University Disctrict Farmer's Market: River Farm Organic Produce

River Farm Organic Produce

I noticed this bright green sign with yellow lettering displaying the name of the stand ‘River Farm Organic Produce,’ and it’s location, Ellensburg, WA. Being from Yakima, I know exactly where to ‘Rodeo City’ of Washington, Ellensburg, is located. I felt a sort of personal tie to this farm from eastern Washington and so immediately walked up to the vendor.

Towards the back of the stand was a middle aged women and an elderly man. I began by asking the woman questions, but she quickly made way for the elderly man who had been apparently the one to ‘start it all.’

The man had purchased a farm in Ellensburg about 30 years ago. At first, he mentioned he wasn’t doing very much with the land. After a while, he began by growing melons. Yet, attempt at selling the melons failed as he mentioned that there was no real demand for locally grown produce as belief was that ‘…the best food was the cheapest food.’ The man moved with his family to California, but soon moved back after noting that the renters at the farm had been trashing the place.

According to the man, at about 1990 awareness for local food products began to pick up, so the man and his family decided to try growing their own food for sale once more. In 1993, when the U-District Farmer’s Market opened, the man's stand was one of the first along with about four or five other vendors.

This mans motivation in continuing to grow his own food is to show people that there are better foods available then those for which they have seen and have been told about. Melons will be back in late spring!!!