By EMILY SCOTT
For The Beachcomber

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a Vashon local avoid the uptown scene on a Saturday morning, I’d have the cash to personally buy and clean up the K2 site. I’m using hyperbole to get your attention, but you get the point. Whether it’s an aversion to traffic, pedestrians, crowds or tourists, it’s a common refrain among those who are proud to be islanders. Much of that Saturday hubbub, of course, is centered around the Village Green, home of the Vashon Farmers Market.

For full disclosure, I’m on the board of the Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA), the parent organization of the farmers market, but I have no intention of persuading every local to shop there on a weekly basis. The fact is, the scene’s not for everyone, and that’s OK.

Much of the aforementioned aversion is tied to aspects of the market that many locals find unappealing. Lots of islanders live here because it’s an intimate community, offering proximity to cities as well as relative isolation, whereas the farmers market brings a boisterous crowd made up of lots of off-island shoppers. A lack of enthusiasm for the Saturday farmers market, however, does not translate to a lack of support for local agriculture.

The purpose of the farmers market is to provide a platform for direct-to-consumer sales; to cut out the middle man, in other words. Alternatives are to shop at farm stands that are stocked and managed by farmers themselves or sign up for a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) program to provide farmers with working capital in exchange for fresh produce throughout the season. One might find a neighbor who keeps chickens (because we’ve all got at least one) and buy eggs from him or her. Another option is to shop for produce, meat, cheese, baked goods and more at the summertime Wednesday Market. The Wednesday Market is a fairly new offering designed for people passing through town on their way home to make dinner.

Supporting local agriculture at the direct-to-consumer level not only strengthens interpersonal connections in our community, it makes possible the opportunity for sales directly to retail, restaurants or institutions. In Vashon’s current agricultural economy, it’s extremely difficult for farmers to grow to the scale that would allow them to make a profit at wholesale prices. At the same time, local restaurants and institutions (like the school district, senior center, Vashon Community Care, local grocery stores, etc.) can’t afford to pay retail prices for the quantities they need. By supporting local agriculture at the direct-to-consumer level, we can provide the incentive and the revenue small farmers need to expand their operations, allowing them to sell retail and wholesale.

It is possible for an individual to do all this on his or her own, but there’s strength in numbers. By becoming a member of VIGA, you can be part of an organization that is working on a broader scale to promote farming, healthy food and a sustainable agricultural economy on Vashon.

VIGA members enjoy perks like access to a Google group dedicated to buying, selling, trading and sharing information about all things agriculture, the opportunity to participate in group orders of seeds and supplies with significant cost reductions and the latest information about educational opportunities and special events. VIGA members also feel good knowing that our Food Access Partnership gets fresh produce in the hands of folks that may otherwise not be able to afford it by matching EBT dollars at the market and farm stands and providing vouchers to local institutions, like the senior center and care center.

More importantly, VIGA members take pride in preserving Vashon’s character. Like Dan Carlson mentioned in the last article of this series, “agriculture ensures a country landscape that defines Vashon’s quality of life.” However, just as much as the pastoral life is built into Vashon’s personal image, so are aversion to authority and corporations, self-reliance, self determination and independence.

Supporting local agriculture cuts out the middle man, lowers your carbon footprint, reduces Vashon’s reliance on off-island shipping companies and increases the likelihood that your kids will be able to eat fresh, nutritious food, not only at home, but at school as well. Supporting local agriculture gives locals the chance to keep Vashon genuine for those who know and love it most.

— Emily Scott is co-chair of VIGA and manager of the food bank’s volunteer program.