Multiple forms of payment accepted, sellers happy to showcase products
KEISHA BROKAW | The daily evergreen
Rafael Aviña of Aviña’s Garden offers members of the 2017 Pullman community a selection of vegetables and fruits. Its booth at the Pullman Farmers Market offers pesticide-free Honey Crisp and Ginger Gold apples, Italian plums, peppers and tomatillos.
The Pullman Farmers Market is an event that inspires a sense of community.
The market has existed since 2008, i.e. in its 14th season. It’s always been a tight-knit market held during the weekdays at the WSU Visitor Center, said Morgan Sherwood, manager of the Pullman Farmers Market.
Vendors are excited and ready to display their products whatever the weather, according to the Pullman Farmers Market website.
The quality of service this market offers creates a sense of loyalty to the food we eat and the community we live in, according to the website.
“The scale of growth has changed quite a bit. We’ve seen a big drop in vendors during COVID. Due to the restrictions in Washington State and a desire to keep everyone safe,” Sherwood said.
Not all vendors wanted to go online depending on the product, so a venue like the WSU Visitor Center for this event provides that connection for the community, he said.
There has been significant growth in the numbers coming out this year, he said. The market has a wide variety of providers and the competition remains small because it is such a small market.
This event provides a great opportunity to educate the community about access to healthy food and is a big part of why stakeholders are so excited to host this year’s event, Sherwood said.
“We have many programs that support access to food for people who need it,” he said.
The Elderly, Women’s, Infant and Child Nutrition (WIC) and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) programs are all accepted, Sherwood said. Locally sourced food of the highest quality for the people in our community, whether or not access to food assistance programs is important, especially for young children.
According to the website, the market wants to prioritize suppliers with products such as fresh produce, grains, eggs, dairy and baked goods.
“For each of my markets, it is important for me to sell my fish because that is my family heritage. I’ve been doing this my whole life,” said Shannon Ward, fourth-generation fisherman. “I’m always happy to have the opportunity to sell it and talk to people about where we come from and why it’s important,” she said.
This passion helped her start a direct selling business in 2008. One thing about fish is that it can be used in so many different ways, she said.
“The canned salmon smoked with dill is very different from a smoked salmon alfredo, which is very different from a fish taco or a pad thai,” Sherwood said.
Fish is a food source that can be completely different every time you eat it. That’s one thing that makes fish so unique, that using different flavoring techniques can transform the meal.
“[Salmon] is part of every meal. And so you never get tired of it,” Sherwood said.
When something boils down to one thing, she wants it all, she said.
The market is open every Wednesday at 3:30pm until October 12th.
