Scott Anderson knows the truth.
If not for the Moab Farmers’ Market, his business might not exist.
About eight years ago, Anderson and his former wife showed up at the Farmers’ Market to sell a couple pieces of jewelry and some wooden spoons.
It was beer money.
The next year, they sold a few more things and bought a raft.
Their success continued and before long, they were taking their craft — and their spot at the Farmers’ Market — more seriously.
Four years ago,Anderson turned his Farmers’ Market gig for beer money into his own company.
Triassic Industries now is located on 2.5 acres at 2480 S. Highway 191. A showroom lets customers check out Anderson’s work – he uses stone and wood from Moab to make jewelry, utensils, furniture, bowls, sinks, bird baths, sculptures and more. He also trims trees and runs a saw mill.
The Farmers’ Market remains a staple, though. Andersonwill be there every Saturday this season, selling his homemade goods.
The Farmers’ Market begins May 5 and continues every Saturday through Oct. 20. From 8 a.m. to noon at Swanny City Park, 100 West and Park Drive, attendees will find local crafts, food and more.
“It’s nice to have a space that recognizes the difficulties of selling things made locally,”Anderson said.
Other crafters, farmers or artists interested in selling at the Farmers’ Market can still sign up. The deadline for full-season registration is May 1. The one-time registration fee is $50, plus $10 or 15 percent of all sales each week.
Drop-in vendors can pay a one-time $10 registration fee, plus $16 or 15 percent of all sales each week. Drop-in vendors can sign up at any time throughout the season.
Vendors bring their own tables, tents, signs, etc.
This will be Erik Secrist’s fifth season at the Farmers’ Market. He sells Castle Valley Creamery cheese and yogurt.
And he’s excited for the season to get underway.
“I like (the Farmers’ Market) because it has kind of a nice feel to it,” he said. “You get to see people you know. It’s kind of a festival atmosphere – on a Saturday morning, that’s kind of nice.”
It’s also a great place for people concerned about buying locally to do so, he said.
“It’s a good way for people interested in what’s being produced locally to find out more about and the meet people who do it,” he said.
The Farmer’s Market is managed by the Youth Garden Project, a nonprofit that offers educational programs for community members of all ages.
The Youth Garden Project began in 1996 as a place for youth with court-ordered community service to fulfill their hours. Now located on one and a half acres next to — and leased from –Grand County High School, the Youth Garden Project offers after-school programs, field trips, summer camp, high school science class, community dinners and work sessions, sustainable agriculture workshops and a community supported agriculture program, as well as volunteer and internship programs.
Food from the garden is sold at the Farmers’ Market, said Delite Primus, executive director of the Youth Garden Project. Attendees will find other attractions, too, such as live music, story time and food designed to eat on the spot (brunch, anyone?).
Organizers this year are adding a focus on healthy living, thanks to a partnership with the Moab Regional Hospital. Expect to see blood pressure checks, information on nutrition and other health-related features.
“We try and make it attractive to everybody,” Primus said. “One of the goals for us is to make it a lively place where people come connect with each other and enjoy local food and art.”
To sign up as a vendor or for more information, visit www.youthgardenproject.org/farmersmarket.
