The Pagosa Springs Farmers Market, 2008
Bill Hudson, Pagosa Daily Post

I’ve been watching as the Pagosa Springs Farmers Market has slowly grown, over the summer, from a handful of vendors to over a dozen, and we enjoy the social, community feeling of meeting friends and discussing the past week's events (while casually inspecting each other's food choices.)

Last week, the event had grown to 15 vendors, hawking a range of foods and goodies including baked goods, locally and Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables, locally-made herbal teas and remedies, still-steaming tamales, grass-feed lamb and beef, fresh cut flowers and more. Continued... The Market started out last year as a project spearheaded by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Jo Coulehan — and was held on Sundays.  As Coulehan explained it, she'd wanted to avoid competition with the Durango Farmers Market — held on Saturdays — and had hoped some of the Durango market's vendors would choose to attend Pagosa's market the following day.

This year, the coordination of the event was taken over by the non-profit group, Southwest Organization for Sustainability — better known as SOS — as part of their mission to promote a sustainable lifestyle for Archuleta County.  The market was relocated to the heart of downtown, and moved to Friday afternoon, with the idea of catching the eye of travelers on their way through town.  The volunteer organizers obtained some funding through the Town Tourism Committee's special events program, and posted small but colorful banners along Main Street. Continued... The market is still experiencing its minor growing pains.  Coulehan, who is still involved in a more auxiliary role this year, said that she was pleased to have a couple of vendors from the Palisade, Colorado area participating, because of that area's longer growing season — and the resulting wider range of produce available.

"People come to the market expecting to find tomatoes and other crops that come much later in the season here in Pagosa," Coulehan explained.  I have, indeed, noticed that the Pagosa vendors at the market have focused mainly on greens — and that they often bring a much smaller supply than the two Palisade vendors, though the locals' prices are sometimes lower.

Kathy Keyes, the owner of Pagosa Baking Company, which offers its baked goods every Friday, agreed with Coulehan.  "People have the impression that we are going to have tomatoes already starting in June, and it's an educational process — we're at 7,000 feet."  Continued... "It's a labor of love to do the Farmers Market," said Keyes. "But it's fun, you know; it's a community thing.  We really want to be supportive of that.

"The vendors are all wonderful.  After it's all over with, and we're closing up, we're walking around and seeing how everyone did, and trading whatever we have left over.  That's an important part of community for the vendors.

"Last year, they got a Palisade vendor early on in the season, and I think that made a big difference.  People come here for tomatoes; they want tomatoes, and i can't blame them.  That's what I want in the summer.  It's a learning process; I think SOS is doing a great job, and every year it will get a little better, as we learn what to tweak and improve."

The Pagosa Springs Farmers Market opens its tents every Friday at 4:00pm, through September 26.  See you there!

Welcome to Pagosa Baking Company... Pagosa Springs, Colorado's downtown bakery, offering fresh breads, delightful pastries, pies, cakes, cookies and more.

We also serve BREAKFAST and LUNCH seven days a week; come by for a great Breakfast Burrito or Panini Sandwich! You can also browse our select merchandise, such as imported olive oils, organic fair trade coffee, cheeses, and out-of-this-world locally-made pestos and spreads from Enchanted Valley Farm.

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