Summer market continues to bring food, arts and craft vendors to
residents
The 2008 Hollister Certified Farmers’ Market brought with it a
few changes that residents have surely noticed by now. Market
vendors include the same mix of fresh produce providers from in and
out of the county, but each week at least one arts and crafts
vendor sets up shop.
Summer market continues to bring food, arts and craft vendors to residents
The 2008 Hollister Certified Farmers’ Market brought with it a few changes that residents have surely noticed by now. Market vendors include the same mix of fresh produce providers from in and out of the county, but each week at least one arts and crafts vendor sets up shop.
“That seems to have been a positive thing,” said Sharlene Van Rooy, the market manager. “We’ve got three vendors. One called Squires sells metal artwork. Another one there this past week sells design stars.”
The one constant vendor is Costuras. They sell clothing from South America.
“As far as I’m concerned, I think it is a good thing for the market,” said Bonnie Swank, co-owner of Swank Farms and a member of the Farmers’ Market committee, of arts and crafts vendors. “The more people we get to fill up booths, it’s a good idea.”
The Swanks attend farmers’ markets throughout the Bay Area and Central Coast.
“They have a lot of craft areas and places that sell baked goods,” Swank said.
Just three weeks ago, they opened a second space in the baked good and prepared food section of the market outside the Briggs Building to sell homemade fudge.
The booths in the central area of the market must sell only produce they grow themselves in order for the market to keep their certification.
“The only reason we can sell our salsa at our booth is because we grow everything in it,” Swank said.
Though she does not work the booth in Hollister, she has stopped at the market a few times.
“The numbers have been good and I’ve been down there a few times and it seems like it is doing pretty good,” she said.
One way the committee members are looking at how they can improve the market is with a weekly poll. They have a booth set up near a baked goods vendor with canning jars and lima beans. Each week they have a question for visitors and they can answer by putting a lima bean in a jar that corresponds with their answer. The June 25 poll asked what items aren’t being sold that visitors would like to see. The answer options ranged from fish to homemade jams and jellies to honey.
Later in the summer, the market will be equipped to accept food stamps.
“We just heard from the state that they have ordered our wireless [point of sale] terminal,” Van Rooy said. “We are hoping by the end of July we will be able to accept food stamps at the market. We are getting [the terminal] at no cost to the state.”
Once staff and vendors are trained, Van Rooy said the equipment would be useable summer after summer. The way it will work is customers will check in with the POS and pay a certain amount, and then they will be given wooden tokens to give to vendors in exchange for food.
For now shoppers can choose from a variety of farmers’ booths including local producers Phil Foster Ranch, B&R Farms, Bill Jurevich, John Hain and Sons, and Paul Hamilton, as well as Swank Farms, and a variety of out-of-county producers. Food vendors this year include Mansmith’s Barbecue, Charlie’s Corn, Vertigo Coffee and Michelle’s Golden Brown Breads, among others.
“We just want to invite people to come out and enjoy the local market,” Swank said.
