Kelseyville >> According to standards understood by the state, the Lake County Farmer’s Market should have failed. Gov. Jerry Brown, in an earlier stay in office, drafted conditions necessary for a farmer’s market to be successful, and Kelseyville didn’t match those demographics.
“They didn’t have any way to quantify the agriculture of the Kelseyville area,” specialty grower Sky Hoyt explained.
But the market, which opened for the season on Saturday, defied the state’s expectations. They’ve brought in a numerous farmers over the past 20 years, despite the relatively small number of farms in the county. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, locally-sourced honey, olive oils, jewelry and clothing are all available from various stalls.
The market is held at Steele Wines in Kelseyville every Saturday and Tuesday morning.
Even though a great variety of goods are available, the farmer’s market focuses on staying true to it’s name. “Mostly I make room for farmers and we don’t have that many in Lake County,” said Cornelia Sieber-Davis, the market manager. “We have only a certain number of non-farmers at the farmer’s market. If we get way too many farmers we ask Steele Wines if we can use their lawn.”
In order to sell at a certified farmer’s market, vendors have to be certified themselves by the Ag Department. But just because a farmer’s market is certified does not mean all produce sold is certified organic, a common misconception. “It just means that it’s certified by the Ag Department or Ag Commissioner that all the growers grow what they sell,” explained Sieber-Davis. “[Governor Brown] signed certified farmer’s markets into law to help farmers bypass the strict regulations of the standard packing and size because it’s always expensive to pack.”
The state went to lengths to certify farmer’s markets and check for quality in order to “make sure people really are growing what they’re selling,” Sieber-Davis said.
With a regular farmer’s market running from the first weekend in May to the last weekend in October of each year, both vendors and buyers are reaping the benefits, the most obvious of which is the ability for both parties to interact with one another. “People who are concerned about what they eat have an opportunity to ask people who grow it how they grew it,” said Sieber-Davis. “A lot of people care about how their food is grown and if they shop at a farmer’s market they can ask.”
Daniel Salmon, co-owner of Yerba Santa Goat Dairy, sells his goat cheese almost exclusively at various farmer’s markets. He made the decision so he could talk with his customers about the process behind his cheeses, what the goats are eating, and other important information. “I love the direct connection with the customer,” Salmon said. “It’s hard to do that at the store.”
Sieber-Davis agreed that the communication between a buyer and a seller isn’t available at a traditional shopping destination. “Creating a relationship with the people who grow your food is possible at farmer’s markets,” she said. “It’s not really possible anywhere else.”
It seems as though this ability to chat with farmers is one of the biggest reasons customers visit the market. “I love being in touch with my food and the source of my food,” said dietician Andy Culbertson. She and her family make a trip to the farmer’s market nearly every Saturday and Tuesday.
Culbertson added that for centuries people communicated directly with their farmers, an important aspect of food consumption. She said the market supports “ancestral health” as well as the growers.
Plus, “it’s so fun,” she said. “We have families that gather and we look forward to meeting every Saturday.”
A kid-friendly event, the market is both enjoyable and educational. While kids love tasting the samples, they also learn about what they’re eating. “It teaches children a lot about food,” Sieber-Davis said. “Food is important. Food doesn’t come out of a vending machine.”
The farmer’s market is like one big, happy family. Vendors and buyers alike bustle around the Steele Wines parking lot, stopping to chat as much as they pause to shop. “It’s a number one weekly community event,” said Hoyt. “It plays into celebrating the agriculture legacy.”
Sieber-Davis is often witness to this sense of community. “That happens all the time, you sit under the walnut trees and go, ‘I cant believe it’s been six moths since I saw you,’” she said. “How people care for each other is expanded. You see each other face to face. The transaction between people happens in a more direct way.”
Farmer’s markets are also economically beneficial for both vendors and the community at large. “I think that having access to locally grown food of all kinds, not just fruits and vegetables … keeps the money circulating locally,” said Sieber-Davis. “Just like any other local business, it keeps the dollars local.”
And the farmer’s market isn’t off-limits to those struggling financially. All vendors accept EBT, and there’s also a program which provides bonus tokens for shoppers. Through a food stamps promotion grant, last year the market was able to give shoppers $5 for every $10 they swiped on their EBT card. Starting June 1, they will begin offering similar EBT bonus tokens once again. Using food stamps at the market is another way shopping locally can benefit the county. “People can use their government dollars in a localized manner too,” said Sieber-Davis. “Then their federal dollars get spent in this county and this county really needs it … A dollar multiplies. Money breeds money, in a way.”
And it pays, literally, to sell produce directly to a consumer. Rafael Garcia of RHJ Organic travels from Watsonville every Saturday to sell his produce. He said he comes partly for the friendly faces, which seem to be more abundant at the Lake County farmer’s market than other locations, but there’s also economic incentive. “[I] get more profit rather than selling it to a cooler,” he said. People who shop at the market “pay more for the products.”
Selling at a farmer’s market also provides vendors with greater financial freedom. “For economic independence for local growers, this is fantastic,” Hoyt said.
The farmers aren’t the only ones gaining independence thorough the market. The county itself becomes less dependent on outside resources when people shop locally. This is good for not only the economy, but the environment. “If you have more farmers you also have less pollution because not as many trucks drive through to bring food from far away,” Sieber-Davis said. “Two years ago they had a survey that said less than 2 percent of food consumed here is produced here … It’s kind of dire if all the food and supplies have to be trucked in.”
So those interested in shopping locally have two opportunities a week to visit the farmer’s market. While Tuesday’s market isn’t as successful at Saturday’s, with about a quarter of the crowd, Sieber-Davis said holding the market twice a week helps the vendors. “It’s important for farmers to have more than one day selling opportunity because otherwise they can’t grow as much as they like,” she said.
Produce is likely to be freshest when a farmer can sell it multiple times a week. “It’s in everyone’s interest for us to have more than one opportunity for farmers to sell,” Sieber-Davis added.
Much of the Yerba Santa Goat Dairy cheese is a fresh cheese, giving is a milder taste than the aged variety, so farmer’s markets are a great venue for the product. “That’s the best way to sell it, so it’s really fresh,” Salmon said.
In addition to providing the freshest food plus farmer-consumer communication, the success of the farmer’s market has been in part thanks to Steele Wines, who’s let the market use their parking lot almost since its inception. “It’s phenomenal that they host us,” said Hoyt. “It’s incredibly supportive of them to have us here … We’re fortunate.”
The farmer’s market is every Saturday and Tuesday morning from 8:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. at Steele Wines in Kelseyville.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
