The sun shines brightly on a warm Saturday morning in downtown Bellingham as upwards of 120 vendors set up their booths and gear up for a busy and bustling day – it’s officially farmers market season once again.
Birds are chirping and the smell of fresh produce fills the air as community members marvel in wonder at the fun products local vendors have to offer. The Bellingham Farmers Market, which runs every Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. until December, is a place for family and community to come together.
Although the Bellingham Farmers Market has been a big part of the community for more than 30 years, the market has taken many different forms since the 1970s.
The market initially started in a gravel lot and is now located at 1100 Railroad Ave. In 2006, volunteers and community leaders raised funds to construct the Depot Market Square building, Chloe Knox, director of the farmers market, explained.
“We're giving folks a place to sell their goods and connect directly with the customer,” Knox said.
The Bellingham Farmers market hosts a variety of local small businesses – from fiber art to fresh flower bouquets, there’s a little something for everybody.
Bow Hill Blueberries
One of the family-owned businesses that participates in the Bellingham Farmers Market is Bow Hill Blueberries. Bow Hill Blueberries is a 6-acre organic blueberry farm located in Skagit Valley that grows four different varieties of blueberries.
“We’re very excited to be back at the Bellingham Farmers Market after a short break,” said co-owner of Bow Hill Blueberries, Audrey Matheson.
Bow Hill Blueberries was involved in the Bellingham Farmers Market for a bit in 2020, but had to reevaluate their availability to do markets due to a small structure fire on the farm and the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re now back for the season and looking forward to lots of great markets, Matheson explained.
Although prime blueberry season for the Bow Hill Blueberry folks runs from mid-July to the end of September, according to Matheson, they offer a variety of blueberry products year-round, both at farmers markets and at their farm store.
“Our star product is probably our 100% organic cold-pressed blueberry juice,” Matheson said, “We also have dried blueberries, blueberry jam, blueberry marinade and our pickled blueberries.”
Bow Hill Blueberries also collaborates with many local businesses to make an assortment of unique products.
“Lopez Island takes our blueberries and makes ice cream and sorbet for our farm store, and we have a local popsicle maker that makes blueberry creamsicles and other dairy-free options for us,” Matheson explained.
The Importance
However, farmers markets aren't just a feast for the senses; they’re also very important to the local economy, according to farmer-turned-professor Arthur Sherwood.
“Markets are important because for some folks, it’s their primary way of making money and of making a living for themselves,” Sherwood explained. “Even if it’s not the primary outlet for a grower, they can be an essential safety net to bring in some cash that they might not otherwise be able to get.”
When he thinks about the Bellingham Farmers market, Sherwood thinks of fresh food and community support.
Before becoming the David Cole Professor of Entrepreneurship, Professor Arthur Sherwood was a full-time professor and full-time farmer in Indiana for six years.
His farm, Life Certified Organic Farm, sold fresh vegetables, fresh herbs and plant starts. During his time in the food world, he worked with retail food cooperatives all over North America and sold produce at multiple farmers markets in Indiana.
“Our markets always had lots of activities going on, but my biggest memories were when we started to figure out how to connect with our customers and connect our customers to our food,” Sherwood reminisced.
However, if someone is interested in agriculture or trying to build a business empire, there are a few vital skills necessary.
“It’s all about understanding the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that it takes to thrive in an environment where you are assessing risk and opportunity in order to be able to build something that is uniquely yours,” Lara Merriam-Smith, interim director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, explained.
Merriam-Smith, who has been involved with the E&I program since the fall of 2024, has helped a number of students gain inspiration and go on to build their own successful businesses.
Many small businesses or businesses in their beginning stages – like those launched in programs like E&I – often don’t have storefronts or the resources for traditional advertising.
Because of that, a farmers market can be a vital first step, offering entrepreneurs and business owners a lower-cost way to directly acquaint potential customers with their products.
Farmers markets are great places for businesses to find their customers and to find an audience in general, Merriam-Smith said.
With over 100 vendors at the Bellingham Farmers Market, there are hundreds of uncommon commodities that Whatcom County community members can look forward to seeing every week.
“The market offers all sorts of opportunities for people to engage in a really robust microeconomy inside the county,” Sherwood said.
Ryann Smith (she/her) is a city life reporter for The Front. She is a junior pursuing a major in public relations journalism with a minor in anthropology. In her free time, she is usually found reading at Boulevard Park or trying new ice cream flavors at Mallard. You can reach her at ryannsmith.thefront@gmail.com.
