Small but Sweet: Local farmers markets have flavor

YAKIMA, Wash. -- After several years of selling at the Ellensburg and Roslyn farmers markets, organic growers Bambi and Eric Miller contemplated where else they could sell their produce.

The couple, owners of Parke Creek Farms, a 12-acre farm just outside Ellensburg, considered selling at Yakima's market on Sundays, but felt it already had plenty of produce vendors.

They also looked at driving nearly 60 miles north to Leavenworth for its farmers market, as they were already acquainted with several vendors there.

Then an opportunity came for them to sell at a start-up farmers market in Selah.

They have sold eggs, spinach and other farm products at the Wednesday market for a month and already have return customers.

They plan to be there every Wednesday though the season and will soon offer more produce, such as zucchini, once they're ready for harvest.

The Wednesday early-evening market began its inaugural season June 16 at a small grass area behind King's Row, a well-known restaurant among the locals.

The market, which spans about 3,000 square feet, has so far attracted up to 15 vendors.

"At a smaller market, people have more of a tendency to want to visit and not to get through the three blocks (of a bigger market) and see who has this or that," said Bambi Miller, 48, farm manager for Parke Creek Farms.

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Despite continued consolidation of the large-scale food retail industry and the economic downturn, new farmers markets continue to open locally and throughout the nation.

There were just under 5,300 farmers markets in 2009, a 13 percent increase from 2008 and an 84 percent increase from the start of the decade.

Statewide, there are about 150 farmers markets in operation this year, a 7 percent increase from 2009.

From downtown Yakima, home of the Yakima Farmers Market, there are several existing markets within a one-hour drive including Sunnyside, Ellensburg, Roslyn, Goldendale and Prosser.

But that pales in comparison to King County, which has more than 40 farmers markets in operation.

Farmers markets have benefited from growing consumer demand for locally sourced food and have become a popular vehicle for local communities to build both economic development and community pride for its residents.

"My hope is that it will stimulate people to come up with ideas of things to sell," said Lynn Allen, interim director for Institute for Washington Future, a Seattle-based nonprofit that works with rural communities on economic development issues.

"Initially, it won't be (enough for) anyone's sole income," Allen said. "I think it will be helpful for people to have a second or even a third income."

Allen worked with Tieton residents to develop the farmers market there, which opened for the first time July 17.

The Tieton Farmers Market and Mercado at Tieton Square Park will continue to operate every other Saturday through Sept. 25.

"There's a need for people to make ends meet and feed their families," said Sybil Martinez, one of the market organizers. "I want to give them another option."

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Selah's Wednesday Market, which will run through Sept. 29, marks a comeback for some long-time residents. Selah had a farmers market for several years in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

The idea for this iteration of the market arose last summer when the Selah Chamber of Commerce organized after-hours events for local businesses to sell and promote their products.

During that event, local residents expressed a desire to start up another farmers market.

While the closest one, the Yakima Farmers Market, is just a short drive away, it was not accessible for older residents who can't drive, said Lisa Bertelsen, co-market manager for Selah's Wednesday Market.

Others residents had family commitments on weekends, when many farmers markets are in operation.

Bertelsen believes the demand for a farmers market in Selah stemmed from more than commerce.

"(Having a farmers market) tells people you are proud of your community, and you want to see it flourish," she said.

Both the Selah and Tieton markets are run on shoestring budgets. And market managers credit the opening of the markets to the support of local businesses and city governments.

Allen said Tieton is providing all the electricity and half the sewer fees at Tieton Square Park during the Tieton Farmers Market and Mercado.

That market also enlisted several local businesses and organizations to donate funds.

In Selah, several prepaid vendor reservations helped pay for shirts and fliers to promote the event. Co-market manager Sherry Dawson, who owns King's Row, provided the open space for vendors.

And in keeping with the small-town approach, most of the customers have come by word of mouth.

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Despite limited budgets, smaller markets still can thrive because they can fill empty niches left by existing markets, said Patrice Barrentine, direct marketing manager for the state Department of Agriculture.

Many farmers markets statewide have opened in response to smaller farmers and artisans who were unable to secure space at established markets in places like Olympia and Seattle or who don't have the financial means to sell at those markets, she said.

The vendor fee is $15 per week at both the Selah and Tieton markets, well below the $75 it costs to reserve a space in Yakima.

Susan Scrivner, 54, sold homemade jewelry and lavender from her home garden at the first Tieton Farmers Market.

Scrivner ended up selling about $100 at the farmers market that day. After the vendor fee, that left her with $85 that she can use to supplement her income as a part-time secretary at Naches Presbyterian Church.

It was the Tieton resident's first time selling at a farmers market. She has tried selling her wares at street fairs, but says those tend to generate more casual than serious buyers.

"I've done better here than at any other (selling) venues," she said.

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In Tieton, which had 10 vendors at its first farmers market, organizers are hoping to attract more as more produce is harvested.

"I want to make it through the first year and continue (next year)," said Martinez.

In Selah, organizers want the market to have 15 to 18 vendors for the rest of the season. Eventually, Bertelsen would like it to grow to 20 to 25 vendors.

Allen, of the Institute for Washington's Future, is also working with residents in Granger to form a farmers market there.

Barrentine, of the Agriculture Department, predicts the growth in farmers market will continue in rural areas such as the Yakima Valley rather than in larger metropolitan areas.

"I think a lot of communities are interested in supporting ways for people to get access to fresh fruits and vegetables," she said. "I think it's health, I think it's economic development and I think it's the community value of coming together at the farmers market."

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 509-577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.