The Willits, California Farmers Market

Every Thursday our town has an event worth visiting. From 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm once a week there is music, food, crafts and camaraderie. From May to October the Willits Farmers Market is held in City Park (officially, Bud Hanford Park) across Commercial St. from Willits City Hall and the Willits Community Center. From November to April the market moves indoors. This month it is being held at the Little Lake Grange at 291 School Street in Willits. On April 2 there were 19 vendors selling a variety of produce and products to the sound of a live band.

If you are looking for food to feed the hungry belly, you will find fresh made soups; breads and pastries; and pies (whole or by the slice). A dried fruit vendor (with a large selection of apricots, peaches, various raisins, and more) also has fresh citrus fruit available this season. Several vendors have clothing and knitted items. One local honey producer offers their product while a locally produced goat cheese and locally produced olive oil is also offered. Beef, grown locally, can be purchased in frozen packs and fish caught in the local waters are available as well. Several farmers bring their fresh produce (more will show up as the season advances and more harvest is ready for sale).

Holly Madrigal, a member of the Willits City Council, holds 'office hours' at the Farmer's Market to be certain that citizens can let her know what is on their mind.

One of the new things this year is Mendo Food Futures. This project of North Coast Opportunities (through their local project Willits Action Group) supported by Willits Economic Localization is providing bulk organic grains and dried beans for sale. They offer small packages (3 to 8 lbs) at a retail price, and they offer larger packages at the best price. If you purchase the Mendo Credits ($10 per credit) they can be used to purchase the rice, brown rice, triticale, and pinto beans in bulk at prices guaranteed for a year from the issue date of the Mendo Credits. The issues I have in my pocket will purchase for you 11 lbs of rice, brown rice, or pinto beans at $0.91/lb while the triticale comes in 17 lb units for $0.61/lb. Food safe storage buckets can be purchased for $14 for easy access and long term storage.

To encourage the use of Mendo Credits as a form of local currency, they can be purchased at a number of places around town including Leaves of Grass Bookstore, the Book Juggler, the Bank of Willits, Mendonesia Café, and the Mendo Food Futures table at the Farmer's Market. Many of the vendors at the Farmer's Market will accept Mendo Credits for their product and several stores around town are starting to do the same (such as Mendonesia and Burrito Exquisito).

In addition to the Mendo Credits, Mendo Food Futures also has a Food Stamp scanner at their table to encourage those on food stamps to purchase healthy food. They will scan your food stamp card and provide you with wooden tokens that you can pay to food vendors at the Farmers Market. The vendors trade the tokens back to Mendo Food Futures at day's end to get their money.

Starting in May the Farmers Market will go back outdoors to the City Park. The number of vendors will increase as the weather improves and the harvest becomes available. Either indoors or in the shade of the parks trees the Farmers Market is not only a place for shopping, it is also a place to meet your neighbors and enjoy the conviviality of Willits. The music is always fun and smiles are everywhere. Children are always welcome and leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor setting. Make it a weekly tradition and put a smile on your face each Thursday!

Sources: Visits to the Farmers Market almost weekly, interviews with Holly Madrigal, Mendo Food Futures and other regular vendors.