POLSON — Did you know that the Polson Farmers’ Market is said to be the oldest in the state of Montana? The market’s history dates back fifty years, but these last three summers have perhaps been the best in its long run. Having hopscotched around town over the years, the bazaar of local produce and crafts seems to have found a vibrant home amidst its new digs on 3rd Avenue West in downtown Polson.

Nicole Jarvis, who runs Ploughshare Farm in Moiese, has been coming to the market to sell for the past five years. Jarvis says that when she started out, the market was still located at its former home in the parking lot of the Masonic Temple next to Super One Foods. The out-of-the-way locale supported just a handful of vendors, and attracted only a smattering of customers. Eventually, vendors such as herself “pushed to get it downtown and it just exploded” as she tells it.

The move has reinforced the validity of the real estate mantra: “location, location, location.”

“Moving downtown is the best thing that ever happened to the market,” says vendor Bill Triggs, who is perhaps the longest-tenured fixture of the local farmers’ market scene.

But the renaissance experienced by the farmers’ market is far from a product of geography alone. The popularity of farmers’ markets is booming in all corners of the country, as individuals discover the superior quality of locally grown produce and embrace the importance of supporting food producers in their own backyard.

Mmm, mmm, good

Naturally, at the root of the market’s appeal is the food itself. In the United States, it’s estimated that the average article of produce travels over 1,500 miles before consumption. At the Polson Farmers’ Market, however, everything for sale is from the immediate vicinity.

Bill Crawford of Polson is one of many loyal patrons who enthusiastically supports the farmers’ market.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Best produce from one end of the valley to the other,” Crawford says as he weighs a fistful of onions prior to purchase.

“(People) should know that this is the best produce you can get,” he adds.

“As far as produce goes, you can’t find anything fresher,” Jarvis says. “People always come down and are like, ‘I bought stuff from you two weeks ago and it’s still good in my fridge!’”

Social scene

It’s more than just the food that fills the street with eager customers every Friday.

A key ingredient in the market’s success is the undeniable social component to the experience that is not replicated in any supermarket. Market-goers are able to put a face to the source of their food, as they directly establish relationships with area farmers.

“It’s kind of a social event,” says Linda Sheridan, a farmer from Dixon and a veteran of the Polson Farmers’ Market. “They like to see who grows the food they eat,” she says of her customers like Donald and Kimberly Walker of Polson.

“The people are just great,” agreed Donald, as Kimberly loaded up. “We’ve made some real good friends just from comin’ out,” he said.

Jarvis, whose table laden with veggies is set up across from Sheridan’s, estimates that she is on a first-name basis with 90 percent of her customers.

Economic “win-win”

In addition to local citizens, the city, too, is reaping the benefits of the market’s bountiful harvest.

Confirming that the weekly market “has really taken off” in the past three years, LouAnne Hoskinson, the Chamber of Commerce representative who serves as President of the Farmers’ Market, says that “it’s a win-win” for local businesses and vendors.

Victoria Werner manages a 20-acre farm in Camas Prairie and is enjoying her first season as a vendor at the Polson Farmers’ Market. Based on her experience, she says “it’s the best market around.”

Werner adds that, economically, the market benefits the community because, “I spend all my money right here. It recirculates.”

“The city of Polson has been really, really supportive,” says Jarvis, who echoed the notion that there is a symbiotic relationship between local merchants and the farmers’ market.

“It’s a community effort — we all support each other. That’s one of the great things I love about Polson, is that it’s still a small enough town that we all know who each other are. I know who’s coming to buy stuff from me, and I know ‘O.K., well, they’re supporting  me, so I’m going to go shop at their store, too.’ It’s just nice to see that we’re all trying to keep the community alive here.”

Local eaters have just two more chances to experience the farmers’ market, which is slated to run through Oct. 12, weather permitting. The market is held on Fridays, along 3rd Avenue West from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.