Are you anxiously awaiting farmers market season? Good news, if you live in Weber County, the options to shop at a farmers market are growing.
Susan Crosthwait and her family advocate for healthy lifestyles. They decided to start a year-round farmers market after their oldest daughter fell ill. They tried different ways to improve her health and found eating organic foods helped the most. However, they soon discovered it can get extremely expensive. “This is why we’re here, is to bring down the cost of eating well,” Crosthwait says.
Susan Crosthwait and her family advocate for healthy lifestyles. They decided to start a year-round farmers market after their oldest daughter fell ill. They tried different ways to improve her health and found eating organic foods helped the most. However, they soon discovered it can get extremely expensive. “This is why we’re here, is to bring down the cost of eating well,” Crosthwait says.
Willard Peak Organic Market opened last October when the market received approval in Marriott-Slaterville. Since
then, the market moved to its Farr West location at 2687 N. 2000 W. It
is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
The market has one additional seasonal location at the Harrisville City Park at 1350 N. Hwy 89 on Thursdays from 5:30 - 8 p.m. (June 23 - October 13).
The market has one additional seasonal location at the Harrisville City Park at 1350 N. Hwy 89 on Thursdays from 5:30 - 8 p.m. (June 23 - October 13).
Crosthwait says they have educated their community to help them understand not everyone has a garden or access to the things they need to grow
one. They have given out seeds to farmers, and, in return, the farmers have brought produce to their
farmers market. So far they have received crops such as lettuce, dill, parsley and rhubarb.
The bulk of produce in the farmers market comes from Mexico
and California during the wintertime. Some of the produce comes from suppliers
in Salt Lake City and southern Utah. Starting in June, Crosthwait says they
will have more local produce such as strawberries, cherries and lettuce.
“We are a food desert,” she says. “We have low access to food here.” To help address this, the Crosthwaits participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program. Residents on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) can receive an additional $1 in produce for every $1 spent on local produce, seeds or food-bearing plants up to a total of $10 per week. They can use this benefit every week they go to the markets in Harrisville by using their SNAP (also food stamp, Horizon or EBT) card and receiving green tokens to purchase produce. Farmers Market Ogden also offers the same benefits for those closer to Downtown Ogden, which will run Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. during June 25 - September 17.
“We are a food desert,” she says. “We have low access to food here.” To help address this, the Crosthwaits participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program. Residents on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) can receive an additional $1 in produce for every $1 spent on local produce, seeds or food-bearing plants up to a total of $10 per week. They can use this benefit every week they go to the markets in Harrisville by using their SNAP (also food stamp, Horizon or EBT) card and receiving green tokens to purchase produce. Farmers Market Ogden also offers the same benefits for those closer to Downtown Ogden, which will run Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. during June 25 - September 17.
Crosthwait found the program on a Google search one day when researching food stamps and wanted to participate in Double Up Food Bucks because she saw the need in her community. She says the majority of students at a nearby school are on free lunches. “We’ve had those people in our hearts for a long, long time,” she says. "This will directly benefit children and families.”
Crosthwait says they are still working on bringing down the
cost of food because it isn’t quite where they would like it to be. “The cost
of organic is actually cheaper than conventional, but they have the mentality
that they need to charge more for it because people will pay for it, but that’s
not our mentality.”
According to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, there is a certification process that farmers must go through to be certified as an organic producer, including a three-year period during which the land cannot be treated with prohibited fertilizers and pesticides.
The hope of Willard Peak Organic Market is to educate the community more on
healthy living. Since there is low access to affordable healthy food for many
individuals in the community, Crosthwait believes their farmers market’s mission to bring
down costs of organic foods and allow individuals on food stamps to have the
opportunity to get fresh, local produce will help.
“The access to grocery stores is one to ten miles,
so what you’ll see is clusters of fast food restaurants in between the food
desert and the grocery store,” Crosthwait says. Instead of making dinner, individuals may choose
the fast food because it’s closer. Crosthwait feels that since their location
is directly before the fast-food restaurant that they are “strategically
located.”
She says, “You can heal yourself through food. Our food is
so polluted, and eating healthy can make you feel better.”
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