What’s New at the Market: Farmers return!

Sequim Farmers Market

Open: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, and every Saturday May-October

Location: Sequim Civic Center Plaza, downtown Sequim

More info: manager@sequimmarket.com or 360-582-6218

We are excited to announce that long-time vendor River Run Farm and new vendor Joy Farm will be at the Sequim Farmers Market at Sequim Civic Center Plaza this Saturday, May 18, and throughout the season.

Both farms are less than five miles from Civic Center Plaza.

River Run Farm was co-founded in 2013 by friends sharing a deep reverence for good food and good living. Sallie and James grow certified organic vegetables, fruit, and flowers along the Dungeness River. River Run Farm will be bringing spinach along with ruby and emerald frill, bright and mildly peppery mustard green, excellent for the first salads of late spring. They will also have round, red rover variety radishes.

Former manager

Elli Rose, Sequim Farmers Market manager in 2018, has a surprise for us this weekend: She will be a vendor starting this weekend representing Joy Farm, her family’s certified organic family farm.

Elli and her husband Balyn have been farming together since 2008. Balyn began working with draft horses in 2012 and now they use the horsepower of Bud and Bruce on their farm. The duo manages soil fertility plowing, disking, with cultivation and help with the harvest.

You may see two other little helpers at the booth: Elli and Balyn’s two young daughters.

Joy Farm’s first offerings will be a delight to home gardeners: lettuce starts, broccoli starts, overbearing strawberry starts, and flowers.

Going organic

River Run Farm and Joy Farm are certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Every year they go through a rigorous inspection verifying that they meet the National Organic Program standards. This is good news for you. Organic crops have high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as, significantly lower levels of pesticide residues and no genetic engineering.

Stars and stripes

May 18 is National Armed Forces Day and in appreciation of all active duty service members, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps’ Color Guard will be presenting colors at 10:30 a.m. and following will be the national anthem performed by Amanda Lynn Bacon. The American Legion and VFW will be here to provide information and support. Bountiful Pleasures is sponsoring this event and will give a 10 percent discount on purchases more than $10 to veterans and their families.

Page-turners

Remember to browse through a fresh crop of books! Olympic Peninsula Authors will be at the market this weekend with old favorites plus fresh new reads. You’ll find the second volume of “In the Words of Olympic Peninsula Authors,” an anthology of stories and poems by local authors.

Stop by the booth throughout the season for new books, author signings or a book chat with Heidi and Linda.

A special thanks to Bell & Davis Law and Brokers Group Real Estate for supporting the Sequim Farmers Market.

April Hammerand is the Market Manager for the Sequim Farmers Market. Reach her at manager@sequimmarket.com or 360-582-6218. For more information, visit www.sequim market.com.