Farmers markets across Southwest Washington are gearing up to open for their traditional spring and summer seasons.
As COVID-19 regulations continue to be in place statewide, market managers said shoppers will see a market season that reflects continued safety measures while some aspects may look more like pre-pandemic times.
“It’s going to look a little more normal,” said Marie Shankle of Olde Achers Farms, manager of the Morton Market and involved with the Toledo and Centralia markets. “It won’t be as controlled and restricted but it’s not going to be your full, open market yet.”
According to the most recent information from the Washington State Farmers Market Association, the non-profit organization that oversees the state’s farmers markets, this farmers market season is likely to look largely similar to last year’s with face coverings, social distancing, increased sanitizing and designated entry and exit points in place at most markets. But some rules have been relaxed, such as requirements for barriers and distance between vendor stalls, which gives many markets, especially those with smaller footprints, the ability to include more variety in their markets. Last year, markets were required to prioritize farm products over other products if there were space limitations.
“We’re going to have a lot of vendors who weren’t here last year and some new ones as well,” said Michaelyn Erickson, market manager for the Community Farmers Market of Chehalis, noting the market will have vendors offering items such as hummus, granola and body products, which they were not able to have last year.
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Farmers Market Nutrition programs for seniors and families and the SNAP/EBT Market Match Program, which matches dollar for dollar any SNAP/EBT money used to buy qualifying products at markets, continued to be accepted at local markets. This year, those programs continue and Erickson noted that the program will match up to $40 per card, including the PEBT cards that many parents received for their children this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kids clubs, which were canceled last year, will once again be returning at the Centralia, Chehalis, Toledo and Morton markets.
In the midst of the pandemic, a handful of local markets began offering online ordering with pick up at the market of your choosing. The option helped both those who did not feel comfortable shopping in person as well as vendors who did not feel comfortable selling in person. This year, that service will continue to be offered by the Toledo Thursday Market as well as the Community Farmers Market of Chehalis. Erickson said the Chehalis market was actually planning to expand its online offerings.
“There will be more vendors online than at the market, probably,” she said.
Though the market season will not be exactly the same as usual, market managers over and over said how excited they and their vendors are to welcome shoppers this season. Bridget Fossey, manager of the Tenino Farmers Market, who sells goat milk soap and supplies at the market, said she was proud of shoppers last year for adapting well to the new normal of COVID-19 precautions. She noted the Tenino Farmers Market had its largest season ever last year, seeing between 300-500 shoppers pass through the market each week. She attributed it to people wanting to get out of their houses and the market offering them a place to do that safely.
“We’re a nice, small market but we’re very diverse and we’re very friendly,” Fossey said.
Shankle agreed that she felt that once shoppers got on board with safety measures and understood that the markets were actually taking safety seriously, the markets did very well last season. But she said the threat of COVID-19 meant that many vendors did not sign up last year, a loss that’s still resonating this season. At the Morton Market, she said community support has been growing steadily, but they are still looking for vendors, especially farmers, to participate.
“We’re really working on it,” Shankle said. “It’s at Gust Backstrom Park under the trees and on the grass so it’s really nice. It’s still small but the community loves it and they appreciate it.”
2021 Southwest Washington Farmers Markets
Toledo Thursday Market
Open 2-6 p.m. Thursdays nearly year-round at Steamboat Landing, 115 Ramsey Way. Market moves to outdoor space at boat launch on May 6.
Online ordering available. Mother’s Day plant sale May 6.
Toledothursdaymarket.com or @ToledoWAThursdayMarket on Facebook
Centralia Farmers Market
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays April 30 through last Friday in September, at the Centralia Outlet mall parking lot near the old Vanity Fair.
No online ordering this year. Mother’s Day Plant Sale May 7.
Centraliafarmersmarket.org or @CentraliaFarmersmarket on Facebook
Tenino Farmers Market
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays May 1 to Sept. 25 at on Olympic Street and Sussex Ave. in Toledo.
Tenino Farmers Market.org or @TeninoFarmersMarket on Facebook
Morton Farmers Market
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays May 8 through Oct. 30 (no market Aug. 14 for Loggers Jubilee) at Gust Backstrom Park
Mother’s Day Plant Sale May 8
Fompwa.org or @mortonfarmersmarket on Facebook
Community Farmers Market of Chehalis
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays June 1 through October 26 on Boistfort Street in Chehalis
Online ordering available
Chehalisfarmersmarket.com or @CommunityFarmersMarketChehalis on Facebook
Packwood Farmers Market
Will open for 2021 season in late June at the Packwood Timberland Library park, 109 West Main St. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday through September.
@PackwoodFarmersMarket on Facebook
Voucher Programs Open Markets to All
Applications for the 2021 seniors farmers market nutrition vouchers are now available to qualifying seniors. For more information or to apply, go to lmtaaa.org/farmersmarket
All families that qualify for WIC benefits also qualify farmers market nutrition benefits that can be used at farmers markets. For more information or to apply, go to doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/WIC/FarmersMarket/WICFMNP
Most local farmers markets offer a match for SNAP/EBT dollars spent at the market through the SNAP Market Match program. The match is up to $40 for each card, including PEBT benefits that many parents received for their children because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check with your local market for more information, or go to doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/NutritionandPhysicalActivity/HealthyEating/SNAPIncentives/SNAPMarketMatch
