Vashon Island Growers Association- Farmers Market

To promote farming, access to healthy food, and a sustainable agricultural economy on Vashon Island through education, advocacy, and a vibrant farmers market. Vashon is successfully championing local growers and producers of healthy and nutritious food. The Saturday Market continues to expand along with members and supporters. The number of farmers and the amount of land being farmed is steadily increasing as are the number of food entrepreneurs attracted to this resource. Vashon grown and produced food has a respected reputation and market share throughout the region and contributes substantially to the local economy and a resilient regional food system. The Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) began in the 1980s with a few people who wanted to create on-island jobs in farming. They started a small Farmers Market near the current Post Office, and by 1990 had moved to the current site at the Village Green (although it was private property then) and built a small structure to house the Market. A small group of local growers continued selling into the 1990s, and craft vendors joined the effort and even managed the Market for a while. To help stabilize their efforts, the founding farmers decided to apply to become a member of Washington Tilth, a statewide organization promoting local, organic agriculture. A Mission Statement and bylaws were adopted and VIGA became an official Tilth chapter and a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. As an organization devoted to ‘supporting local agriculture through education and the Farmers Market,’ VIGA developed a strong educational program, the Get Growing series, which focused on assisting people to grow more food for their families as well as for the Market. Most significantly, more people are growing food on Vashon; there are now at least 12 farms represented at the Farmers Market and most host interns who help plan to become farmers themselves. Our Food Bank has not only a garden, but a flourishing farm supplying fresh produce to Food Bank customers as well as to other food banks in the South Seattle area. Home gardeners are adding edibles to their landscapes. We are all discovering the importance of locally and sustainably grown food here on our island.

Our Farmers Market not only creates opportunity for local and small business owners we also work closely with our partner programs Food Access Partnership, Get Growing & C.R.A.F.T. All of which create opportunity to access healthy food, learn to grow or produce it and create self sustaining educational material.