Market of the Maker/Grower

An Essay by Jacob Young

-2024-

Farmer markets, generally speaking, are open air certain-date markets that provide an opportunity for the public to buy fruit and vegetable directly from local farmers. Local food brands, bakers, nurseries, ranchers, and hot food booths are often included. Some of these markets are purely this type of presentation, other farmer markets include artists as well. This is an obvious move for many farmers market production teams. If they sell spaces to artists as well as farmers, they have more income and a bigger “look”. Because the public statement says farmers market, this is the scrutinized quality focus. Artists’ skill level and actual handmade-ness in this type of scene can vary a lot. A possible issue in this type of production having a farmers market that has too much art and not enough foods. This can make a scenario where customers show up to grocery shop, and although the “look” of the market is generous and diverse, there is not enough foods to adequately shop for one’s kitchen.

Artist markets began in America with the Eugene Saturday Market (ESM) in 1971. It was defined from other markets by being an open air certain-dates market that exclude retail, company products, and imports, in order to elevate small scale businesses that carry the flame of traditional skills locally. ESM has gone on to inspire other markets, and by its template that champions the protection of artists, an entire demographic of American artists has developed professional careers.

I am a second generation artisan hat maker. I have always been part of Pacific Northwest markets and festivals, ESM and beyond. In 2021 I joined a farmers market that includes artists called Vancouver Farmers Market (VFM), 20 minutes north of Portland, Oregon. It became clear to me that VFM’s varied elements were cutting an amazing line through a local rising tide of metropolitan transformation and socio-economic interest. I saw a new edge for the evolving maker/grower markets, an edge that I believe has never existed before. I saw that we, the artist and farmer markets of America, are still young in our evolution. There is much still for us to become.

VFM is about 15% hot food booths, 40% artists/artisans/nurseries, and 45% grocery offerings (farmers, local food brands, meats, and local beverage brands).  It is about 150 booths and frames a city park, near the waterfront in downtown Vancouver, Washington. The scale of VFM -amount of booths and amount of shoppers- is what sets it apart from other markets to which it might be compared. There is enough going on in the market that a customer can Christmas shop or grocery shop anytime, and find a broad diversity of options. VFM’s overall vibrance has allowed me to see larger trends, before totally unrealized.

Those that shop at farmers markets and artist markets are similar. The central customer type, on a certain fundamental level, does not differentiate between market productions that protect farmers or those that protect artists. They want their whole life to come from local skills and resources if it is feasible. Another type of customer is simply out to see stuff and be entertained, for this person the diversity and size of VFM’s production washes over them with pleasing results.

Although the protection elements that sustain an artist market are different from those of a farmers market, they are similar enough to reinforce each other, and in general, invoke familiar but newly broadened conversations. As a vendor in artist markets, I always know my neighboring booths. We spend idle time talking, are naturally drawn to see each other’s presentation, and often share resources and ideas. In this way, over the years, I have learned an incredible amount about jewelry and precious stones although I have limited interest in the topic. I have simply had so many booth neighbors that are jewelers, that over the years, I have learned a great deal. Now in VFM my booth neighbors could be artists, food brands, or farmers- sharing with me a new diversity threshold of education, professional skills, and embodied socio-political issues.

And yet, it is not entirely new- ESM has a farmers market next door that shares the same hours. And yet, it is entirely new- somehow the mere act of making a market fully integrated makes a continuous internal oscillation through a customer’s possible desire centers. It can be somewhat disorienting, but its generosity is always very pleasing. (First booth farm, next booth jeweler, next booth rancher, next booth me with hats, next booth food brand, next booth pottery, next hot sauce, garlic, leather smith, another farm, etc.) The successes and failures of this integrated market are ours together. One season a crop-damaging hail storm ignited me to support a certain farmer. Once I invited a band to VFM from my personal art connections, and it was a triumph throughout the market.

Yes, it has come to pass. ESM, the dinosaur of all dinosaurs, before perceived as the trajectory map for my artisan lifestyle; has now instead become the central musculature by which to measure ~worth~ as I explore a more diverse market presentation. At VFM, it seems that people always show up to buy groceries, but then stick around longer to enjoy the art. On a certain weekend, a lot of vendors might say, “Wow lots of people, but not too many sales.” I extrapolate two things from this: We have developed a reputation for being a good source of general weekend entertainment. Purchases or none, the continuous return of people leads to purchases. These future purchases might be Christmas gifts, or customers warming up to the idea of doing their grocery shopping at VFM instead of at their neighborhood super market.

Our quality of magnetism is what is important. For artist markets, it has always been the same. Arts entertain us and enrich our lives, going to an artist market is good fun for anybody. For farmers markets, magnetism is a moving target. Buying seasonal produce farm-direct has always been a better price, but now in addition, the ideals of organic farming and localization are part of the mainstream cultural dialog. Put the two markets together and neither magnetism is diminished. That fact, if anything, is the informative gift of VFM. A maker/grower market is both magnetisms united, not dilute.

* * *

This paper is not to convince markets to change. It is unexpected that they could. Every market I have ever known is a unique puzzle, fitting together the evolving wishes of a town or city, the available skills of its local populous, and ultimately set in a certain physical shape by the place that hosts the event. Foremost this is a paper for the consideration of towns or cities building new markets, or to be used as a correction guide for existing markets that have the ability to change.

If one has a purely artist or farmer market, and wishes to have it transform into something that includes both farmers and artists, I cannot emphasize this enough: proceed with caution. Here are components to consider:

- Will the farmers and artists be fully integrated? If all members are equal, smooth sailing, all thrive or survive together. My wonderful experience with VFM is hopefully repeated. If the market is not full integrated, do the farmer and artist parts of the market have equal quality in regards to foot traffic, covered space, cleanliness, and load in/out access? It is important that a maker/grower market elevates the grocery aspect, in both booth placement and publicity. People plan ahead when grocery shopping. If there are art booths, they will enjoy them, whether or not they plan to. If the market’s publicity is lead by the artists, then customers will show up and be surprised to also find groceries- in this situation the grocery component of the market will suffer. Full kitchen menu shopping is not usually an impulse buy. As I see it, a maker/grower market’s goal is to create both a foundation of dependable grocery shoppers, and a reputation for quality artisanship. The other reason to emphasize groceries in the market’s publicity is because of the vulnerably of farmers. Crops can fail because of weather, many crops are available in only certain seasons, and produce has a limited shelf life. Meanwhile, the work of artists most often happens indoors and can sit in boxes without selling for years with none the wiser. The vulnerability of artists has much more to do with whether or not their skills, ideas, and presentation “works”. If an artist’s presentation does work, it can live in many environments, including one that elevates farmers. Farmers, beverage brands, and food brands thrive where they are expected.

- What is the ratio of your market? There must be enough groceries in order for a customer to have a spectrum of choices, and bounty enough that foods at least come near to serving your customers’ level of request. (Its a bummer if all the strawberries sell out in the first hour of market, although having this happen sometimes is good drama.) VFM’s relatively balanced 50-50 split of entertainment oriented and grocery oriented booths allows total integration of booth types. If there is significantly less groceries, it might be best for them to be consolidated so that someone shopping for foods does not miss some of their options. If there is significantly less arts, I recommend to have these booths evenly dispersed throughout the market- like VFM’s flow, the arts will gently and pleasantly interrupt a shoppers’ expected experience.

- I feel strongly that it is important for a farmers market is able to accept Food Stamp Programs. This is a foods equal opportunity issue, anyone who shops using food stamps at super markets should by common rights also be able to shop at farmer markets. A farmer market’s ability to accept food stamps is related to particular avenues of legitimacy and registration with government food stamp programs. It can represent a huge amount of income for the market’s grocery vendors, and it can bring many more people into the activities of the market.

- The markets hours of operation must serve both the farmers and artists. Artists want longer afternoons to accommodate the public’s leisure entertainment hours, farmers need at least some daylight hours each day to take care of livestock or garden responsibilities. VFM is currently 9 to 3 Saturday, 10 to 3 Sunday; I think this is perfect.

- It is wonderful to incorporate hot food vendors. Some customers stay longer at the market to eat breakfast or lunch, others will come to the market specifically to eat a meal and see everything else since they are already there. Generally speaking, hot food booths add to the market’s diverse magnetism.

- If a market already exists, and it wants to change it policies (for example: bring up the quality standards of arts accepted, elevate small scale farms, create healthier hot food booth menu options) it is best to not disrupt the present market. Instead I recommend implementing designs that shape the future. These standards should then effect the incoming applicants, shaping the overall presentation of the market through progressive evolution. Accepting a vendor is a promise that they can have a go at making a market business. For so many, this investment, if it flourishes, becomes the center of their life. Along with maintaining these established livelihoods, this philosophy supports the living history of the market. Some old ‘pard may not fit in with the current ideas, but he’s been there from the beginning and it works for him: his presence gives validity to the market by showing its steady worth through time.