Sisters Farmers Market seeks volunteers, vendors, and more

Sisters Farmers Market will launch a new season of microlocal food, artisanal goods, and live entertainment on June 5. While many slots are already filled, the market is still seeking volunteers, vendors, nonprofit organizations, and musicians to participate.

Volunteering can take many forms. At age 11, Sisters Middle School student Molly Fredland volunteered throughout last season. “It was very fun and it was a great learning experience,” she said.

Helping vendors set up booths, putting out vegetables, and assisting people at the information booth were among her duties. “It’s a great way to meet new people and to find things that are local, like local farms and the honey stand,” Fredland told The Nugget. “You get to know a lot more about your town when you go and volunteer.”

Chloé Lepeltier had a similar experience. Originally from France, Lepeltier moved to Sisters in 2020 and began helping out the market. “Volunteering was the best thing that could have happened to me, moving to a new town in the middle of a pandemic,” she said. “I’ve met so many people who I’m able to call friends.”

The market runs every Sunday from June 5 to October 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers can select days and time slots that work for their schedules. The sign-up form is available at http://www.sistersfarmersmarket.com under the “Get Involved” tab.

Each Sunday, a different nonprofit organization will be featured at the market.

New information and applications for nonprofits are now available on the market’s website.

Music provides another avenue for connecting people at the market. Favorites like Appaloosa and Derek Reynolds have already been booked this season. The market’s new manager, Michelle Jiunta, said there’s still room for more. Email her at [email protected] to inquire.

Vendors form an important core of the market community. Farmers grow produce and ranchers raise meat and eggs. Makers create handcrafts, arts, foods, and artisanal products. All sell their wares directly to customers.

Wendy Storm, based in South Redmond, has brought Mystic Roots Creations to Sisters Farmers Market for the last four years. “Honestly it’s my favorite one,” she says of the area’s farmers markets. “I love the community of people that go there. I really love that it’s a small market.”

Her line of organic skin care products for humans and dogs is popular. “You know what’s funny,” she adds, “Sisters Farmers Market runs an hour less [than other markets] but I make just as much money.” She looks forward to bringing her dog and her new baby to hang out on the grass with her this summer.

Sisters resident Rebecca Saul raises goats, making natural soaps with goats’ milk. “I love bringing my products to the Sisters Farmers Market mainly because of the people,” she said. “Everyone is always so cheerful and happy to be there, and the other vendors are a pleasure to work alongside of. It is a very good market for me in terms of sales.”

Saul’s Glimfeather Farms booth will start its third season at the market this June. In addition to a range of bath products, “I have recently started making melt-and-pour blocks for folks—and children with adult supervision—to create their own soap combinations at home,” Saul explained.

Interested vendors are advised to fill out the application on the market’s website as soon as possible.

The market is operated by the nonprofit organization Seed to Table.

Sisters Farmers Market runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday, June 5 through October 2 at Fir Street Park on the corner of Main Avenue and Fir Street.

Food assistance programs are accepted including SNAP, EBT, and WIC/FDNP checks. Shoppers using SNAP dollars at the market are also eligible for matching funds via Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB).