One reason winter is such a special time of year is the short days encourage us to enjoy some quiet reflection time. The Growers’ Market has been dormant for a couple of months now, so it is the perfect time to reflect and think about how to make the market better next year. To assess the Tuesday Growers’ Market, I contacted the Tuesday Market vendors and had a conversation with them about what aspects of the market should remain the same, how the market could be improved, and how their customer base has changed over time. The answers to the questions are summarized below. A more detailed consideration of the answers will be discussed at a future meeting with the vendors.

The general consensus is the logistical aspects of the market work well (ie. time, place, set up/take down). At times, it was a struggle to keep the Co-op parking spaces empty for the vendors, but many kudos went to Amy, the Growers’ Market Coordinator, and the cashiers for doing all they could to keep those spaces clear.

As the name suggests, the Tuesday Growers’ Market is intended for vendors selling products they grow themselves. The purpose of the market is not to sell arts, crafts, or general value-added items. It was suggested that perhaps “value-added” should be more clearly defined in order to communicate to growers what they can and cannot sell at the market. The Growers’ Market folks at the Food Co-op will certainly discuss this suggestion to improve communication of “value-added” to all growers.

Vendors with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program agree that a middle-of-the-week market is a great place for their customers to conveniently pickup their CSA share. Customers pay a subscription or a share of a farm’s operational costs in a CSA and in return receive weekly shares of the farm’s harvest. Most vendors, especially produce growers, have seen a large increase in their customer base over the last few years, and some of these growers have plans to increase their production in response to the increased produce market. Meat producers find the Growers’ Market to be a good place to educate their customer base, but find few individuals who think of the Growers’ Market as a place to purchase or order meat.

As the “Buy Local” movement gains momentum, not only do more individuals want to buy local food, but more people are growing food as well. This was evident at the Growers’ Market, as local growers were being turned away due to lack of space. Specifically, two vendors were on an official waiting list, and at least four other growers inquired about vending. An easy solution would be to increase the number of parking spaces available to the growers, but anyone who has been to the Growers’ Market knows all too well the need for more parking on Tuesday evenings. The parking lot can be a zoo. Some creative energy needs to be put forth to solve both the lack of parking and the need for more space to support local growers.

Though more customers are looking to buy locally, many vendors recognize they would like to see an increase in the number of Tuesday market-goers. Many individuals visit the Growers’ Market coincidentally, while attending Tuesday night music or simply shopping at the Food Co-op. It appears, however, the Growers’ Market is not a destination for most customers. Vendors suggested better advertising for both the individual farms and the Growers’ Market to help make the Growers’ Market a destination for more individuals. Everyone recognized that the “Buy Local” movement shows no signs of slowing and hopes more people will continue to search for ways to decrease their food miles and find the Growers’ Market as one way to do that.

I thank all the growers for taking the time to participate in this evaluation and hope the Tuesday Growers’ Market will continue to successfully support the local Palouse growers and provide another option for customers to buy locally.