Sugar House Farmers Market

By Kylee Hill

Shopping at the Sugar House farmer’s market is about as local as you can get. Now in its second year, the event is a small but vibrant mix of growers, vendors, artists and craftspeople who convene on 2100 S. every Friday afternoon to interact with their community. The olio of mixed goods, from jewelry to produce to handmade notebooks, is different each week and this year the market features an entertainment tent with live music from 5:30-7:30.

There’s also a co-op booth for backyard, non-commercial gardeners who want to sell a few of their fruits or vegetables. “We wanted to give small backyard farmers a chance to be successful,” says Jack Wilbur, a farmer for 3 Squares Produce and one of the founders of the market. “And,” he motions to the empty lot behind the vendors, “to bring some people back to the heart of Sugar House.”

The plan is working. The market was created last year after a “Sugar House Summit” meeting that included Jack, Bob Evans of Sugar House Coffee and some executives from Whole Foods. It was decided that the area needed its own outdoor market and was organized as a grass-roots community effort that has been going strong ever since.

3 Squares Produce, a farm that grows in three backyards in Salt Lake as well as a plot in Bountiful, is one of the growers who come to the market each week to sell seasonal, fresh produce straight from the source. The month of August is an especially good time to shop for locally grown onions, heirloom tomatoes, melons, peaches and pears.

The Sugar House Farmers Market is open every Friday from 4-8 p.m. at Monument Plaza, 1100 E. 2100 S. This season’s events include a food education booth hosted by Slow Food Utah, a Junior Farmers Passport program with goody bags for kids, and a special chef demo day in October. The market even accepts food stamps. §