Farmers’ Markets

The Spokane Farmers Market is more than a weekend errand. It's where the community shows up, season after season.

When budgets are tight, Colleen Donovan says the local farmers market is a great way for consumers to save money on fresh local products.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed a proclamation for National Farmers Market Week, calling every purchase at a farmers market an investment in American agriculture and rural communities.

Since 2008, American Farmland Trust has been running an annual campaign to spotlight farmers markets — this year, ten markets will win cash awards based on votes from their own communities.

Oregon Farmers Markets Association board president Rose Williams Guevara wants more consumers to know the story behind what they eat, and she says that conversation needs to happen across the whole state.

Often, people think of farmers markets set in small, rural communities. But as Atania Gilmore, Executive Director of the Spokane Farmers Market explains, the Lilac City has a very strong relationship with the farming community.

Colleen Donovan of the Washington State Farmers Market Association says when money changes hands at a local market, it tends to stay in the community longer than most people expect.

In Oregon, farmers markets are thriving hubs where locals gather to buy fresh produce and handcrafted items, strengthening ties within the community and supporting local agriculture.

Atania Gilmore, manager of the Spokane Farmers Market, says a local farmers market is a great place for consumers or any age to learn and ask questions.

This isn’t just any market; it’s a morning gathering that connects community members straight to their farmers and their food.