Farmers' Market Opens for 10th Anniversary Year

SEELEY LAKE - This upcoming Sunday, the Seeley Lake Farmers' Market will have its first market of the summer from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 110 Larch Lane, across from Seeley Lake Elementary. It will continue every Sunday through the rest of the summer.

The market is in its 10th year of business. Organizers Vicki Voegelin and Karen Pratt said this year will include a food truck, the same great stands Seeley Lake residents are used to as well as new vendors and vendors who are returning after several years of absence.

As always, there will be local produce, baked goods, community non-profit booths and local crafters and artists at the market. Voegelin hopes to increase the diversity of available products as well and encouraged community members to sign up for the market if they were interested.

"Just because we have produce doesn't mean we can't have more," she said. "We're very open, welcoming, the more the merrier. I don't want people to feel like 'Oh, they don't need me.'"

The organizers and vendors both emphasized the importance of local food in their support of the market.

"A lot of people enjoy meeting the people that grow their food, it's a whole movement," Pratt said. "We thought we could bring that to Seeley."

Voegelin and Pratt both extolled the virtues of a smaller market that occurs on Sundays.

"[The vendors] really like it because of the shoppers, the community, the people here, because it was on grass, because it was small and not chaotic like some of the bigger markets and they've kind of formed their own little family or community around the market," Voegelin said.

A regular vendor Kelly Hoag sells baked goods in Seeley Lake. At larger markets, Hoag said, vendors must show up early and hope to get a spot but the market in Seeley is a reliable spot for her to sell her treats.

"It's a nice spot, it's convenient and most of all I have a loyal following there," Hoag said.

Chuad Johnson, of Johnson's Homegrown, the market's produce vendor said that both vendors and buyers have created a wonderful community surrounding the market.

"Seeley Lake embodies community. Everyone knows everyone. Locals come together to help one another out," Johnson said. "They appreciate our time and hard work by supporting us and we get to turn around and nourish a community while adding to the fun summer tourist feel that Seeley Lake has."