May 3 kicks off the 2008 season of the Redmond Saturday Market, the Eastside’s oldest — and many say “best” — farmers’ market.
On Leary Way, at the Northwest corner of Redmond Town Center, the market’s open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday through October and exclusively features grown-in-Washington or made-in-Washington products.
It’s more than fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers, although you’ll find plenty of those. You’ll also find meat and seafood, dairy products, baked goods, jams and jellies, arts and crafts, live entertainment and more. As a bonus, it’s a fun spot to “people-watch” and socialize.
“I’ve been shopping there ever since I moved to Redmond three years ago,” said Ellen Onashi of Ames Lake Herb Garden, a new vendor this year. “It’s so big, they have everything you want and we like to get our coffee, walk around and see our neighbors.”
Ames Lake Herb Garden isn’t open except by appointment, so coming to the market will give Onashi a chance to sell her dried and fresh lavender sachets and fresh herbs to a wider audience. For information, e-mail ellen@ameslakeherbgarden.com.
Also new at the market this year are Heart of Dreams Alpacas and Golden Glen Creamery.
“Our products are all alpaca-related,” explained Pam Wilmot of Heart of Dreams Alpacas.
They offer processed fiber ready for spinning, felting or weaving, as well as finished scarves, vests, socks, shawls and wall hangings. And Wilmot will demonstrate how to make felted soap and pet toys. For information, go to www.heartofdreamsalpacas.biz.
Golden Glen Creamery sells a wide variety of cheeses, cheese curds, butter and milk.
“Our products are all natural. We do not add any stabilizers or preservatives to any of our products,” said Brandy Jensen, president/chief operations officer. “We don’t add coloring to our cheese like most cheese that you see in supermarkets. Also, the products are local and made on a small family farm, where we do not use r-BST. Our milk is bottled in glass, instead of plastic or paper.”
The advantage of bringing their wares to venues like the Redmond Saturday Market is huge, Jensen noted.
“We make cheese all year round and without the markets, we couldn’t stay in business,” Jensen said. “We get a lot of repeat business during the rest of the year from people buying our products at other outlets due to seeing the products at the farmers’ markets.”
To learn more, visit www.goldenglencreamery.com.
All in all, there are more than 80 vendors at the Redmond Saturday Market, including master gardeners to answer plant questions.
For details, visit http://redmondsaturdaymarket.homestead.com, call (425) 556-0636 or e-mail redmondsaturdaymarket@verizon.net.
