The Pagosa Farmers Market opens Saturday, July 6 in an exciting new location – the Tennyson Sculpture Garden & Park. The park will be a unique experience for Pagosa, a place to visit, take a seat and enjoy the aesthetic experience of some evocative art works.
On Saturday morning the experience is enhanced by the presence the local growers, producers and makers of the Pagosa Farmers Market.
The Pagosa Farmers Market also offers a unique experience – garden ripened tomatoes! Only if you have your own garden or a generous friend will you enjoy this phenomenon this summer unless you are able to make it to the Market before 10; they sell out fast, and only growers with greenhouses can possibly have tomatoes on Opening Day, July 6, and they are not yet willing to promise. In any event, keep positive thoughts, mark your calendar and plan to be the Market from 9-1pm.
What else is to be found at the Pagosa Farmer’s Market? The first couple of markets typically start off a bit slow. Growers who do not work out of greenhouses are still struggling with cold nights. Only in the past few weeks have temperatures stayed above 50 for several consecutive nights. And only this past week have we experienced the life-giving rains.
If the temperatures hold, growers operating their own booths will offer a range of freshly harvested vegetables that will change as the season progresses. Other producers will offer wonderful sourdough breads, sweet pastries, jams, local honey, pesto, farm fresh eggs and a selection of naturally raised and USDA inspected beef cuts. Easy enough to shop for lunch, dinner or a snack on Saturday morning at the Pagosa Farmers Market. Then there is the Small Growers Coop where backyard growers can bring the excess they have to market. There will be tomato starts here for sure but no telling what else, depends on what growers have extra.
The Market continues to accept SNAP cards and continues to hand out free a $20 value of Double up Bucks for the first $20 SNAP purchase, essentially doubling purchasing power! In addition, we will be redeeming coupons from the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging which will be distributed to local seniors to encourage buying nutritious local food at the Pagosa Farmers Market.
The Pagosa Farmers Market shares the goal of increasing local food sovereignty with Healthy Archuleta and was present at the recent highly successful Archuleta Food Summit which drew scores of local food growers and producers together for the benefit of our local community. The Market continues to provide advocacy and support and a venue for sales to those growers and producers.
Consider your first visit to the Market an excellent time to renew your membership in Southwest Organization for Sustainability (SOS,) the organization that supports the Pagosa Farmers Market and organizes our celebration of Earth Day plus other activities that promote sustainability in Archuleta County. Look for the SOS booth. Support also comes from the Pagosa Area Tourism Board which clearly recognizes the important role played by the Market both for locals and tourist.
Put the date on your calendar July 6 and come to the Tennyson Sculpture Garden & Park to enjoy the morning.
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