Farmers' market begins 2007 season Saturday
Weekly event adds quality assurance inspector, wagons
COLUMBIA BASIN - Board members are hoping the Columbia Basin Farmers Market becomes a habit two days a week.
The market, which kicks off Saturday, is held weekly Saturdays and also on Wednesday afternoons beginning in July.
"A lot of people, they get in the Saturday habit, but they forget about Wednesday," Manager Judy Spalding said.
Big changes are in store for the market this year, including a quality assurance inspector.
"The quality assurance inspector will actually get together with me and say, 'The produce looks bad,' or 'This person isn't bringing quality crafts,' so that will be a new thing people need to watch out for," Spalding said. "Some vendors may not be bringing the best quality fruit, so it just makes a difference."
Spalding said the board wanted more activity in the Civic Center Park. Many of the people on the market's entertainment schedule, including the Master Gardeners Plant Sale Saturday, are volunteering, she said.
"It is difficult to get people to entertain," she said. "Many people have turned professional that first started with the market many, many years ago."
There are more informational booth efforts in store, as well.
"I want to have more than I've ever had," Spalding said.
There are new vendors yearly. Spalding said several have retired, but there are new, younger people coming, including Royal City vegetable farmer and musician Tyler Graves, who performs July 4.
The Moses Lake Cancer Foundation received money from Wal-Mart to purchase five large wagons with big wheels at Evergreen Implement. The wagons are to be used at the market for people to haul their shopping. During some of the time, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are pulling the wagons. All donations for the service goes to the cancer foundation.
"I think it's important to the Basin because it is a unique thing, it brings a whole lot of diverse people together," Spalding said. "The diversity of it is unusual because a lot of people are from out of town."
Oregon blueberries have proven to be a popular item at the market, even though the blueberries are grown in Othello, Spalding said.
"What you get to find out with this market is so many people are here for so many different reasons," she said.
As it was last year, Aging and Adult Care of Central Washington distributes
vouchers for produce through the Moses Lake Senior Center to seniors and low-income people receiving the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, nutrition program with funding given by the state.
The senior nutrition program begins a little earlier this year, Spalding said, without an early program. The WIC program helps out as well.
"I've had lots of mothers tell me, 'If it wasn't for this, my kids wouldn't know what a fresh ear of corn was,'" Spalding said.
This year's board officers are President Mark Rowley, First Vice President Mark Amara, Second Vice President Bob Swanson, Treasurer Bruce Bailey and Volunteer Secretary Philomene Lund. New board members are Tina Loughlin and Jim Palmer.
The board formed committees, including an advertising committee and a park development committee working with the City of Moses Lake to discuss bringing in new trees to the park and developing a scenic garden, Spalding said.
"It's a case of we want to take on its care," she said.
The new inspector is a result of the quality assurance committee.
A magnetic car logo is also in the works.
Saturday market hours in May are 8 a.m. to noon, and June to October from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In July through September, Wednesday market hours are 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, call Spalding at 509-766-6751 or e-mail judy_spalding@yahoo.com.