Along with warmer temperatures, baseball season and a few more weekend ferry runs, the arrival of spring brings the farmers market back for another season at the Village Green.
The first market of 2015 will take place on Saturday, and market manager Caleb Johns described some notable vendor changes. Most noticeable is that the market will have two dairy vendors this year.
“It’s a niche that has been in high demand on the island, so it’s really exciting that they’ll be here,” Johns said.
Both Burton Hill Farm goat dairy, owned by Collin and Rebecca Nedeiros, and Cornerstone Farm and Dairy, a cow dairy owned by Natalie and Luke Sheard, are raw milk dairies that will offer milk and aged cheeses at the market.
Johns also noted that while market regular Island Meadow Farm is taking this season off, there will be a new farm in its place as Liam Rockwell’s Cedar Spring Farm enters the mix. Rockwell interned at Hogsback Farm before recently starting his own farm.
“His focus is produce and high-yield gardening,” Johns said.
Snapdragon will also not participate in the market this season, but the Vashon Island Baking Company will be there “purveying all things delicious,” Johns said, and one vendor, Azula Phillips, has made a big change. “She’s our newest chocolatier,” he said.
Phillips, best known at the market for her unique feather headpieces, will now sell raw vegan organic chocolate truffles as the Mighty Truffle Confectionery — a business she started at the Sugar Shack, the community kitchen and event space owned by Hedy Anderson of King Caramel.
Anderson and a number of the small businesses that rent time at the Sugar Shack will hold a pop-up market of their own on Saturday to correspond with the farmers market opening.
“It’s a way to showcase some of these small businesses on the island, who are just getting their feet wet and aren’t quite ready to jump into farmers market just yet,” Anderson explained.
Participating in the Sugar Shack pop-up will be Anderson’s King Caramel, Claudia Hernandez’s Wild Roots Chef Services, Evy’s Heavenly Cocoa Nib Cookies, Phillips’ Mighty Truffle Confectionery, Kim Brenner with baked goods, nutritionist Chelo Grable, Tessa Scriver’s Food Crush (professional chef and nutritionist) and Lauren Garaventa’s Meat Club.
“Everyone will be showcasing, sampling and selling,” Anderson said.
King Caramel and the Mighty Truffle Confectionery will both be back at the farmers market on April 11.
Those attending this weekend’s market may also receive free pea starts, purchase raffle tickets for a basket filled with vendor goodies and have a chance to talk to Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) representatives about membership benefits, which include discounts on classes, access to VIGA’s lending library and discounts on events such as farm-to-table dinners.
The farmers market will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Village Green. Raffle tickets cost $1 for VIGA members or $20 (the cost of a VIGA membership) for non-members.
The Sugar Shack pop-up market will also take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; for more information about the Sugar Shack, contact Hedy Anderson at hedy@kingcaramel.com.
