This winter I've been vending at two different farmers' markets: Ballard and the U District. A few years ago this wouldn't have even been possible. Only one market--Ballard--ran all year. Many weekends during its first winter of 2001-2002, the Ballard Market only had one vendor. The folks who ran it persevered, using the mantra, "If we build it, they will come."
Ballard in the winter is nothing like Ballard in the height of the summer, but each year it's been a lot better than the year before.The key to any market being successful is for it to become part of people's routines. That's only going to happen if customers can count on vendors being there week after week, month after month, year after year.
As more customers have come, more vendors have felt that it's worth their while to sell. Once the farmers discovered that there's a market for their winter crops, they began planting more year round. Customers found more to buy and were more likely to come back. Vendors also explored ways to preserve their summer produce by drying, canning, and pickling, so they'd have more to offer in the winter.
Once Ballard showed that winter markets were viable, the administrators of other venues began expanding their schedules as well. Customers had more options, and the idea of shopping outdoors on a winter day no longer seemed as strange.
I hope it all continues to grow. Considering the momentum we have at this point, I can't imagine any other outcome.
3 comments:
It reminds me of the idea of the power of Malcolm Gladwell's theory of the fax machines. Farmer's markets on one hand work because of their rarity. People come out because they can't get the same things at the supermarket, and it seems more like an outing. But if they are to rare then they will cease to exist. So it seems that striking the balance between rarity and accessibility is the key. It's good to stand out in the rain for what you believe in, and it's good to be standing there so that people know that you will always be standing there...
It's been really interesting to watch the whole thing develop. During the past 10 years we've gone from 2 markets in Seattle to 11. Sales continue to climb, and I really don't think it's peaked yet.
I'm an avid market shopper all year round. I'm always pleasantly surprised by the hearty attendance in Ballard. I love watching my son splash through knee-deep puddles and cling soggily to his pretzel. BUT..Wouldn't it be neat if we had some permanent shelter/structure similar to Olympia or (I've heard) newly constructed in Bellingham?!
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