Fresh Connections – The Parfitt Way Blog

A unique time of year is upon us, when the earth’s soil thaws and new life sprouts from the fertile soil; birds chirp all day long beneath the shady trees while the sun moves slowly across the sky; it’s not only light enough, but also warm and dry enough to enjoy dinner and wine on the porch with family and friends. Spring means abundance, spring means life, spring means the opening of the summer farmers’ markets! So, next time you plan a sunset dinner on the front lawn, consider the nutrient-rich, homegrown, made-with-love goods that you can find not only on the island but on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Local farmers and venders producing such specialties as handmade clothing, kombucha, wine, chocolate, and oils didn’t stop when last year’s farmers markets did. While winter harvests have been sold in CSA boxes and at grocery stores, the most exciting part of the year, not only for farmers, but for consumers, too, will begin on Saturday, April 11, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, at the opening of the 2015 summer Bainbridge Island Farmers’ Market at the Town Square/City Hall.

With more than 40 venders offering fresh produce, delicious specialty foods, vibrant flowers and plants, crafts, desserts, and much more beneath what we can hope will be bright blue skies, your Saturdays are about to get a little healthier and more full of community fun! Trade your car for a long walk, near or far, across the beautiful island with a few bags, an empty stomach, and plenty of time to spend getting to know your neighbors, venders, farmers, and listen to the rotating live band while eating lunch on the warm, grassy lawn.

Local food venders featured at the Bainbridge Island Summer Farmers’ Market include but are not limited toe: B.I. Barbeque, Clara’s Wok, Rolling Bagels, Psychedeli, Bainbridge Vineyards, and Emmy’s Veggie House, as well as the abundance of samples from venders such as Iggy’s Foods, peddling the most delicious fermented health food this side of the Sound, as well as Mt. Townsend Creamery, F/V Ocean tuna, artisan peanut butter from Jammin PB, and many more. Crafters such as Gayle Bair Pottery, OHO Clothing & Accessories, Bapa Toms Metal Works, Laura’s Knitting Loft, Fern & Folly, Kuy Glass, and Wood Turning by Design offer a wide variety of goods, from pottery to fibers and blown glass.

Farmers—the reason for the season—present at the farmers’ market include: Bainbridge Island Farms, Butler Green Organics, Central Valley Nursery, Farmhouse Organics, Holly Lane Gardens, Laughing Crow Farm, Leapfrog Farm & Medical Intuitive Massage, Paulson Farms, Persephone Farm, Sol Farm, Sundown Ridge Farm, Sweetlife Farm, Tani Creek Farm, and Terra Bella Farms.

The opening of the island market will be closely followed by the following Kitsap Peninsula Markets that will have you covered from Tuesday to Saturday every week:

• Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Saturdays: opens April 4, from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Poulsbo Farmers’ Market Saturdays: opens April 4, from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Silverdale Famers’ Market Tuesdays: opens April 28, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

• Kingston Farmers’ Market Saturdays: opens May 2, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Bremerton Farmers’ Market Thursdays: opens May 7, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM

• Bremerton Farmers’ Market Sundays: opens May 24, from 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Contributed by Christine St.Pierre