‘It’s time for a change:’ The Boise Farmers Market returns with a fresh start
April is here. Wildflowers are blooming, the Greenbelt is returning to its verdant summer uniform, and the Gem State’s farmers and makers are back in Boise with fresh food and familiar treats.
On Saturday, April 4, the Boise Farmers Market returned for its 14th season. The market centers on farmers, ranchers, and food producers from around Idaho, along with some vendors from nearby Oregon.
This is a big year for the market: The organization is preparing to leave its longtime staging area at 1500 Shoreline Drive this fall and relocate to the Idaho Botanical Garden on Old Penitentiary Road.
“It’s a time of change,” said Executive Director Amber Beierle. “This shift is important to us, because it allows us to finally take root. We’ll establish a permanent home where we no longer have to worry about being displaced or future development.”
Beierle said feeding food-insecure residents remains central to the market’s mission. The Double Up Food Bucks program for shoppers using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s EBT cards will return this year, offering up to a $20 match. The market also promised to provide 20 free grocery bags for those in need on opening day on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to providing one of the Treasure Valley’s most popular opportunities to shop locally, the market is teaming up with Boise State University’s Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program to offer hands-on science education programming for the whole family. The “Sprouts Kids Club” will teach market attendees ages 5 to 12 about the power of microbes and how fermentation can help chefs of all ages. Kids earn $2 in food tokens for completing activities which they can then spend on any participating vendors.
Returning vendors include Black Fox Farms, Fiddlers Green Farm, and Wilsey Ranch, alongside several new additions, Beierle said. Food vendors offer a range of options, including Japanese street food and Hungarian pastries.
“The best thing people can do to ensure our farmers, ranchers, and makers are taken care of is to shop local,” Beierle said. “There’s no better place to do that than at the Boise Farmers Market.”
The market is scheduled to be open every Saturday through October. Orders can also be placed in advance online on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.