A Walk Through the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

by Rune Rainwater

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest and highest elevation capital city in the United States (established in 1607 and 7,000 feet above sea level, thank you very much), as well as the country’s first UNESCO-designated Creative City. So it is not surprising that this rare gem also hosts one of the best farmers’ markets in the country.* The Sante Fe Farmers’ Market is a must for anyone visiting The City Different; luckily this is my local market, and I took a stroll through the market on a Saturday in early May to enjoy the ever-growing organic presence.

Just steps inside the LEED-certified building, a “CCOF-Certified Organic” sign hovers above an astonishingly colorful display of soaps, Swiss chard, and radishes. Beth Kleinzweig is vending today for Malandro Farm and says that yes, “the soaps are all certified organic. We have goats on our farm. The soap is made with goat milk, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and then essential oils, and all of it is organic. I love the calendula one …. The lavender is always a win, and people really like the chai spice one.” The huge, beautiful radishes draw my eye. “Our pink radishes—which we’re not allowed to divulge the variety—those are a big seller,” says Beth. It’s early in the season; as the year progresses, heirloom tomatoes and carrots will be added to their bestseller list. While we’re speaking, Beth deftly handles sale after sale of radishes, the customers gleefully grabbing them up like a bounty of Easter eggs.

Stepping back outside, I quickly spot a white tent with a large USDA “Organic” seal hanging proudly next to the hand-painted sign for Mr. G’s Organic Produce. Natasya and Gary Gundersen are here selling crisp, fresh salad mixes. “We’re really known for our salad mix and salad bar display,” says Gary. “We make custom mixes for everybody on the spot. It takes more time, but that’s been very popular.” In the summer, they will add tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers into the mix. Gary kindly took a moment to chat with me about organic certification: “We got certified organic when we had our first farm in Hawaii in 1989, and we were over there for 12 years …. [We’re organic] to verify the standards that we all need to and should abide by, to give the public that assurance—safety, quality. There was never a second thought to not get certified. Some people just walk from certified organic sign to organic sign—it means that much to them.”

Simply walking around the market is a feast for the senses: long ristras of red chile peppers; a young man playing guitar with a dusky voice fit to put Ray LaMontagne to shame; the scents of cut flowers, worm compost, fresh bread from a booth painted with space aliens. Many people mistakenly believe that New Mexico offers only red and green chile—and while we do, and it’s excellent, and you absolutely should try them—the agricultural diversity of this area is astonishing. As the season progresses, the farmers’ market will be filled with apples, honey, beeswax candles, pears, grapes, strawberries and berries of all kinds, herbs, greens, lamb and bison (including whole bison pelts!), chicken and duck eggs, shallots and onions, peanuts, potatoes, pumpkins, tea blends, and so much more. No reselling is allowed at this market—the chile pepper wreaths, the intricately painted alebrijes, the soaps and salad mixes were all crafted or grown by the people standing just on the other side of the table.

It's still quite early in the season, and some of my other favorites aren’t vending today—Freshies of New Mexico with their mushrooms and peaches; Romero Farms’ famous roasted chiles; Green Tractor Farm, Tesuque Natural Farms, Synergia Ranch Organic Fruits and Vegetables, Sungreen Living Foods. I wander outside but cannot find Camino de Paz School and Farm—so many breads, cheeses, and even desserts! But I do find Heidi’s Raspberry Farm, always with a large spread of raspberry jams to try—raspberry with lavender, with ginger, with red chili.** Heidi’s jam is a New Mexico staple and can be found in many local grocery stores, but I can’t stop myself from taking a taste of the raspberry jam with red chili and ginger. The Rail Runner chugs by—our commuter train, painted with a road runner and making the classic Looney Tunes meepmeep! sound when the doors open and close—and I join the crowd waving to the train.

Heading toward the Santa Fe Artists Market, conveniently adjacent to the farmers’ market every Saturday, I come across a wide selection of transplants. Weaving my way through row upon row of herbs, hot peppers, and tomato plants, I make the friendly acquaintance of Ric Gaudet of One Straw Farm. “This time of year, we sell tomatoes like crazy, basil plants and pepper starts, and we’re starting to get into a lot of flowers, zinnias and cosmos,” Ric says, as behind us several farmhands guide customers to the ideal transplants for their needs. Why did Ric choose to be certified organic? “In terms of plant sales—we’re one of the few certified organic nurseries in the state—it’s an automatic stamp of approval.” I’m astounded by the variety of vibrant transplants available from One Straw, from ‘Bangkok Thai’ and ‘Bhut Jolokia’ chiles to ‘Toronjina’ tomatoes and ‘Cupid’ mini bell peppers, photographs of each showing the promise of the colorful harvest to come.

Whether you’re a local or planning a trip to New Mexico, make sure to put the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market high on your list. The market is located in the Railyard Park and is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays; on Saturdays, it is surrounded by other artist markets and is a perfect addition to a day spent on the historic plaza or at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts or Meow Wolf.

** “Chile” refers to the pepper, while “chili” refers to a dish or spice blend that mixes chile peppers with other ingredients.