BOISE FARMERES MARKE T PRODUCE / LE X NELSON
O
A DAY AT THE MARKETS
Five years after going their separate ways, Capital City Public Market and the Boise Farmers Market coexist and thrive LE X NEL SON BAKED GOODS AT CAPITAL CIT Y PUBLIC MARKE T / LE X NELSO N
6 | MAY 23–29, 2018 | BOISEweekly
kind of like a broken family, that’s a lot of n Saturday mornings when the sun what it felt like,” said Melissa Nodzu, who is shining, downtown Boise becomes served as market director for CCPM from a paradise for shoppers traveling on foot, with two farmer’s markets to choose from 2013-2016. Matt Williams, the CCPM board president setting up tables bursting with fresh produce— whose family farm, Waterwheel Gardens, has towering piles of blood-red radishes, forests of leafy greens, heaps of carrots still trailing soil— been a vendor at CCPM since 2000, put it baked goods and locally made art. Wander from this way: “For the first couple years, definitely there one market to another for long enough though, and it starts to become clear that artists congre- was still the feeling of ‘they used to be part of us, and we used to be with them’, and there’s gate in one collection of booths while produce this rift. It was kind of like—I’ve never gone vendors gather in the other. Neither market through a divorce, but I can imagine—just tryis mutually exclusive, but their identities are ing to redefine normal.” clear—and clearly very different. Five years later, it appears a balance has been What Boiseans new to the area or not thoroughly entrenched in the down-and-dirty struck. To continue Williams’ metaphor, the days in court are over, and now the two parents of downtown politics may not know is that the two Boise farmers markets—the arts-heavy share joint custody over Boise Saturday marketCapital City Public Market, currently centered goers. But a weekend at mom’s house isn’t quite on Idaho Street, and the farmer-focused Boise the same as a weekend at dad’s. “There’s definitely a difference in the shopFarmers Market at the corner of 10th and pers … People that are oing to Capital City, Grove streets—used to be one. In October they’re going to linger for a while and try to 2012, a faction of vendors from CCPM experience and see everything that’s there. split from the original pack to start its own Whereas people who go to BFM, for the most produce-centered market a few blocks away. part they’re in and they’re out. They’re getting That spinoff became the Boise Farmers their food and they’re Market, which leaving,” said Nodzu. opened its gates to Ellis said that BFM the public in April “ WE THINK THAT is designed that way: to 2013 at its original give local grocery shoplocation on the IT’S RE ALLY pers easy access to procorner of 11th and duce, and local farmers Front streets. Now, UNIQUE FOR BOISE a customer base. five years later, ten“The main focus is sions between venTO HAVE T WO agricultural products … dors and organizers Our goal is we have to have died down, and DIFFERENT BUT have more farmers total representatives from V ERY SUCCES SF UL than all of the other both markets say categories combined.” they aren’t just surMARKE T S .” she said. “So right now viving, but thriving we have right about 50 in their new niches. farmers and we have “We think that between 30 and 40 non-farmers.” it’s really unique for Boise to have two very CCPM, in contrast, doesn’t stick to a strict different but very successful markets two ratio, focusing more on providing a well-roundblocks away from one another,” said Karen ed experience for customers. Ellis, the current BFM market manager and a “I think that when you’re in the heart of past director of CCPM until she was fired in downtown like we are, on Idaho Street, you’re 2012 over allegations of poor business practices. “I don’t know that they’d be as successful going to be a wonderful experience for tourists equally if they were not as close as they are. It’s and visitors,” said CCPM Executive Director the perfect opportunity for people—it’s like an Mona Warchol. “If you want to see what Idaoutdoor mall, you have a lot of choices in not ho’s about, you can see all the different things that we offer. So I definitely think we’re high on a lot of space.” the tourist attraction [list], if you will. If you’re But things weren’t always so copacetic. During the months of slow separation, market here visiting you aren’t necessarily going to buy groceries on Saturday, but you could easily buy personel on both sides of the divide gave a sign from Rusty Junkers about Idaho.” various reasons for the split and its ensuing CCPM thrives on a festival atmosphere, drama, ranging from the high ratio of artisans with buskers and performance artists lining to farmers to the volume of out-of-town the sidewalks between booths, putting ceramic customers making it difficult for locals to artists and local bakeries cheek-by-jowl with shop for their weekly groceries at the original violinists and mimes. According to Warchol, CCPM. Whatever the true tigger, the divide CCPM attracts 15,000-20,000 visitors every caused an identity schism, spurring both Saturday at the peak of its season, which runs markets to define themselves and emphasize April-December each year. BFM is smaller their differences. but growing: Ellis said the original estimate of “That first year was really hard, because 2,000-2,500 visitors per week has swelled to especially among the vendors there were still 6,000-10,000 over the last six seasons, and the a lot of hurt feelings in a sense, and [it was] BOISE WEEKLY.COM