Seattle Is Grumbling About Their Farmers Markets | Community Spirit

Plant starters, baked bread, morel mushrooms, baskets, etc. That's what you can find at farmers markets this time of year. According to this map created by the Liberty Lake Farmers Market in 2009, there are twelve farmers markets in our area. There could be more.

On almost every day of the week, you can attend a local farmers market from North Spokane to Airway Heights. There are even more outside of the county in Northern Idaho ranging from Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint and more. North of Spokane County, you can find one in Davenport. No matter where you go, you can find a farmers market. That's practically one for each major community. Is that too many? The Seattle P-I says that people in Seattle are grumbling from way too many farmers markets. Last summer they had 19 total.

Farmers say this year's loss of two markets is a mere dent in what some have likened to the Starbucksification of farmers markets. Last summer, Seattle peaked with 19. Some ran on the same day; some ran within a few miles of one another. "They cannibalize each others' market share," said Wade Bennett, of Rockridge Orchards in Enumclaw. "In the private sector, the weaker ones would go out of business. But these are subsidized." He said they're supported by government and community groups, and volunteers. - Read more at Seattle PI

Does Eastern Washington and North Idaho have too many farmers markets?