Imagine being able to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese and meats all year round. Imagine if the Farmers’ Market went all year round. You are probably saying that would be impossible living in a temperate climate like here in Walla Walla. Those people obviously weren’t at the last market of the year this past Saturday. Even though the first frost was Thursday night, there was still a huge variety of food, everything from sweet corn to goat cheese to homemade cookies.
Certainly, there would not be any more corn or tomatoes next week or for many more months after that. The goat cheese would still be there, though, along with potatoes, garlic, onions, squash, kale and pumpkins, as well as meats, eggs, dairy, baked goods, herbs and many value added products.
The problem is that since there is not a market all year round now, most farmers do not grow with the fall and winter in mind. Even this time of year when there is such an amazing variety of foods, lots of people do not go to the market because they assume that there is nothing to get this time of year. As a result, most farmers do not even bother planting things like garlic, potatoes, winter squash or onions because the market has calmed down so much when those crops are ready. If farmers do plant these things they often do not plant much since the amount of time they have to sell them at the market is so short.
There are also very few local farmers who do meats, eggs or dairy because animals are an all year job whether you have an outlet to sell all year or not. If the Farmers’ Market were to run all year round, more people might create and market those kinds of products.
Even many greens and root crops could be cultivated for a winter market. They couldn’t be grown outside, but even with an unheated hoop house kale, collards, chard and many other vegetables could be grown in Walla Walla year round.
In fact, all the ingredients needed for a good Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner could be sold at a Farmers’ Market at the appropriate times for the holidays. That is, of course, why we eat those sort of food for our winter holidays. This year the Walla Walla Farmers’ Market is sponsoring a Christmas market on Dec. 1, so it is certainly an idea that people recognize. Though, the Christmas market this year is likely to include much more in the way of crafts then turkey and sweet potatoes.
In order for farmers to grow all of these crops there will need to be a demonstrated market, which there is not right now. If the Farmers’ Market were to run all year, that demand would eventually crystallize. The temperature provides not so much a barrier to the growing season, but more so to the outdoor shopping season, a problem easily fixed with a fund-raising project and local enthusiasm for the project.
If local food is going to be a workable alternative to our current food system, then there needs to be a full selection of local goods available in Walla Walla on a regular basis. Right now, it is possible to get just about every part of your diet locally, but it is neither convenient for the customer nor profitable for the farmer.
