Author: Kim Petrie
Found in section: News
Photo By Holly Severijn / The JibSheet
Coordinated by the BC Student Science Association, on Tuesday, April 20 local farmers from around the community gathered in BC’s main courtyard to sell their produce and promote Earth Week. A wide range of goods were available including fresh vegetables, jam and honey to name a few.
One of the most popular stands was Misty Mountain Honey; a small family -owned and operated business. They offered three varieties of honey: blackberry, fireweed and raspberry. Flavored honey sticks sold extremely fast and were very well-liked.
The owner, Mark Johns is the beekeeper. His son helps him with sales, and his wife creates handmade beeswax candles.
“It’s hard to compete with large agribusiness. They have really low paid workers, sometimes illegal,”said Johns.
Despite their small size, they have been quite successful. Johns and his son participate in numerous local farmer’s markets throughout the area.
The goal of the on-campus farmer’s market was to support and spread awareness about the importance of buying locally.
“It puts money back in the state because we’re paying Washington taxes. It also creates a sense of community when you are buying from the people who grew it,” said Katherine Stewart, from Full Circle Farms.
“There are zero disadvantages to supporting local farming. And the taste is out of this world,” said Stewart.
Overall, the event can be counted as a great success. The central location gathered large amounts of foot traffic and sales clearly benefitted.
Many hope to see subsequent farmer’s markets return to the BC campu
