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Our Mission
The Bellingham Farmers' Market supports local sustainable agriculture by connecting the public with local farmers, artisans, and other producers in an economically viable marketplace.
 Bellingham Farmers Market History
By Heidi L. Buhman
Hundreds of people gather around vendors, waiting to purchase fresh produce and hand-crafted items. Shoppers stroll by carrying bunches of flowers, bags of fresh produce and loaves of bread. Folks reach for the change in their pocket and place it in instrument cases for the street musicians. It is Bellingham's Market Day!
The Bellingham Farmers Market, just a dream in the early 1990's has become one of the largest markets in Washington State, and a destination location for tourists and locals alike. It began when two Western Washington University students had a vision to have locally grown produce sold in a downtown urban location. They approached local community member, Del Lowry, who worked cooperatively with them to gain the support of several key farmers and city officials. Today Lowry's efforts are acknowledged as an important contribution to forming the Market.
In 1992, nine board members, consisting of vendors and community members, met weekly to plan the market opening. (This group and the committees they formed, built the framework for the member run market that exists today.) The initial commitments from farmers and craftspeople allowed the market board to approach the city of Bellingham. City officials saw the market as an investment that could help revive the downtown area and granted the market some start up monies for site improvement, operating materials and market promotion. The City's assistance and funding did much to secure the successful opening of the market.
The market opened on June 19, 1993 with nearly fifty vendors participating. Mike Finger, the first president of the market and a farmer vendor, initiated a tradition, which persists to this day — on opening day a cabbage is thrown by a city official to a long standing vendor. According to a 1993 Bellingham Herald article, "The market posted the best year of any farmers market in the seventeen year history of the Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA)," said Mariah Cornwoman, WSFMA secretary-treasurer. "Other first year markets have done far less with much more public money."
In 1994, the Saturday market expanded
its season to run from April to October.
In the mid 1990's the Fairhaven Association
opened a Wednesday farmers market,
at what is now the Fairhaven Village
Green. After a number of years, the
Bellingham Farmers Market was asked
to take over the operation of the
Fairhaven Market, expanding on its
success of the Saturday Market. Then,
in 2003, the Bellingham Farmers Market
opened a third market, on Tuesdays,
at Barkley Village. Currently the
Bellingham Farmer's Market operates
the Saturday Market downtown and
the Wednesday Market in Fairhaven.
These markets have become important venues
for farmers and customers alike to
connect with fresh produce, prepared
foods and crafts.
Today the market hosts numerous events and includes many local organizations in its operations. For example: the market welcomes not-for-profit organizations, that are seeking informational outreach opportunities to the public to participate, when space is available; the market also schedules major festivals geared towards connecting families with farmers through fun activities. The Saturday market has a centralized information and resource booth staffed by volunteers and offers items for sale promoting the market and showcasing the market logo.
Now operating in its second decade,
the Bellingham Farmers Market continues
to have a dedicated board of directors
consisting of volunteers committed
to this dynamic organization. The
board of directors meets once a month
to discuss market business and plan
future operations. The board of directors'
goal over the entire history of the
market remains the same: to create
a marketplace that has broad appeal
and a diverse group of vendors and
to be a self-supporting organization
funded by vendor fees and dues. In
addition to the board of directors,
the market has three paid positions,
a market manager, an assistant
manager and a person to assist with
setting up and breaking down the
market on Saturdays. Also, the market
relies upon volunteers from the Whatcom
Volunteer Center and interns from
Western Washington University help
with additional projects throughout
the season.
Mike Finger, the market’s first board president, says the market is more than just a place to buy fresh produce and hand crafted products. He says, "It fosters a social life and acts as a gathering place for friends and family. Not only is it a place for locals to congregate, but the market is also a tourist attraction. The market brings many people to downtown Bellingham that might not come otherwise." Year after the year the market remains a vibrant gathering place for the community and continues to create a culture of outdoor shopping.
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