Last Sunday I went to the Ballard Farmer’s Market with a friend who is very knowledgeable about food and farmer’s markets.\u00a0 She is so into quality, local food that she had visited the University Farmer’s Market the day before yet was willing to drive 2 hours round-trip to Ballard just to pick up a certain kind of cheese from a vendor who promised to have it there.\u00a0 She knows her stuff.\u00a0 The cheese in question is an award winning provolone called Weebles produced by Estrella Family Creamery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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“Weebles” Award Winning Provolone from Estrella Family Creamery<\/p><\/div>\n

As we scouted out the things we would want to come back and purchase, she explained to me that most farmer’s markets in Seattle belong to the Neighborhood Farmer’s Market Alliance<\/a>.\u00a0 To sell at a market that is part of the Alliance you must be a Washington state farmer or small food business selling your own product.\u00a0 Markets that are part of the Alliance do not allow vendors that sell crafts, imports, or second hand goods.<\/p>\n

I asked her why this was the case, thinking that having the other types of vendors would attract more people, thereby helping all the vendors at the market to sell more goods.\u00a0 She explained that most sales at a fruit or vegetable stand will be $7.00 or under.\u00a0 If the consumer brings $30.00 to spend at the market and spends $15.00 on the silver earrings at the stand next to the producer, that further reduces the amount of money the consumer will spend on produce or food.\u00a0 It also lessens\u00a0 the possibility that the producer will sell all of his\/her product or get a good financial return for participating in the market.\u00a0\u00a0 Another problem is that the producer cannot bring his\/her perishable goods back again the following week but the jewelry seller can.<\/p>\n

So of course my next question was “Why does the Ballard Farmer’s Market\u00a0 allow crafts vendors?”\u00a0 The reason is that it is organized by the Ballard neighborhood, rather than the Alliance.\u00a0\u00a0 The Ballard Farmer’s Market works because it attracts enough of a crowd that the producers who are there can sell enough to make it worth their participation.<\/p>\n

The Ballard Market was lots of fun.\u00a0 If you haven’t been I recommend you go.\u00a0 You can support local food and farmers even more by also visiting one or more of the seven markets<\/a> that are part of the Neighborhood Farmer’s Alliance.<\/p>\n

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Apples and Pears at Ballard Farmer’s Market<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"