According to data from the USDA Agricultural Census, direct sales of farm products has risen dramatically. As an integral part of the urban/farm landscape, farmers markets have continued to rise in popularity. This increase reflects the rapidly growing consumer interest in "food with the farmer's face on it."

One of the top 25 farmers markets in the nation, the Santa Fe Farmers Market in the Railyard represents 150 vendors and operates year-round. All produce is grown in Northern New Mexico, and
80 percent of the materials and ingredients used in the crafts and artisanal foods — from Cloud Cliff Bakery's crusty heirloom wheat breads to South Mountain Dairy's goat cheeses — are local.

The Santa Fe Farmers Market has the strictest rules of any farmers market in New Mexico. "We only allow vendors from the 15 Northern counties, and three from Socorro and Las Cruces that provide Pollo Real chickens, pistachios and pecans," said Sarah Noss, executive director of the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute — the market's nonprofit arm.

At many farmers markets nationwide, directors have discovered vendors who claim to grow the crops they sell, but instead buy them from a packing house or other farmers for resale. According to Noss, that won't happen here. "We have a very rigorous application process to ensure that vendors actually grow the produce they are selling." This includes a jury committee and a personal inspection of the farm. There's also little competition between the vendors. "Generally farmers keep an eye on each other and figure out what everybody is charging," Noss says. The farmer that brings the first crops into the market generally sets the price, and others follow suit.

The institute's broader mission

While many farmers markets nationwide lack proper long-term venues to sell their products, the institute's ongoing fundraising to improve long-term stability has been successful. The Roots in the Railyard campaign raised $4.6 million to complete the facility (the building and pavilion), and will shortly begin fundraising to pay down a $421,000 mortgage.

The institute also works to address problems affecting the community: Farmers are aging and no one is replacing them. "We are looking at ways to bring interns here who are interested in being farmers and training them," Noss said.

Because of fast-disappearing farmland, the institute has started a farmland preservation initiative with local land trusts — a consortium of the Santa Fe Conservation Trust, the Land Conservancy and the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust.

Not too many farmers markets have a nonprofit arm helping with so many pressing needs.

"It's a very tight margin to be a farmer," Noss said. More than 60 percent of farmers across New Mexico earn less than $10,000 per year. They either have to have second jobs or spouses who work to help cover costs, she said. It's also hard to qualify for credit for improvements like putting up greenhouses. "So we started a micro-lending program (anywhere from $250 to $5,000) two years ago." To date, the group has made 56 loans totaling more than $140,000 to farmers who are members of the market.

Not only does the institute make it affordable for vendors to sell their products here but for the general public — especially those with lower incomes — to buy fresh produce. By having vendors process food stamps, and debit and credit cards, sales have increased. Since it's expensive for each individual stall holder to provide this, the institute has taken on the cost, but vendors have the responsibility of processing USDA funded Women, Infants and Children coupons. In the last two years, the market has processed about $15,000 in food-stamp transactions and $150,000 in debit- and credit-card transactions.

"We need to let poor people know we can do all this," Noss says, "but promoting it is a whole educational process." The farm bill isn't helping by subsidizing corn and food made from cornlike fruits, vegetables and nuts. The farm bill is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government. "We live in a country that subsidizes foods that aren't good for people and doesn't help the people growing healthy produce and foods."

What you buy at the grocery store is grown on much larger farms than are found in Northern New Mexico; locals grow on approximately three to six acres. Crops grown on huge farms and hauled in enable stores to sell at a lower price. For instance, lettuce that has been en route for two weeks and handled 30 times doesn't have much nutritional value by the time it gets here. Produce found at farmers markets are harvested the day before.

Because of high demand, starting June 24 there will be a Thursday market from 3 to 7 p.m. The market wants to reach out to local chefs who are unable to shop Saturday mornings, giving them an opportunity to buy products before their busy weekends.

Not only are farmers markets an important way to support rural economies, they're a great social scene.

"The Railyard Market is a particularly wonderful place to sell products," says Donna Lockridge of South Mountain Dairy. Her farmstead produces fresh and aged cheeses made from goat milk along with bottled, pasteurized goat milk and yogurt. "It's a place for people to come together and socialize."

SANTA FE FARMERS MARKET SCHEDULE

Farmers Market at the Railyard, 1607 Paseo de Peralta at Guadalupe Street:

Saturdays 7 a.m.-noon

Tuesdays (May-November) 7 a.m.-noon

Thursday evening market starting June 24, 3-7 p.m.

Sunday artisan market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Southside Farmers Market at San Ysidro Plaza (Zafarano Drive and Cerrillos Road in Lowe's Home Improvement parking lot) starting June 22, Tuesdays 3-7 p.m. (seasonal through September).

MARKET INFO

• For upcoming events, visit www.santafefarmersmarket.com

• To find out about various Volunteer Programs visit: santafefarmersmarket.com/volunteer and railyardpark.org/programs

• Volunteers provide free dog-sitting services at the market. Dogs are not allowed inside, with the exception of service dogs. Donations are accepted and given to a dog charity.

THE MARKET SHARE

Beginning Thursday, June 24, you can catch local chefs presenting cooking demonstrations using local, seasonal ingredients at the Thursday Santa Fe Farmers Market in the Railyard from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Meet some of the culinary personalities who use Santa Fe Farmers Market products and who participate in the Santa Fe Alliance's Farm to Restaurant Program. Visit http://santafealliance.com/farmtorestaurant/about for more information.

Demonstration schedule

June 24: Michael Giese of Flying Star
July 1: Peyton Young of Harry's Roadhouse
July 8: Carmen Rodriguez of Bishop's Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa
July 15: Andy Barnes of Dinner for Two
July 22: James Campbell Caruso of La Boca
July 29: Louis Moskow of 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar
Aug. 5: Sancho Soeiro of Dish n' Spoon Cafe & Gifts
Aug. 12: Rocky Durham of Santa Fe School of Cooking
Aug. 19: Lorin Parrish of BODY of Santa Fe
Aug. 26: Roland Richter of Joe's Restaurant
Sept. 2: Patrick Lambert of Cowgirl BBQ & Western Grill
Sept. 9: George Gundrey of Atrisco Café & Bar
Sept. 16: Patrick Gharrity of La Casa Sena
Sept. 23: Jennifer Nelson of Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café
Sept. 30: Ahmed Obo of Jambo Café
Oct. 7: Megan Tucker of Amavi