The Philomath Farmers’ Market returns Sunday for its seventh season and for the first time in its history, manager Janel Lajoie said the event is running at capacity.
The market will open with all 39 vendor spaces filled and Lajoie said she’s already booked at 90% capacity or better for the entire 22-week run.
“I’m having to turn people away for the first time ever, which is crazy,” she said.
The market operates from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Sunday in the Philomath Community Library parking lot, continuing through Oct. 18. This marks the third straight year at 22 weeks.
Many familiar vendors will return, joined by a wave of newcomers — 14 or 15 of them on opening Sunday alone, Lajoie estimated.
“All the people that you saw last year are still going to be there, which is great, and the five core vendors that started this show seven years ago are all still there,” Lajoie said. “But yeah, we have a lot of new vendors with new items. There’s going to be some overlap of items as we grow but you know, people can do the same thing in a lot of different ways.”
Live music will be part of most weekends, though Lajoie didn’t line up musicians for the opener.
The market continues to accept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the state’s food benefits program for eligible, low-income individuals and families. Also returning is Double Up Food Bucks, which matches SNAP purchases up to $20 each week for fresh produce and food products.
Some vendors additionally participate in the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program, a state-administered, federally funded program that gives WIC families and income-eligible seniors vouchers to buy fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables and cut culinary herbs directly from authorized farmers.
Food vendors will have a presence, though Mud Oven Pizza — the stand Lajoie operates with partner Brian Mayfield — won’t appear for the first few weeks. Lajoie will be staffing the market’s information booth, which helps shoppers use their SNAP benefits and Double Up Food Bucks.
“We are looking for reliable, detail-oriented volunteers” to help at the booth, she said.
Beyond the vendors, the market sets aside space for community organizations. The Philomath City Council will appear on certain weekends, and Lajoie said someone from community outreach is on hand nearly every week.
This Sunday, the Oregon State University Extension Service will offer no-cost nitrate screening. Those interested should bring a half-cup of well water in a clean cup for testing.
Later in the season, the market plans a community outreach day featuring 10 to 15 local organizations, Lajoie said.
The farmers’ market operates as a program under Bountiful Backyard, a local nonprofit, where Lajoie also serves as vice president. Grant funding has helped fuel the market’s growth. Last year, Bountiful Backyard received a $3,600 climate resilience grant through the Oregon Farmers Market Association, which Lajoie said paid for hydration stations, misting equipment for vendors to use on hot days and a tablet for digital management. This past fall, the market landed a $3,000 grant through the city’s Transient Lodging Tax grant program.
The POP (Power of Produce) Club for kids also returns. Children taste different items each week and earn tokens to spend elsewhere at the market — an approach that builds financial literacy alongside healthy eating, paired with games and activities. The program drew roughly 300 kids last year.
“It’s definitely growing and we see a lot of returning kiddos and a lot of one-timers if their families are passing through or whatever,” Lajoie said. “But a lot of kids drag their parents every single week to come.”
Seven years in, Lajoie said the market’s steady growth still moves her, especially given how earlier attempts at a Philomath market had fared.
“It’s just lovely that the community has come out and supported the market as it has, especially knowing what we know about previous attempts in our town,” she said. “I feel like every year as it winds down, certain members from the community will just come up and tell us they love the market and ‘please don’t let it go anywhere, don’t let it go away.’ It’s become part of what they do on their weekend, it’s part of their Sunday routine in the summer … It’s become a nice place for community space.”
For Lajoie, the market is about more than produce — it’s about the food system, the vendors and the local economy.
“Almost all of our vendors are from Philomath or from our little neighboring communities like Monroe or Alsea or wherever,” she said. “Folks are starting their own small businesses, they’re building those and thinking about ways to make a living or to supplement a living — there’s a lot of that, too.”
She hopes the community keeps the market in mind all season long.
“I wish people would remember that it’s happening and come before church or after church or just remember if you’re heading out of town to loop back around and come see us because you really are supporting your neighbors,” she said. “When you support that farmer, that’s your neighbor and then they’re spending that money back in the community again.”
