Walla Walla can sometimes feel lacking in culture, especially if you’re more used to city life. Even though I know there are artists, writers, craftspeople and chefs living all over this town, I forget about them because I so rarely find myself in places where I feel their creative energy. (Of course, this could be partially my fault for not getting out more, but I think you understand what I mean.)
Enter the Walla Walla Valley Farmer’s Market. I’ve been going to the farmer’s market for the past four years, not just for the excellent products, but also to experience the dense concentration of creative vibrancy.
I love the availability of fresh local produce. This past weekend there were lots of black cherries, asparagus, garlic, rhubarb, chard and kale to name a few of my favorites.
In addition to the high quality produce, a slew of other vendors also come to the weekly farmer’s market. Monteillet Fromagerie sells handmade cheeses; several bakeries come to sell fresh baked goods. There’s homemade honey and jam. There are prepared foods from La Cocina de la Abuela’s Mexican cuisine to falafel to tropical smoothies. Vendors sell handmade soaps, purses, glasses and wind chimes. There’s a metal worker and a wood worker and a card reader. (And while this might even sound like a lot I know I’m forgetting many other niche trades represented at the market this year.)
Oh, and there’s always some sort of performance. Last Saturday I saw a children’s dance school perform several really fun pieces.
What I’m trying to say is this: I have so much respect for all the people that contribute to this market. I have an enormous amount of respect for the vendors, who have the courage to make something tangible, whether it is a head of lettuce or a wooden bowl or a glass of fresh lemonade. There’s something almost sacred about this tight connection between a maker and his or her product. In a world that seems greatly corporate and profit-driven, it’s refreshing to go to a place that celebrates the characteristically human process of creating.
