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By Meryl Bornstein The Boulder Farmer’s Market spread along 13th Street, meandering around the spectacularly tiled Dushanbe Tea House, up the steps of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, snug against the city park, is a favorite people place. The market is a natural festival, a fair without the artifice. Farmers bring their veggies, mostly organic, to the city folk. Restaurants, caterers and bakeries entice with their prepared food. Musicians perform. Politicians and petitioners vie for attention. Plus—bedding plants, flowers, fresh and dried, seeds to sprout and sprouted seeds, fruit from the Western slope, honey, herbed vinegar, wine, goat cheese, natural skin care products and even compost. All this and more—only a block or so from Boulder’s other popular people place, the Pearl Street Mall, the original home of the market in the early 1980s. Boulder Market historian (yes, an official historian), John Ellis, who sells hay, compost and fruit at the market, said that after the informal mall market operating on the courthouse lawn disbanded, county, city and university representatives brainstormed for a way to promote county agriculture. Another farmers market was decided on and a group of University of Colorado students suggested the city park as the best location. In June of 1987, the new market opened. Twenty booths had $1,800 in first day sales. First season sales totaled $72,000. Now seasonal sales from 84 farmers and vendors are approaching $1 million dollars. Average Saturday attendance is14,000. This is big business...profitable business...but not for profit business. According to manager Jim Tyler, the market is set up as a 501(C) (6) corporation. This means that all profits are plowed back into the organization for improvements. Have you noticed the food court furniture and shade? … the porta-potties? ... the advertising? … the professional management? Tyler stated that the market is the largest attraction in downtown Boulder. As such, it works with local government, civic organizations and private businesses to support the community. Tyler developed the Market Masters Program to secure volunteer help. In return for supplying manpower for clean up and traffic control on a given day, a group is given free space to promulgate its cause. Melanie Wood, Independent Living Coordinator for the Center for People with Disabilities, spoke highly of Tyler’s willingness to train and then hire those with physical and cognitive impairments. His goal is both to get necessary manpower for the market and to enable the disabled to develop job market skills. His goal is for these employees to move on, to secure better jobs. Community Food Share is promoted on Wednesdays, when unsold produce is donated to the local food bank. The popular Chefs’ Events also support a community need. This year on each of three Saturdays in August, a local chef will donate time to prepare a special dish at the market with market produce. Individual portions are then sold. The proceeds fund transportation to the Wednesday market for those disabled and senior citizens over age 60. The teahouse offers market day specials. The museum is free to the public the second Saturday of the month during the summer, thanks to Roche Colorado. There is a monthly Fine Arts and Crafts Fair. Boulder and the market jointly pay for an hour of patron parking in city parking structures. The list goes on. This is community synergy at its best. But the heart of the market continues to be the farmers. Their ultra-fresh produce draws the crowds. They may only sell what they grow and are voting members of the organization. Most live and/or work in Boulder County. Others have been with the market from the beginning, and have been “grandfathered” in. All new farmers (as well as vendors) must be from the county unless they offer something not available locally. An annually elected board of farmers governs the market. They set policy and advise Tyler. They select new farmers. They also arrange random inspections to ensure that farmers are growing what they say they are. This is a group that is serious about its credibility. For some members, farming provides their sole income, for others supplemental income. All Boulder County growers are welcome to participate, whether farming many acres or just a back yard plot. The group of farmers has become almost like a giant family. According to Ellis, if someone is short-handed, a competitor will send help to man the booth. Many have watched member’s toddlers grow up at the market, toddlers now old enough to help with sales. Several couples who met and courted while working at the market are now married. What is the mystique of the farmers market? Sure it’s fun and frolic. But mostly it’s about taste. The taste that only comes from produce, preferably organic, prepared hours after picking, not days. Despite the amazing provisioning of the modern supermarket, local produce is rarely available. According to Bradford Heep, chef/proprietor of Full Moon Grill and Chautauqua Dining Hall, “It’s easy to cook in summer when the produce is so fresh and flavor isn’t lost during shipping.” Heep is one of many local chefs who visit the market to get inspiration for their menus. He appreciates that he can go to one place to survey what is available, confer with farmers and order produce. Mara Balassa, sous chef at Hotel Boulderado’s Q’s and proprietor of the Q’s Cart in the market’s food court has a different perspective. She feels that the farmer’s market provides “a good way for local small entrepreneurs to display goods and interact with the local community. [This is especially important] when the world is based on large industry”. Long-time market member, Thad Johnson, of South Paw Organics, is not sure how much longer the full-time, small family farmer will be able to survive financially in Boulder. Land values have skyrocketed. Giant agribusiness, farming on inexpensive land in faraway places, is beginning to use organic methods and is able to work on minute profit margins. Most consumers, he believes, are unwilling to pay the higher produce prices necessary for local farmers to earn an adequate livelihood. They don’t value the taste difference. I do hope Johnson is wrong. Perhaps our palates will be educated in time to save our local farms. To start our schooling, please join me in trying the simple recipes generously offered by Balassa and Heep. Do use the produce they were designed to showcase—currently available bumper crops from Boulder’s farmers market. The Boulder Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located at 13th Street between Araphaoe Avenue and Canyon Street. Visit their web site at <www.boulderfarmers.org> for a crop list and upcoming events. Pasta with Tomato Basil
Chutney
Organic Colorado Peach Gratin Courtesy of Chef Bradford Heep Base
Put base in individual dishes or a shallow casserole. Sprinkle on enough streusel to cover 2/3 of top. Bake at 350° until golden brown. Serve to the one(s) you love.
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