July 30, 2010:
Local, and Improving All the Time: Boulder Farmers’ Market a Gem
The travel blog Gadling this week named the Boulder Farmers’ Market fourth in the nation on its brief list of the best farmers’ markets in the country. (San Francisco, New York City and Sante Fe took the top three spots.)
And if you don’t frequent the market, or simply haven’t had the time to fit it into your busy summer season yet, the market’s current bounty might entice you: Cherries, peaches, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, squash, and peppers to name a few.
But it’s not just delicious food that makes a market (although Colorado peaches can be enough to get anyone to shuffle off a Saturday morning slumber.)
From the blog: “Regional farmers prove that a short growing season can still be spectacular in the form of red sunchokes, fingerling potatoes, maroon heirloom carrots, and peaches to die for from Morton’s Orchards. A kaleidoscope of cut flowers and an adjoining prepared food section make this bustling market a colorful-and delicious- community hot spot.”
The market has been around since the 1980s. The past five years have brought explosive growth to the market, but the growth has been thoughtful and measured so far. The nonprofit Boulder County Farmers’ Market, which runs the Boulder and Longmont markets, has for years added prepared food vendors and meat sellers and special events.
But unlike less successful markets nationwide, it has operated with a savvy eye on local businesses and what the local community wants. A good example has been the years-long discussion of making the popular attraction in Boulder year-round. Many around the country have done just that, only to see the food tables laden with produce indistinguishable from the supermarket, and most of the market turned over to craft tables. Immediate past and current leadership of the market is more inclined to approach the matter cautiously, emphasizing local farmers and ranchers instead.
And the number of local businesses and growers impressively increases each year. In Boulder, the relatively recent Wednesday evening market (which launched in 2003) has morphed into a beer garden-style social event. Special-event arts fairs add to the allure: One is being held in Longmont this Saturday. There is a marked increase in high-quality plants you can buy to plant at home.
And if delicious food and meeting the people who grow it isn’t enough of a draw, contributing to the local economy could be. Shopping at the Boulder County markets—or any of the smaller, local farmer’s markets with local produce—allows farmers to keep an estimated 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent.
