1. Idaho farmers markets detail

BOISE — Kerigan Morris found what she was looking for Aug. 12 at the Boise Farmers Market: tomatoes, potatoes and corn, all fresh.

“I just love them for Sunday dinner — or any dinner,” the Meridian resident said.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little declared August to be Farmers Market Month. More than 55 markets operate in the state.

At the downtown Boise market Aug. 12, supplies of the raw milk and yogurt that Wild Spaces Farm owner Wilder Jones brought from his Glenns Ferry micro dairy sold out in an hour and a half.

More customers are “going grocery shopping,” buying higher percentages of their food at farmers markets, Jones said.

One Wild Spaces customer said his household now buys all of its perishables from farmers markets.

King’s Crown Organic Farm, based near King Hill, is having its best year ever in unit sales, farmer Nate Muilman said. The business participates in farmers markets in Boise and the Sun Valley area.

Organic fruit and vegetables traditionally fetch a premium. Now they may sell for less than non-organics given the recently high cost of inputs such as fertilizers and chemicals, Muilman said.

“Big ag got so expensive,” Buhl farmer Tim Cornie said.

Small farms, often well represented at farmers markets, offer a lower barrier to entry in terms of cost and can provide opportunities for young, aspiring producers, Cornie said.

“It’s nice to see youth in ag,” he said.

Farmers markets increase access to high-quality, locally produced foods and food products, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

The markets “bring great value to communities across the state by preserving Idaho’s agricultural heritage, contributing to local economies and supporting healthy communities,” Erica White, who manages the department’s Idaho Preferred local food program, said in a department news release.

Strong demand for local food is helping farmers markets grow in size and popularity across the state, she said.

The markets help to educate consumers about the source of their food, and local food systems, White said. And they play a vital role in the local food supply chain.

“We are proud of our farmers markets across Idaho, all in their own way providing space for local food commerce while also fostering a stronger connection to our food sources,” Dawn Larzelier, Idaho Preferred marketing analyst, said in the release.

Morris, the Boise Farmers Market customer, likely will be back.

“Things taste better when they are homegrown,” she said.