Sequim has an ideal climate for growing leafy green vegetables, and you can get your first taste of this season’s local greens at the Sequim Farmers Market on Saturday.
Sallie and James at River Run Farm are the first growers at the market with fresh annual vegetables this spring, with a selection of spinach, lettuce mix, braising mix, radishes, and rhubarb. Their organic farm is less than 5 miles from the Civic Center Plaza, and they were able to get an early start this season by planting in a large covered hoop house while the soil in the rest of their fields was still cold and saturated with rain.
Farm fresh spinach is a delight for the palate, with a texture that is at the same time both succulent and velvety smooth, with a sweet and deeply satisfying flavor. Rich in iron and chlorophyll, spinach is also a good source of vitamin A.
Spinach is a classic spring green, which sprouts in cool, moist soils and is temperamental in warmer summer temperatures. The round, slightly savoyed leaves can be enjoyed raw, layered in a sandwich, tossed in a salad or blended with fruit into a green smoothie. Cooking spinach does not require much time — it can be lightly sautéed with eggs for breakfast, or added to soups and sauces in the last five minutes of cooking time.
Visiting the farmers market gives you a snapshot of our local growing season, week by week.
This year many farms from Sequim’s agricultural community will be represented at the market, with a diverse selection of fresh offerings. The beginning of June will bring a variety of local farms to the market: Morel Compass with Oyster Mushrooms grown in Agnew, Clark Farms with their selection of grass fed beef and pastured pork raised in Sequim, and Avantgardenz will be at the market with culinary and medicinal herbs from their farm west of Port Angeles.
Your familiar Sea Basket Farm will be bringing the harvest from their perennial crops throughout the summer, with artichokes on the way and their late season raspberries.
Graysmarsh Farm will be returning to the market this year with their assortment of seasonal berries, starting with strawberries in mid-June.
By July, Nash’s Organic Produce will be back at the market with produce, grains that are grown and milled locally, eggs, and pork.
Emily’s Flowers will also be back in July, with seasonal produce and stunning flower arrangements.
Market season brings feelings of immense gratitude for the nourishment that comes from our local community- the combination of rich Sequim prairie soils and the living waters of the Dungeness River contribute to our unique agricultural ecosystem, our neighbors who produce the food we eat, and the friends and family we share our meals with.
Visit the market booth to learn more about using your SNAP/EBT food benefits, and WIC & Senior FMNP vouchers, to purchase food at the Sequim Farmers Market.
A special thanks to Bell & Davis Law, Brokers Group Real Estate, First Federal Savings & Loan, for supporting the Sequim Farmers Market.
Elli Rose is the Sequim Farmers Market manager. Contact her at manager@sequimmarket.com or 360-582-6218, or see www.sequimmarket.com.
