Alamosa Farmers' Market begins this Saturday

ALAMOSA—The Alamosa Farmers’ Market again is welcoming locals and visitors to downtown Alamosa on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Sixth and State. The market begins this Saturday, July 14. The market has been given approval by the lot owners to remain on the corner lot site again for this season. 

The vendors will offer regional produce, eggs, meats, bath products, baked goods, jewelry, home decor, and other handcrafted goods each week. The items sold by vendors are grown, raised, or made in Colorado or a surrounding state. New vendors are accepted throughout the season and more information can be found at alamosafarmersmarket.org, on the market’s Facebook page, or by calling 719-480-4365.

The market will offer many opportunities to engage with the community each week.  Local and regional musicians will perform each week free of charge. Kicking off the season is a favorite of market customers, vendors, and staff: Randall Rahn! 

Weekly “Play with your Food” booth will offer free activities for kids to do crafts, learn more about farm related topics, and keep them busy while parents shop with our vendors.  This week the market will have a seed starting craft for the kids to take home with them and watch grow. 

There will also be adult educational demonstrations and non-profit booths on a regular basis covering topics such as bee keeping, vermiculture, and seed saving.

The market will be without the Mobile Kitchen (MOKI) this season but please stop by the Monte Vista Farmers’ Market on Fridays to see them in action cooking up samples using regional produce each week!

The market will continue to accept cash (please bring smaller bills for the convenience of the vendors), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps) and Double Up Food Bucks for all eligible customers.  The Alamosa Farmers’ Market is in its third year participating in the Double Up Food Buck program.  This grant-funded program allows us to give Snap qualified customers the ability to double their food bucks each week at the market.  Customers can bring their quest card to the market booth before they shop and the staff with get them started.  If they get $17 in SNAP vouchers, the market then also get $17 in Double Up Food bucks (the market will match up to $20 each market day).  Then customers can go to Snap approved vendors and use their benefits to purchase locally made and raised foods and also to any of our produce vendors to get fresh, local produce each week.  Customers can spend all their benefits that same day or bank them up and get more bang for their buck at a later date.  Double up Snap benefits can also be used at several other local retailers.  For more information, see https://doubleupcolorado.org/where-its-at/ .

The market will offer an on-site ATM for customers again this season. The Farmers’ Market booth is staffed each week to provide market specific information. For more information see www.alamosafarmersmarket.org, our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/alamosafarmersmarket), or call 719-480-4365.

Caption: Enjoy local produce at the Alamosa Farmers' Market each Saturday./Courtesy photo