By Pauline Benetti
Special to The PREVIEW
Summer is here and one sure sign is the opening of the Pagosa Farmers Market this Saturday. This is the eighth year of operation for this event sponsored by Southwest Organization for Sustainability.
This is the year of the big move downtown to the East Side Market. For the first time in its history, the Pagosa Farmers Market will have the luxury of a space that is intended for markets. Customers will also find it a comfortable and pleasant space to spend an hour or two on Saturday morning. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For vendors, the market means time to harvest produce from your cold frames, your hoop houses, your domes and/or your gardens — time to enjoy the fruit of your labor and get some of it ready to sell at the Farmers Market. Fresh, natural produce sells out every Saturday. This is an opportunity to add some extra money to your budget and provide the community with an essential product.
For consumers, it’s time to mark every Saturday on your calendar from June 21 to Sept. 13 with the words “Farmers Market” and make a promise to yourself that you will collect your shopping bags and arrive early to get the freshest selection.
There will be a wide selection of food to be eaten al fresco (tables and benches provided) or taken home.
With the opening of our small-town market, we can take pride in joining a movement that is nationwide and 7,800 strong. Though small in size, we offer the same important elements of community and healthy food offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as it recently opened the 19th season of the USDA Farmers Market in Washington, D.C. Its June 6 press release claims, “The USDA Farmers Market is part of USDA’s continued effort to encourage everyone to eat healthy and provide nationwide access to healthy foods every day via more than 7,800 farmers markets across the nation.”