National Farmers Market Week runs through August 9. Begun as a simple USDA proclamation 26 years ago, the annual celebration highlights the vital role farmers markets play in our nation’s ecosystem.
According to the Farmers Market Coalition, last year FMC collaborated with members of congress to pass the first-ever bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Resolution recognizing National Farmers Market Week, with 23 senate and 8 house cosponsors.
In 1970, there were only an estimated 340 farmers markets in the country. In 2024, USDA statistical information reported over 8,700 farmers markets in the U.S., where some 40,000 farmers sell their products. A recent Walmart study found that there are more farmers markets than the 5,206 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the US.
Not surprisingly, food is not the only draw at the markets. In a survey by the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development published in January of this year, Americans go to farmers markets for “fresh” and “high quality food”, and “to support local farmers, and do something fun.”
In Montana, the popular markets begin showing up in May, as early bloomers like broccoli, cabbage, microgreens, and onions begin to show up. In July and August, the bounty increases to include fruits like apricots, cantaloupe and cherries and strawberries. By September, apples, beans, brussel sprouts and squash are showing up.
In the Billings area, the Yellowstone Valley Farmer’s Market has grown for 40 years to a sprawling, multi-block event for four hours every Saturday morning, rain or shine, through October 4th. We featured a couple of Montana’s home grown gardeners when the market opened July 19th.
Another farmers market opportunity in Billings is a few blocks down 27th Street on Thursday afternoons.
Healthy by Design Gardener’s Market runs from 4pm to 6pm, and features some 15-20 vendors, including some familiar faces from YVFM, including Clint King of King Family Farms.
“On the garden end of it, what, 2009, 2010, we started it - our son actually started it, and we lost him in an automobile accident in 2017, so Grammy and I just kept going on it, and here we are.”
King says he’s built up quite a following by showing up regularly.
“The middle of May until the middle of October, my phone’s ringing all the time ‘Do you have this, do you have that?’ ‘No no, and they’ve been in there for years.”
Microgreens are another crop sprouting at the farmers markets with more frequency. Bobbi Rush, owner of Tiny Forest Microgreens, started the business after a family project for the kids became much more interesting than she had expected.
"We ate them ourselves and then decided that we could sell these and share them with the community. That was in 2021. …Have you been fairly successful?...We’re in two Albertson’s stores, we’re in Town & Country, we provide to the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub, some restaurants, and down here at the Gardener’s Market.”
A recent development in farmers markets has been the acceleration of payment conveniences. While cash remains the preference for most farmers market transactions, digital transactions, including systems like credit cards and Venmo, are increasingly used. Another form of payment, government SNAP benefits, encourage many with limited access to purchase fresh foods and prepare healthier meals. The Gardener’s Market sponsor, Healthy by Design, is a community-health coalition created by leaders at Billings Clinic, Intermountain Health, and RiverStone Health.
Amanda Zimmerman-Murter is Program Coordinator with Healthy By Design.
”To help with that accessibility piece, we accept SNAP cards. We can run those for SNAP clients. We also work with WIC so that vendors are trained and access WIC. We’re able to get vendors in touch with the Senior Farmers Markets Coupon partners so they accept those as well - all our vendors do. And we also do credit cards, debit cards and cash, of course. So a lot of variety of payments to increase that accessibility of produce.”
As we left the Gardeners Market in Billings, we stopped at Joseph Hartzfeld’s small card table setup. Hartzfeld features a special coffee blend of his own creation, and his special flavored croutons. Like King’s Family Markets, Hartzfeld also vends at another popular Montana farmers market.
“They’re full of flavor, and they don’t use soil, and they’re low in salt…I think I’m going to try one here. Wow. That’s excellent. You make these fresh every week?...I do…Is this the only market …No, I do Red Lodge on Saturday mornings and here on Thursday afternoons.”
The website for Abundant Montana, a commercial organization that exists as the “to go-to resource for local food in Montana”, lists over 80 farmers markets spread across Montana. They generally run across the late spring, early autumn season, some on weekdays and many over the weekend. The markets also give Monatanas an opportunity to locate, patronize and support the state's numerous small farmers, conventional and organic.
In Billings, I’m Karl Lengel.
