Kootenai County Farmers’ Market continues to please

It is a community event that takes place every Saturday in summer and fall, rain or shine; a place where locally grown produce is sold; and a place where week after week customers greet farmers and neighbors. It is the Kootenai County Farmers’ Market, and there’s not much like it. The weekly gathering is celebrating its 25th continuous season this season, and Market Manager Gail Cassidy says as many as 2,000 people may visit on any given Saturday. The first market opened on Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene and had 25 vendors. Some of the early vendors are still with the market today, including Paul and Ellen of Killarney Farms, Cindy dePaulis of Lavender Frog, and Brian Howard of Mountain View Farm. In 1987, the market moved to an empty lot on the corner of Government Way and Dalton Avenue, but the location proved challenging for customers and vendors alike. The next year the market moved to the corner of U.S. 95 and Dalton Aenue, but outgrew that space in a few years. The final move, to its present location at the corner of Prairie Avenue and U.S. 95 in Hayden, happened in 1995. It’s now open continuously until Oct. 23, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market has grown and thrived in at this spot, especially under the management of Cassidy, who took over the leadership reins in 2002. “My husband retired, we moved to North Idaho, and I wanted to get involved in the community,” says Cassidy. “It is a perfect fit for me.” She also manages a related market, each Wednesday along Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene. This market celebrates its fifth year, and is open 4-7 p.m. through Sept. 29. Visitors can also browse for fresh produce, plants, and enjoy a variety of food, arts and crafts vendors, and musicians. This year market customers who participate in the Quest Food Stamp Program can purchase fresh produce, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, honeys, breads, and vegetable starts. The market uses a script/token system. The customer comes to a central booth and swipes their Quest card in exchange for a specific amount of tokens (wooden nickels). They take the tokens to vendors displaying the Food Stamps sign and use them for their purchases. In addition to vendor spaces, the market provides spaces for community fundraisers, bake sales, and a chance for younger entrepreneurs to participate, at the Children’s Table, at reduced rates. If you are a backyard gardener who ends up with more than your family can eat or preserve, the market extends an open invitation to any gardener to sell their extra bounty, without the commitment of working there all season. “We are encouraging people to share their bounty by selling at market,” says Cassidy. “This is a great opportunity to get a feel for what it is like to be a market vendor.” New to market this year is a reusable bag available from market vendors for $2. The bag is a great way to help save the environment and support the market at the same time, according to Cassidy. In 2004, the market started what has become a very popular event—the Feast with the Farmers. Scheduled for Aug. 10 this year, market goers can sit with the farmers, who grow the crops, and enjoy an entire meal prepared by local chefs. The menu always offers a variety of hors d’oeuvres, salads, entrees, and desserts. Vendors at market are the producers—farmers, ranchers, bakers, plant growers—and they love to share information with their customers. Master gardeners and the University of Idaho Extension Nutrition Department also offer education materials, demos, recipes and handouts, so there is something for everyone. On the market’s web site, kootenaicountyfarmersmarket.com, people can find more information under the resources page. There are answers to questions about how to grow and buy organically, how to enjoy the environment more fully, and how to recycle waste. Cassidy says county residents are fortunate to live in a region surrounded by family farms. The family farm improves our quality of life, helps the environment, and continues an American tradition. “Market is all about enjoying life and the environment, and using organic, environmentally friendly practices in producing our food and disposing of our waste,” she said.