Opening set for May 3 at McCormick Park

It’s been said that if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. 

Laurie Gilbertson, market manager of the new Duvall Farmers Market, has refined time management to an art. Married for fourteen years to husband Erik, mother of three young sons who are all home-schooled, and proprietor of Trinity Farm Lavender, Laurie brings passion, efficiency and enthusiasm to her new job.

A small farm owner herself, and a vendor at several regional farmers markets, Laurie wondered why Duvall didn’t have its own market. Through referrals from the Chamber of Commerce, she assembled a dedicated group of citizens who shared her belief in the value of a local farmers market. After eight months of planning, the Duvall Farmers Market is set to make its debut on May 3 in the lower level of the McCormick Park parking lot. The market will operate every Wednesday from 3-7 p.m. through September 27.

As the primary sponsor of the market, the City of Duvall plays an important supporting role. The city has provided critical seed money, allowing the market to establish itself in time for the 2006 growing season. Mayor Will Ibershof and the City Council see the Farmers Market as a perfect fit with the city’s newly adopted Economic Development Plan.

The Washington Farmers Market Association observes that farmers markets are significant means to two social ends. “A farmers market, where a grower can sell directly to the consumer, is perhaps the small farmer’s best opportunity to profit from their land and efforts. And a farmers market, where consumers can talk directly to the grower, get the freshest produce possible, and experience the health-giving effects of that freshness, is the consumer’s best access to quality.”

The Duvall Farmers Market will also provide an outlet for local artists and crafters to sell their work directly to the public. Laurie says, “ Just like in centuries before all over the world, farmer and artisan will come together in Duvall to swap goods with each other, uniting together in one location to sell to the community where young and old alike can come face to face.”

Expect to find locally grown fruits and vegetables, honey, baked goods, juried arts and crafts, flowers, Kettle Korn, music and ready-to-eat food items such as Hermosa’s tamales, at the weekly market. Everyone will be welcome to dabble in chalk art along the sidewalk in front of the Depot. 

From mid-July through the end of August, market shoppers will be encouraged to walk down into McCormick Park to enjoy the Duvall Arts Commission’s free SummerStage concerts beginning at 6:30 p.m. Other weeks, local musicians will entertain shoppers with a variety of acoustic music in the marketplace.

The Duvall Farmers Market is soliciting applications from vendors. For complete information on 2006 Guidelines and Policies and Vendor Applications, visit www.cityofduvall.com/farmersmarket.html. Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks on market days. If you would like to get help, please call (425) 788-1185. Once the market opens in May, a weekly Fresh List will be available on the Web site or by calling (425) 788-1185, ext. 402.