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Food Safety News

August 15, 2011 article in Food Safety News, "Food Safety At Farmers Markets and Fruits Stands" by Gretchen Goetz, features Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Governor Gregoire proclaims August 7 - 13 Washington Farmers Market Week!

Read the Governor's proclamation and WSDA press release here.

The national Farmers Market Coalition is recognizing 12 farmers markets around the country for their leadership role in strengthening their communities, farmers and artisan vendors, and providing healthy food. Two of these markets are in Washington – Port Townsend and Chewelah. Please join WSFMA for award ceremonies and special tours of these markets:

Chewelah Farmers Market: Friday, August 12, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m., 202 N. 2nd St. West ... winner of the WSFMA 2011 Small Market award

Port Townsend Farmers Maket: Saturday, August 13, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., Tyler St. between Lawrence & Clay ... Winner of the WSFMA 2011 Large Market award

Des Moines Farmers Market: Saturday, August 20, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., 227th & Dock St. (Marina parking lot) ... Winner of the WSFMA 2011 Best Market Manager award

Come help us celebrate Farmers Market Week!

Computer keeps small farm workable: Farmer shares her methods of multicropping

BREMERTON, Wash. -- Sharecropping between 1 and 2 acres, Andrea Wigglesworth provides enough produce to sell at three farmers' markets.

Showing a diagram of her growing plots on Wyckels Farm, in Washington's Kitsap County, she advised growers to "use everything you have on your property. Walk it and measure it, even the areas you hate. Note the attributes of wind, water and soil, and work with those limitations, not against them." click for full article

Planning draws urban tourists: Vacationers look to countryside as budgets dwindle

BREMERTON, Wash. -- As the sluggish economy cuts into people's vacation budgets, farmers can attract travelers who don't want to venture far from home.

Washington state has developed several itineraries for the Savor Washington program that combine food and agriculture, said Patrice Barrentine, direct marketing coordinator at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. click for full article

2011 Washington State Farmers Market Directory

To get copies to distribute to your group or through your business, just contact us 5/09/2011

Direct marketing takes high-tech twist: Buyers build connections to their food through Facebook, Twitter

BREMERTON, Wash. -- Farmers and farmers' markets have plugged into social networks to connect with their customers.

"The faithful shopper loves to know what's going to be at the next market," Jackie Aitchison said. "You can post photos fresh from your field during your harvest the day before." click for full article

President Joel Wachs interviewed on Local Radio during the WSFMA Annual Conference

Leavenworth, Washington, was the location for the 2011 Washington State Farmers Market Association Annual Conference. While in town Joel Wachs, WSFMA board president, spoke with the local radio station, KOHO 101.1FM. You can listen to the interview and hear more about the state of farmers markets across the state in the interview.

WSFMA in now on Facebook

Visit the WSFMA Fan Page ... more info

WSFMA Announces Change in Executive Leadership

The Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA) Board of Directors would like to announce a change in leadership of the organization with the appointment Karen Kinney as Interim Executive Director, effective Friday, January 21. Press Release

Farmers Market Technology Project Grants

WSU, in partnership with WSFMA, is offering mini-grants to Washington farmers markets that intend to increase sales of specialty crops for credit/debit/SNAP (food stamps) customers in their markets. ... more info

Great video from the Tacoma Farmers Market

University District ranks in Top 12 Farmers Markets Nationwide

The Daily Green ranked 12 of the Best Farmers Markets in the U.S. and the University District market in Seattle made the mark! For more information, visit The Daily Green: The Consumer's Guide to the Green Revolution

This is what they have to say about the market: " The tourists might go to the famous Pike Place Market, but the locals (and the local farmers and chefs) are at the University District Farmers Market. On Saturdays, more than 50 farmers sell delicacies like fiddlehead ferns, raw cow and sheep's milk cheeses and Mangalitsa pork (a special breed of long-haired pig), as well as market staples like mushrooms, peppers and free-range eggs. Don't Miss: The 30 different varieties of apples with names like Cox's Orange Pippin and Prairie Spy. (Washington grows more apples than any other U.S. state.)” (see slide #10)

The site also has an interesting article on "6 Steps to Mastering your Farmers Market".

Celebrate Washington Organic Week "WOW"

September 12-19, 2010 - Tilth Producers of Washington is promoting this statewide celebration of Washington organic agriculture - learn more

Votes Tallied for Best Farmers Markets in Washington

Congratulations to these markets for being voted in as the top 5 Farmers Markets in Washington State:

Ballard Farmers Market
Olympia Farmers Market
Auburn International Farmers Market
Prosser Farmers Market
University District Farmers Market - read more

Gov. Gregoire requests farm disaster assistance for 29 Washington counties

Gregoire makes request while on “Feeding Washington” tour of Eastern Washington

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today, while on her “Feeding Washington” tour of Eastern Washington, announced she has asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to designate 29 counties in Washington as farm disaster areas due to weather-related losses to agricultural producers. The damage was the result of extreme weather conditions throughout the spring, including severe cold, high winds and excessive rains.

“Conditions this year have been difficult for our growers across Washington, from Clark County to Okanogan,” Gregoire said. “Cold temperatures have harmed our tree fruit crops, while excessive rain made it difficult for bees to pollinate strawberries and other berry crops. A declaration will help our businesses absorb a difficult year and look forward.”

The request includes disaster declarations for Adams, Benton, Chelan, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom and Yakima counties.

The USDA disaster declaration would allow farmers in the primary counties, as well as adjoining counties, to apply for disaster assistance payments through several programs administered by USDA Farm Service Agency. Farmers may also be eligible for emergency low-interest loans from USDA to cover production and farm property losses.

“There are a lot of things farmers can do to minimize the risks they face during the production year, but they’ll never be able to control the weather,” said WSDA Director Dan Newhouse. “For those producers who experienced crop damage, report that information to your local USDA office or agent as soon as you can. And for the rest of us, this disaster is a reminder to purchase the appropriate crop insurance or USDA noninsured crop disaster assistance coverage. We never know when we’ll need those tools to help weather the storm.”

Gregoire is in Eastern Washington with Newhouse, Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant and Commerce Director Rogers Weed, leading a two-day tour to meet with leaders throughout the region focused on water, agriculture, and bioenergy. Gregoire’s “Feeding Washington” tour will help ensure growers, producers and distributors have the necessary tools and resources to remain globally competitive and help Washington drive its economy and grow jobs.

Before announcing her request to the USDA, Gregoire spent time in Walla Walla, where she toured the Walla Walla pump exchange project that will ensure water flows in the Walla Walla River during the summer months. The project supports the survival of Chinook salmon, endangered bull trout and summer steelhead while securing a more reliable water supply for local farmers.

Later today, Gregoire will visit the Red Mountain region near the Tri-Cities, where a project is underway to double the acreage of irrigated wine grapes to support and grow the state’s thriving wine industry. Tonight, Gregoire meets with the Yakima River Basin water enhancement work group to receive an update on a new, widely supported plan for increasing water supply and improving the environmental health of the Yakima River.

Gregoire continues her “Feeding Washington” tour tomorrow with stops at Irving Newhouse & Sons 600 acre farm in Sunnyside, Gebbers Farm in Brewster and Inland Empire Oilseeds in Odessa.

What Makes a Farmers Market? Farmers Market Coalition Takes Stance, Engages Member

Farmers Market Coalition decides on a definition of a farmer's market as:

"A farmers market operates multiple times per year and is organized for the purpose of facilitating personal connections that create mutual benefits for local farmers, shoppers and communities. To fulfill that objective farmers markets define the term local, regularly communicate that definition to the public, and implement rules/guidelines of operation that ensure that the farmers market consists principally of farms selling directly to the public products that the farms have produced." read the full article 6/4/2010

Seattle’s University District Farmers Market rated one of America’s best farmers markets

by Travel and Leisure "America's Best Farmers' Markets" read the article April 2010

Interesting Article on the Queen Anne Market

Are Farmer’s Markets a Sign of a Vibrant Community? 2/14/2010

Supporting Farmers is Important

Learn how the Spokane community stepped forward at a fundraiser to help cover the cost of property taxes for the market - more info 8/12/2009

Changes in Farmers Market Permitting Process in Seattle

Report to the Legislature: Farmers Market Technology Improvement Project Pilot Program

Presented 11/15/09 to the legislature. Read the report

WSFMA Awarded $10,000 Grant

to promote Washington farmers by increasing the number of the 2009 Farmers Market Directory Guides that are printed and distributed! 5/09/2009