Farmers Market Administration

Two groups run virtually all of the farmers' markets in the Seattle area. Their missions are mostly similar, but their styles can be very different.

The NFMA, or Neighborhood Farmers' Market Alliance, runs the U District, Columbia City, West Seattle, Lake City, Magnolia, Broadway, and Phinney markets.

Seattle Farmers' Markets has markets in Ballard, Madrona, Wallingford, and Queen Anne. They also run the Fremont Sunday Market, which is more of a craft and flea market than a farmers' market.

The NFMA is a non-profit organization with an office staff and a board of directors. Their markets are for food only, so there's no crafts. Until recently they didn't offer much hot, ready to eat food at their markets, although they've been relaxing that policy lately. (I just wish they'd done it when I was their only hot food vendor.) They're well organized, and they do a lot of marketing and outreach, which leads to plenty of media attention.

Seattle Farmers' Markets is run by a handful of dedicated, hardworking individuals. Their policies tend to be more fluid than the NFMA's, although they do have to have rules in order to keep things flowing. All of their markets include crafts and hot, ready to eat food. To me they feel more relaxed than the NFMA markets, although it can be harder to take care of practical, administrative details.

Whether they're run by individuals or by a board, working with these organizations always comes down to building relationships with the folks who are on site making decisions. I appreciate the mission that these organizations share: to support local foods and local farmers. I may bang heads with them from time to time because I want them to support my local foods rather than someone else's. But in the end, I have so much respect for what they do, that we can usually come up with a workable solution.