50 different crops throughout the growing season. Each Saturday morning, their market table draws customers in to partake of the colorful abundance. And once they taste the Oklahoma-grown differ- ence, they’re likely to come back for more. “The minute someone tastes the amazing fl avor of foods that are locally grown, picked fresh, that haven’t been trucked across the country and sitting on the shelf for weeks, they don’t want to go back to store food,” Oakley said. “That’s all it takes for an investment in local food.”
But, perhaps even more than the superior veg- etables, it’s their genuine smiles, which refl ect that passion for what they do, that draw people back each week. Though the duo came to farming from a philosophical point of view, having studied sustain- able agriculture in college, a love for the work and the lifestyle is what keeps them going. “We’re in our ninth season now, but there’s still something magical about planting a seed and see- ing it grow,” Oakley said.
A Community Connection Another thriving Oklahoma Grown market is the Muskogee Farmers’ Market. Now in its 19th season, the market began with three growers selling goods on the sidewalk behind the public library. As the market grew, the community voted to support it with a quarter-cent sales tax increase. The funds paid for exterior renovations to the Muskogee Civic Center, and in 2007 the market moved to its current location, under the pavilions outside the center. The increased visibility resulted in an immediate doubling of market sales.
“Our market has done so well in part because we’ve had such good, strong support from the city and other organizations in town that have part- nered with the market,” Doug Walton said. Walton became involved with the market 12 years ago. He has since served on the market board, several years as its president, and he currently volunteers as mar- ket assistant manager.
Community support for the market is also strong with 400 to 500 area residents attending on a typi-
importance of buying what’s freshest and most affordable locally. Walton said this is exemplifi ed in the difference between spring farmers’ market strawberries and those purchased at the grocery store in December. The ones available at the mar- ket in May are much more affordable and superior in taste compared to those available in the winter, which must travel thousands of miles across the country before reaching an Oklahoma supermar- ket.
Shopping at Three Springs Farm booth
“The fruits and vegetables are often picked the day before the market. People are able to get pro- duce that couldn’t be fresher, unless they grew it themselves,” Walton said. “It’s a joy—a food journey you go on when shopping through the seasons of the farmers’ market.”
cal Saturday and 35 member/vendors, selling ev- erything from plants and herbal soaps to produce, cheeses, and even hand-made tamales. What attracts so many to the farmers’ market? One incentive for market-goers is the feeling that they’re supporting something bigger than them- selves; at the same time they experience community with others at the market.
“The farmers’ market has become a place to see friends and neighbors and catch up,” Walton said. “There’s a community connection.”
In order to make the market accessible to more members of the community, the Muskogee Farm- ers’ Market, and many markets statewide, are now accepting SNAP benefi ts (food stamps). Muskogee also participates in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nu- trition Program (SFMNP), an initiative that enables Oklahoma’s low-income seniors to access the fresh produce available at the farmers’ market. Both mea- sures have bolstered business at the market, Walton said.
Since the Muskogee market’s farmers are com- mitted to selling only what’s grown in Oklahoma, they have the unique opportunity to educate cus- tomers about the seasonality of produce and the
Perhaps the main draw of the farmers’ market is the close connection people have with the source of their food. As with Oakley and Appel of Three Springs Farm, customers are often on a fi rst-name basis with their farmers; they can ask questions and give feedback.
“They know where their food is grown, how it’s grown and who grew it. It puts a face on their food,” Walton said.
While the Muskogee community has stood strong behind its farmers’ market, Walton expressed the need for more access to good-quality, local food in Oklahoma.
“It’s important to recognize the value of a farm- ers’ market, and some places have had a harder time for a combination of reasons,” Walton said. “Com- munity support is vital to the success of any farm- ers’ market.”
A valuable resource for those trying to start a farmers’ market in their community is the Okla- homa Grown website:
http://okgrown.com/. Whit- more, who can be reached through the contact page of the site, is available to help as well. For those who haven’t been out to support their local market, now is the time.
“If you haven’t been to a farmers’ market before, July is the ideal month to go,” Oakley said. “It’s when everyone’s favorite crops are ready.”
connect with a local groweR Featured Markets
Cherry Street Farmers’ Market Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., Sat. Months: April through Oct.
Location: 15th Street, between Peoria and Lewis, Tulsa Website:
http://www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com
Muskogee Farmers’ Market Hours: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Weds. and Sat. - rain or shine
Mike Appel of Three Springs Farm sells from farm to table at Cherry Street Farmers’ Market
Months: Mid-April through Oct. Location: 5th and Okmulgee, Muskogee OL
JULY 2012 23
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