The Farmer’s Market is expanding its territory. On Saturday, May 5, the first Farmer’s Market for 2007 took place. There were more stalls than in the fall; the variety and the visitors began at 10 a.m.

It was easy to find Whitman students in the crowd.

“I really like the Farmer’s Market. I usually just look at the stuff and sometimes buy some fruits. Most of all, I really enjoy the atmosphere. I understood that the first Farmer’s Market for the year will be today, and that’s why I’m here. I guess it was a word of mouth advertisement,” said sophomore Julia Leavitt.
For the springtime, however, the greatest variety is in the green vegetables such as fresh onions, garlic, spinach and asparagus. There were also several plant starters for gardens.

“Yeah, I also enjoy the atmosphere, and I actually bought something: this fresh bunch of onions,” said sophomore Regina Fitzsimmons.

This opening Saturday of the Farmer’s Market was the first time for Marianne, a Walla Walla resident, to expose her hand-made earrings and other jewelry pieces. The Blue Mountain Humane Society also hosted a stall.

Some of the other vendors included The Midnight Oil Shop, offering different kinds of aromatic soap and fragrances; the J. Franklin Willis photography stall, offering over 200 different photography postcards, separated thematically, and in different sizes and the Wally’s artistic wood working stall, offering different wood-carved products.

The Octopus Garden Honey stall was selling raw local honey and beeswax candles, produced in an Apiary in Dayton, Wash. “I’ll be here every Saturday from now on. I can’t bring my bees here, because it’s illegal in most states, but I can bring the honey,” said Susan Hosticka.

The Sweet Onion Food Co-op, a food cooperation started by Whitman students, was also represented.

“This is a grocery store, offering organic products and owned by people who shop there. It is more like a group of people, member of this cooperation, that purchase products directly from a wholesale distributor. There is a membership fee of less than $2 per month letting people be part of the buying club,” said senior Belén Seara.

As usual, for this opening Saturday of the Market there was a live music by Dave Cool Katz.

The Farmer’s Market will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. at the corner of 4th and Main street, until the fall.