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Spring is in the air! The trees are starting to bloom, the flowers are poking up from the soil. Also, the winds are howling, and allergies are peaking. And if you’re looking for any other telltale annual sign that the seasons are changing, you should note that the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market is opening back up this coming Saturday, April 5 in Robinson Park.
Every year the Downtown Growers Market offers health-minded, environment-conscious shoppers access to local produce, fresh food, art, music and community. The Market first put up its tents in 1996 and has been a staple of the Downtown Albuquerque scene ever since. According to Market Manager LeVar Eady, the market was founded by a small group of local farmers. Its purpose was to give growers “the opportunity to sell their produce and connect with the community.” This allowed those Albuquerque-area farmers “to feed the community fresh farm food that was nutritious.”
Nowadays, more than 166 vendors call the Downtown Growers Market home each year. Eady says the market remains “farmer focused,” but has added a wealth of prepared foods over the years – “anything from crepes to fresh bread” as well as arts and crafts, “portraits, paintings, art of all types,” and an array of health and wellness products.
This year marks Eady’s second year working with the market, helping bring “the farm to the city” as their motto says. The Market is now a program of the Downtown ABQ Mainstreet Arts & Culture District, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to “promote and support Downtown Albuquerque’s economic, social and creative vitality through community-driven projects and programs.” The Market runs 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday from April through November. This year, Downtown Growers is stretching out the season, opening a week earlier on April 5 and closing a week later on Nov. 8.
Admittedly, the fresh produce selection will be slim this early in the year. “Some farmers do come later in the season,” promises Eady. But there’s plenty more to be had at the market. “You will always find yoga every Saturday, plus music – a band or DJs. Sometimes they have nonprofits – Learners Chess Academy shows up and teaches kids how to play chess. We have buskers doing different forms of art, like the balloon guy. There’s always bakers and artisans.” In addition, organizers are lining up a series of workshops throughout the summer that will teach patrons about soil heath, composting and other grow-at-home concerns.
This year the Downtown Market is also incorporating a Kids’ Market. This will allow young entrepreneurs, ages 6 to 17, to set up shop in the “Budding Business Zone” selling items they have invented, made or recreated.
All in all, this year promises “more people, more opportunities” as Eady puts it. “We’re a rain or shine market.” So you can expect vendors each and every weekend, no matter the weather. Last year the Market hosted its first-ever Shop & Taste event, inspired by the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association. It will return to the schedule sometime this year. Along with loads of free samples and product tastings, this event features live cooking demonstrations. Shoppers will then be able to purchase a recipe along with a bag filled with the complete ingredients. Eady even promises a “gala at the end of the year on November 15, celebrating the season.”
In addition to giving local farmers and producers a place to sell their products, the Downtown Growers Market provides “opportunities through marketing. We work with SNAP to increase farmers’ revenue. Statistically, there is a 9 percent increase [in sales] for farmers who are on or use SNAP.” It’s great for consumers as well, as the Downtown Growers Market doubles EBT/SNAP benefits. Over the years, the market has also been instrumental in helping food producers grow (in more ways than one) by providing micro-loan opportunities. As Eady puts it, the Market is actively “working with lending institutions to provide micro-loans for farmers. This applies to our vendors as well.” This allows businesses at the Growers Market to expand their farms, increase their crops and to think about how packaging and marketing can impact sales.
For a complete list of this year’s vendors and a map of the Market’s layout every week, go to downtowngrowers.org.
“We are a nonprofit with a small but mighty team,” points out Eady. “We are always looking for donations and fundraising opportunities. If anyone is interested in supporting the Market in that way, there’s a donation link on our website that will let you know about different sponsorship opportunities.”
Although this year’s vendor schedule is full-up, there are still opportunities for junior entrepreneurs interested in the Kids’ Market to fill out an application. You can head to the website and find a section dedicated to that as well.
Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market
Robinson Park
Eighth St. and Central Ave.
Saturday, April 5
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
No entrance fee