What does "Local" mean at a Farmers Market?

When produce shopping at a farmers market, it is the expectation of many that the produce they are purchasing from the vendors has been locally grown by the vendor themselves. This is the goal of Washington farmers markets that belong to the state Farmers Market Association (WSFMA). The Association has defined "local" as product grown/raised/harvested in Washington State. When it comes to seafood, the definition expands to include coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, and up to Alaska.

Sometimes a product you would like to purchase at a market does not grow well on this side of the Cascades, so product from Eastern Washington is necessary to fill that void. This is how much of our peaches and apricots, for example, are available at farmers markets in the Puget Sound area.

In this case, it is either the growers that come to the market to sell their product, or it is a "re-seller" who purchases the items from the farmers and sells at the local market. Both are acceptable for WSFMA members. Product that is being re-sold must be labeled with the name/location of the grower to ensure traceability of the product for food safety purposes.

When there is a lot of product being grown right here in the valley (lettuce, for example) then the re-selling of that product would be limited to encourage support of the local growers who are at the market.

This is the goal in mind for the new Orting Valley Market. We want to be able to provide the products you want with honest disclosure of where they originate.

If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at pvgardens@yahoo.com or call (360) 893-4359.