One of the best things about Puyallup, its farmers market, is on the brink thanks to COVID
Area farmers rely on revenue from the Puyallup Farmers Market, but public health restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic have left the market fighting to stay afloat.
The coronavirus created a dilemma for the organizers of farmers market. Should they hold the open-air event, where a fraction of the vendors are now allowed and only a tenth of normal attendance shows up? Or should they cancel and see farmers waste their crops and make no money?
They decided to open, but it hasn’t been pretty, from a financial standpoint, for anyone.
“We are skating on thin ice,” said Patty Villa, who manages the farmers market for the nonprofit Puyallup Main Street Association.
Kamal Sidhu with Sidhu Farms said his business is almost entirely dependent on area farmers markets.
“Without the farmers markets, which are almost 100 percent of business, we were going to see drops in numbers. And (the markets and online sales) are what gets us throughout the whole year,” he said.
Re-inventing the farmers market
The Puyallup Main Street Association has sponsored Pierce County’s largest farmers market for more than 37 years. Before the coronavirus, the market would see up to 15,000 shoppers at Pioneer Park and Pavilion on a Saturday. From April to October, about 200 vendors would sell produce, handmade goods and flowers while bands performed.
“It’s like a festival every Saturday,” Villa said.
This year, Villa had to re-invent everything. The market now is at the South Hill mall parking lot, with only about 60 vendors, and limited attendance of 250 shoppers at a time with required masks.
“We’ve seen a huge drop in the number of vendors selling and the number of shoppers shopping. That automatically means a drop in revenues generated,” Villa said.
The nonprofit gets a portion of sale, which account for 40 percent of its annual revenue, said Kerry Yanasak, executive director of the Puyallup Main Street Association.
“We’ve taken a huge financial hit —a huge financial hit —to hold this event,” Villa said.
Yanasak said they are “keeping all their options open” and considering staggered furloughs at the nonprofit to ensure there is enough money to start the farmers market next year.
Organizers across the state are under enormous stress to create farmers markets that comply with public health standards while taking a reduced revenue, said Colleen Donovan, executive director of the Washington State Farmers Market Association.
Donovan said it’s been a testament to their resilience. As for next year, there is worry.
“That’s very much contingent on what kind of support they get this year to make sure they end the year strong and can pay their bills,” Donovan said. “There is a real concern that without support, farmers market organizations would have a tough time enduring this year.”
The farmers
There also is concern for farmers.
“These people have a crop that is perishable,” Yanasak said. “It has to be harvested or it will rot in the field.”
Many have adjusted to the pandemic by moving sales online or relying on loyal customers.
Some farmers like Sidhu relied almost exclusively on market sales to survive. The family farm in the Orting/Puyallup valley primarily yields blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, Marionberries and boysenberries.
“Realistically, it’s bad,” he said.
When farmers markets across the state began postponing or canceling for the year, Sidhu said he started looking at alternative ways to get berries to consumers. The farm now sells frozen berries online, delivering in the Puyallup area by Prius.
Sidhu said he also is going to markets across the area. There are fewer sales, but he is glad to at least have the opportunity to sell.
Tim Chacon at Legends’ Harvest grows vegetables. His family farm took a three-week hit in potential sales, but he feels the business has rebounded with a loyal customer base and the revenue from the Puyallup Farmers Market.
If the Puyallup market doesn’t return next year, it would be hard for Legends’ Harvest.
“That’s the majority of our business and would put our farm in jeopardy,” he said.
Some farmers haven’t been as impacted. Kevin Ball considers himself lucky.
The co-owner of Yakima Grass Fed Angus said the meat-supply shortage has benefited his farm. He has a waiting list of customers for his steaks, ground beef and bulk orders. At the Puyallup Farmers Market, he said, there are fewer shoppers but more willing to order.
Villa hopes that as Pierce County progresses in the Safe Start phases, more vendors will be allowed to set up shop, bringing a higher return for the Puyallup Main Street Association.
The Washington State Farmers Market Association is reaching out to policymakers to provide funding for market organizers, Donovan said.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
