It was a rainy Sunday in the Emerald City.........
In the early morning light the vans, cars, carts and vendors arrived and began raising the tents to display their goods.
We of course were still at rest, sweeping up the leftovers of our dream adventures. As the sun swept up from the east on its daily exercise westward we rose, gathered our umbrellas, met up and began our journey.
The Ballard Farmers Market is located on the historic Ballard Ave NW. It is open every Sunday, year round, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Local Farmers Markets are often the best way to gain access to the rich variety of organic foods from your local environment.
Keep in mind that for a newcomer the selection can often be overwhelming. We suggest that you walk the entire market first, see what intrigues you, check pricing and quality then begin a second lap. The things that intrigue you on the first lap could become must-haves by lap two.
We found many gifts of the earth, and in this list you can see some of the lovely fruits and vegetables we took home with us.
Sugar Snap Peas, $3.10
Carrots and Sweet Onions from a flower vendor, $2.00 each
Apricots $3.00, $1.85 2.99/lb or 2lbs for $5 from ACMA Missions Orchards in Quincy, WA
Honey Sticks $3.00, $.25 each, from Golden Harvest, The Bee Ranch on Whidbey Island, WA
Beets, 2x $3.00 a bunch from Full Circle Farms in Carnation, WA
Olive and Herb Fougasse $7.00 from Tall Grass Bakery, Ballard WA
Blueberries and Rasberries 2 for $6.00 from Sidhu Farms
The Ballard Farmers Market also offers a specific area for artists of Seattle to display and sell their creations.
These artists mostly offer jewelry and other small handmade crafts. On this visit we had the opportunity to meet a few highlights and one in particular who we plan to revisit and interview in the coming weeks. Desiree, of Desiree's Folk Rag Dolls.
In addition to the delights of the market, there are lots of boutiques and stores to capture one's eye. A Farmers Market is a wonderful time to explore the surrounding area. Like the vendors who participate in the market the area restaurants and shops also put on their best in the hopes of partaking in the flow of commerce. In Ballard many of these are small businesses with local ownership.
So, we suggest you...eat, drink and be happy! Something we often take time to do! Lunch
The Other Coast Cafe, The Rajun Cajun, 2x $8.00
http://othercoastcafe.com/
Damasalfly
a small local boutique with very affordable pricing.
5346 Ballard Avenue Northwest
Seattle WA
Seattle WA
Necklace and earrings, $33.00
Red Jacket, $38.00
Red Jacket, $38.00
The Ballard Farmers Market is a wonderful opportunity meet face to face, the vendors and farmers that work hard to bring us healthy organic goods. The vendors are always willing to talk with customers which offers a chance to learn about the available healthy options. Visiting this Farmers Market also provides the occasion to walk around and enjoy a historic area of Seattle with a rich history of fishing and boat building largely influenced by it's Scandinavian emigrant population.
http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com
http://www.ballardhistory.org
