Farmers Markets are one of the most beautiful things to be a part of. I fell in love with them at the Bellingham Farmers Market, when I first worked for Russ Kendall, one of the originators of this thing we call Gusto Wood Fired Pizza. There's something about the hustle of the people setting up their tents, shuffling things around, displaying everything in just such a way. Many have been doing this for years, and some are brand new. Markets are an incubator for businesses to grow out of, and they are also a community through which each person can make connections with others to grow and learn. It's also at a farmers market where you start to understand where your food comes from, and what it means to eat fruits and vegetables that are "in season", as compared to those that you buy in the grocery store year round.

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As an employee, I loved interacting with all of the regulars, getting to know their stories and learn from them. Most of our regular customers had a little time to talk while their pizza was being made, so I got to learn about what they like. I remember it was from a weekly regular where I learned that brussels sprouts are best after the first freeze, so you shouldn't really harvest them until later in the season. I remember Russ and Therese made sure to pack Kalamata olives for a young boy, (I still remember you, Noah) who went from being a little 5 year old to a 10 year old, and we watched him grow up summer after summer, olive pizza after olive pizza. I was still in college, and shouldn't have cared as much as I did about things like that, being that it wasn't my business, but they really stuck with me. Now, I reflect on what it's like as the current owner, and it's such a joy to have regular customers to get to know, and to try to make pizzas that make them happy - it's also so much pressure! Knowing that these people look to us in order to feed them something delicious pushes me to attempt new flavor combinations and find something truly unique, so that they don't get bored and leave me. Yes, I am a people pleaser who is scared of rejection! Truthfully though, making sure that we always exceed the norm is one of the greatest joys and also one of the most difficult aspects of being the owner of this business.

 

Bringing it back to farmers markets - the only place for me to get such a truthful set of reports from each of my customers is at a farmers market, and I firmly believe that. When I'm right out there for someone to talk to, I get to hear from them. Just a couple weeks ago, I told one of my regular customers that we were trying some new hard durum wheat flour in our blend, and he took it upon himself to let me know his opinion of it compared to our old blend. What he told me was exactly how I felt, which helped to confirm my decision to go back to our original dough recipe. Another person who comes to see us semi-religiously absolutely LOVES the asparagus when we put it on pizza, so we make that a part of our market special for him whenever we can, and it makes me so happy that we are able to make something for him that he is willing to spend his time and energy to come and enjoy.

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The whole experience of marketeering is capped off by the relationships made with other vendors. Markets are wonderful places to network and meet other like-minded individuals to collaborate with and share tricks. We're out there every week, and everyone has a different niche (mostly). Whenever I can find time to run around and meet with people, I always learn so much. Not to mention, my pizza gets better when I collaborate with other vendors like Marie's Bees, or You Are What You Eat Fish Company, or with local farms like Goat and Seed, Radicle Roots, and Hayton Farms. Every market presents new opportunities for new flavors and personal connections.

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