers market in Washington state this week (and I hope you will) and you’ll encounter a dizzying variety of products.

This week is Farmer’s Market Week by proclamation of the Governor. Now at the height of the growing season, farm tables offer up glowing peaches, nectarines, and plums, glossy eggplants and peppers, fragrant melons, heirloom tomatoes, vibrant greens, crunchy cucumbers, pastured meats and cheeses, and a constellation of fresh cut dahlias and lilies.

Washington farmers grow more than 300 fruits, vegetables and other commodities but it might be the deep-rooted carrot that best represents what’s so valuable about farmers markets.

Farmers markets aren’t just the magical places where grocery lists go to be transformed from being a chore. They transform into places for new recipes, fun and adventure. Farmers markets provide multiple, and deep rooted benefits to shoppers, farmers and communities.

Farmers markets are places of direct and joyful commerce where you get to talk directly to the farmer who grew your food. They are incubators for fledgling enterprises that often grow into generational businesses. Last year, sales at farmers market members of the Washington State Farmers Market Association topped $44 million dollars. That’s “no small potatoes” in terms of local economies. The dollars shoppers spend at farmers markets go directly to the producers, keeping farming viable and keeping farmers on the land and caring for the agricultural landscapes we all can enjoy.

Neighborhood businesses

Farmers markets add sparkle and energy to neighborhoods. Commerce spills over the edges of the markets and supports many neighborhood businesses. As places where people come together from many walks of life, markets also cultivate community. With music, community information, chef demonstrations, kids’ activities, and time to talk while you shop, farmers market days can become not-to-be missed social events.

If you’ve had the opportunity to chomp down on a fresh-picked, sweet and crunchy carrot, you know the availability of delicious, fresh produce at farmers markets makes it easier to eat healthfully. Most farmers markets in Washington accept WIC and SNAP benefits markets, making healthy produce more accessible for all.

That’s why when a group of creative farmers market supporters came together to choose an image that captures what farmers markets mean to farmers, communities, shoppers, and our state, they chose the deep and intertwined roots of a row of carrots. A series of graphics, including "These Roots Run Deep," have been produced in English and Spanish through a WSDA Specialty Crop Grant Program Project awarded to the WSU Small Farms Program. One goal is to promote buying specialty crops (mainly fruits and vegetables) directly from growers at farmers markets.

Farmers Market Week Aug. 7-13

Farmers Market Week runs Aug. 7-13 and many markets are adding special activities to celebrate. Find a market near you at the Washington State Farmers Market Association website.

Celebrating Farmers Market Week Aug. 2-8

By: Laura Raymond

Small Farm Direct Marketing 

Washington State joins a national celebration of farmers markets with a proclamation by Governor Inslee that this is Washington Farmers Market Week. That’s a proclamation I can get behind, though I hardly need an excuse to celebrate farmers markets. 

A customer visits the Columbia City
Farmers Market in Seattle.

Like many people, I Iove the visual splendor of farm tables piled high with vibrant displays. I enjoy the happy energy of kids munching on ripe fruit while they bob to a market band. It’s fun to catch up with friends and neighbors as we bump into each other with market bags full of produce, flowers, cheeses, meats, baked goods, pastas, eggs, jams, salsas, ciders, and other tasty treasures.

That experience is a celebration in itself yet, as farmers market organizations suggest, “there’s more to market” than just the weekly festivities.  

EBT cards are accepted at many markets.

Farmers markets supply a host of benefits that improve quality of life for us all. They support rural livelihoods and preserve farmland. They stimulate local economies by supporting artisans, prepared food businesses, and other vendors while also promoting sales for neighboring businesses. Market sales in Washington are estimated at nearly $45 million dollars in 2014, money that circulates longer in the local economy. Farmers markets are vibrant community spaces where we connect with friends and neighbors. They even make us all a little bit healthier with better access to fresh foods. Nearly all Washington markets accept federal nutrition benefits.

In my work at WSDA Small Farms and Direct Marketing, I get a firsthand view of how important farmers markets are to family farms of all types. More than 1,200 Washington farmers sell their products at 160 farmers markets across our state, in big cities and small rural communities. 

Farmers markets allow customers to
meet the people growing their food.

For new farmers, farmers markets provide a crucial entry point to introduce their products, build a customer base, and plant a first foothold to grow their business. Even for long-established farms, farmers markets can be a crucial element in their success. The young man who sold me blueberries at my local market this past week is the fifth generation on his family’s Skagit Valley farm and farmers markets are a primary way they sell their produce. At farmers markets, farmers sell directly to their consumers, earning full value for their products. This is especially important at a time when so many farmers are being extraordinarily challenged by the drought and hot weather.

Farmers markets offer a unique opportunity for producers and customers to talk with each other face-to-face. Customers can share their preferences and learn all about what goes into getting such a wonderful array of products to market.  

There’s a lot to a farmers market, and a lot to celebrate. Washington Farmers Market Week is a great time to show a little love for your nearest market and its farmers. Washington State Farmers Market Association’s directory  can help you find a market near you.