Back to the Beginning:
Celebrating Long-Time Vendors
The markets wouldn’t be what they are today without the farmers and vendors who are at the core of everything we do. Seventeen local produce farmers were on site on opening day in 1993…and 600 shoppers. It was a small (but strong) beginning for NFM, which currently supports 7 markets (3 of which go year-round), and some of those vendors remain staples of our markets today, 30 years later! Thank you to all the farmers and vendors who have been a part of our mission since day one:
Seven generations of the Holmquist family have been growing and processing Hazelnuts in Lynden Washington since the 1920s. Over one hundred years of innovation and hard work go into the production and cultivation of their locally grown, farm-fresh hazelnuts!
Rockridge Orchards & Cidery is owned and operated by Jason Devela and Misty Frantz. The Orchard is a family story. Jason’s uncle and aunt, Wade and Judy Bennett, have been farmers in the community for more than 30 years! They even helped start the very first Seattle Neighborhood farmers market way back in 1993.
Steve and Susan Schuh started farming in 1963. They still work at the farm along with their daughter Jennifer and her children. They farm 100 acres of fresh berries, including strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, marionberries, boysenberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Tonnemaker Family Orchard – 1993
The Tonnemaker family has a long history of farming in Washington state. Today, this family operation grows more than 400 varieties of Certified Organic fruit and vegetables on their 126-acre orchard in Royal City and on 16-acres in Woodinville. You can find members of the Tonnemaker family and their produce in markets across Washington and at their farm stand in Woodinville
Woodring got their name from Woodring Canyon in the small town of Cashmere, Washington where they started out, pressing fresh cider from apples grown in their orchards. In 1985 they started selling their products in Pike Place Market, where they still run a stand daily. They’re a husband-and-wife team that develops and makes everything they sell, and their college-age children help out with production, deliveries, and working at the local farmers markets.
Alvarez Organic Farms has been in the agriculture business for over 30 years. Sustainable agriculture is one thing that the Alvarez Family has embedded into their farming tradition. Alvarez Organic Farms heavily promotes biodiversity by specializing in over 200 varieties of peppers and 300 different varieties of vegetables.
Blong’s Garden was founded by the couple Blong and Chor in 1994. They and their families came to America in the 80s as Hmong refugees, bringing with them many applicable skills to farming. For over 20 years, Blong’s Garden has been a longtime vendor of NFM, selling fresh flowers, vegetables, and herbs to their local communities.
After the Vietnam War, many Hmong civilians camping in Thailand were able to immigrate into the US, where they began starting their new lives. Blia came in the late 70’s, and Lee followed in the mid 80’s. Lee Lor Garden is a small family business that sells flowers until they are able to transplant their vegetables out to the field for early summer picking.
Martin Family Orchards was born in 1985, when Rick and Terri Martin bought a 4-acre piece of land in Cashmere, Washington. It is their goal to produce the highest quality, tree-ripened fruit, the people of Washington have ever tasted!
Grouse Mountain Farm is a small, diversified organic farm in the Lake Chelan valley. Michael and Liz have been bringing precious and unusual varieties of cherries, mulberries, currants, gooseberries and more to the University District Farmers Market since 1995 and developed deep relationships with shoppers and fellow farmers.
When Youa Her Lor immigrated from Laos, he decided to pursue a career in farming based on his family’s long agricultural background. The farm is located on a former dairy farm, near a river that often floods, which means the soil is very fertile for flowers and vegetable crops.
Yang Lor’s parents started to farm in 1995. Small River Farm is a family business located in Monroe. They have been growing flowers for many years now. They grow all different types of flowers during the season, and even sell dried flowers in the winter!
Xai Cha and her husband Kher arrived in Seattle as refugee immigrants from Laos in 1979. In Laos, they grew garden vegetables to feed their family and young children. In the Northwest, they translated what they knew and began their farm in 1995. Today, they provide cut flowers and vegetables to Seattle residents and are known for their heirloom tomatoes.