Letter: Too many farmers markets in Tri-Cities
More than 30 years ago, Pasco started one of the first and largest farmers markets in Washington. I started selling at that market nine years ago. When the Richland market started, I went to that market as well, and then to Kennewick’s market, and so on. Currently I sell organic produce at five local farmers markets.
One of the main reasons to have these markets is to support local farmers, but the number of markets is working against the interest of farmers. The Tri-Cities has a finite number of people who visit these markets and the proliferation of these events has not commensurately increased sales. I now sell as much at my five markets to achieve the same income as I did when I only went to the Pasco and Richland markets.
The best example of the how there are too many markets is the recent establishment of a second farmers market in Pasco on the same day at the exact time of the state’s oldest farmers market. Now there are barely enough sales to support farmers of both markets.
Alan Schreiber, Pasco
This story was originally published July 4, 2016 at 4:12 AM with the headline "Letter: Too many farmers markets in Tri-Cities."