By Ruthanne Johnson
MONTE VISTA— About 75 people stopped by to check out the Monte Vista Farmer’s Market, which kicked off its summer season on Friday, July13. Highlighting locally produced fruits and vegetables, handcrafted items and fresh food plates whipped up by Liza Marron with the Healthy Habits Mobile Kitchen (MOKI), this year marks the sixth season for the market.
Local resident Deanne Elliot started the market in 2013 as a way of connecting residents to locally produced foods and handcrafted items. “Agriculture is the main basis for our economy yet so much of our food comes from other places,” said Elliot. “I have always liked farmer’s markets and thought it could be fun and really good for the community.”
About 10 vendors made an appearance on Friday, which seems like an increase since last year, Elliot said. “The number of vendors usually increases over the summer, and the most we had last year was 14.”
Friday’s vendors sold everything from garden-grown garlic, sweet peas and squash to handmade goat’s milk lotion, chocolate chip cookies, fudge, tortillas, jewelry and one-of-a-kind metal art. The Monte Vista Community Garden offered potted aloe plants for a great price as well as squash, not-so-straight (but delicious) carrots, chard, kale, spinach and hot yellow peppers.
For corn and peach lovers, there was Olathe corn and Palisade peaches. For cherry enthusiasts, there were certified organic Bing cherries.
Marron at the MOKI booth made pesto on site with local ingredients as part of a cooking demonstration. She also offered cold water infused with fresh ingredients such as mint (from Marron’s backyard garden) and raspberries. The basil and raspberries were from Crestone, said Marron. The clover honey came from Saguache. And the sage whole wheat bread was from the Sage Bakehouse in Santa Fe, NM. Even the parmesan cheese was local, made with TLC at the Laz Ewe 2 Bar Goat Dairy in Del Norte.  
MOKI offered free tastings, cards with the basil pesto recipe and $5 plates of pasta gently tossed with the fresh pesto.
The Cooking Matters in the San Luis Valley, which covers a broad spectrum of programs that includes connecting residents with locally produced food and free courses on healthy eating, cooking and food-budgeting classes had a booth as well.
For folks on Colorado’s SNAP of Double Up Food Bucks food-assistance programs, the farmers market is especially beneficial, said Cooking Matters program coordinator Marlayna Martinez. “For every dollar SNAP participants spend at the farmers market on Colorado-grown fruits and veggies, they get another dollar from us to spend at the market, up to $20 per visit.”
Cooking Matters has big promotion on Aug. 10 at the farmers market that includes a giveaway of $10 in spending money for every person who stops at their booth and goes on a farmers market tour. “We’re giving out market bucks to use here at the farmer’s market for everyone who does the tour, which usually takes about 20 minutes,” Martinez said. In 2017, about 50 people took the tour to tune of about $500 in spending money.
As for Elliot, she’s pleased with how the farmers market has progressed over the years, but she’s hopeful it will continue to grow. “I’d really like to see an increase in the number of vendors and people who come to shop at the market because it’s just so great for the community.”
Vendor space costs $10 a week. Vendors need to bring their own display setup such as tables and chairs. The market is located on Highway 160 (First Avenue) and Jefferson Street. For more information, visit the Monte Vista Farmers Market Facebook page or email Deanne Elliot at [email protected].
For folks heading to the market on Friday to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, make sure to get there early. Just about every perishable item sells out well before the market closes at 1 p.m.