News

Our Current Public Health/Safety Initiatives:

We would like to provide our customers and community with an update on the Taos Farmers Market changes put in place that provide a safer and healthier environment to shop during this time of heightened anxiety. We want you to know that we take the safety and health of our customers and vendors very seriously.

Farmers’ markets are now formally deemed as an “essential business” by the state govt so they are not considered gatherings. There is no per-person limit, also since we operate in a totally outside setting we will allow shoppers to use their own common sense when it comes to being around others.

Our farmers are working hard every day to provide our community with the freshest food available in Taos. Our farmers market is safer than shopping in a conventional grocery store so please remember that fact and let it allow you to feel safe and confident while shopping. Our farmers provide the freshest most nutrient rich foods with shortest distribution line (literally from the farmer’s hands to you!). Again we operate completely outside and with our strong mountain sunshine we are so blessed to live in such a safe and healthy environment.

Here is a list of modifications to our market we have in place:

• To protect others, stay home if you are sick. Vendors may not come to market if ill.
• If you are uncomfortable being around others wear whatever protective gear you see fit.
• We will have 4 hand-washing stations located around the Plaza for public and vendor use.
• There will be no sampling during this time.
• No customer handling of products. Customers should not touch anything on the Vendor’s table, the Vendor will be the only person touching your food until you bring it home and wash it as you should always do with fresh produce.
• No reusable produce bags for the vendor to fill at this time, but personal shopping bags are encouraged.
• Do not place your personal shopping bags on vendors tables.
• All vendors must have hand sanitizer for their personal use, the market has provided every vendor a bottle of locally crafted hand sanitizer for this very purpose.
• The prepared food vendors will sell to-go items only.
• Our Info Booth merch sales are closed at this time.
• All Vendor Booths are spaced out 8 to 10 feet apart for ample room for vendors and shoppers.

We serve the farmers who rely on direct market sales for their livelihood, providing the community with the freshest, healthiest food available, while considering the safety and health of everyone involved. The short supply chain of local food is now more important now than ever and we will continue to strive to bring those products in the safest and most effective way possible.  We have also added an extra half hour to market for the whole season, our new hours for 2020 are 8am-1pm.

Whew! A lot has happened! Does anyone else feel like you’re a seed that’s just been planted?  Drowning in the dark and cracking open, almost forced to grow?  I am there with you in this collective rebirth we are experiencing, but all of a sudden I’m no longer an uncomfortable seed but a strong little sprout ready for whats coming, ready to bask in the sun and soak up the rain.  In this time of introspection and grand revelations I believe many have had a hard look at many of the practices our society has allowed that may in fact contribute to our detriment.  A big piece of that exploration is our country’s food system and how unstable we become when we rely solely or heavily on the global food system.  This is why farmers markets continue to fight to exist along side the national and global dominators: Wallyworld and the like… We are reminded that when one power system or entity holds too many keys to our survival we can find ourselves locked out wondering how we ever allowed it.  Farmers markets run on a decentralized model, a collective of independent producers who like you (because they are part of your community) want the best for our local economy but even more so want the best for our local families, for each other.  They aren’t sitting in board rooms with spreadsheeting trying to squeeze out every penny…our producers look you in the eye and give you a fair price, they can shake your hand, your kids may even go to school together.  Thats why our producers continue to do things ‘the old way’ ‘the hard way’ and ‘by hand’ to deliver to market the most nutrient dense, natural, best for the soil/water/ecology food available in our town.  Like many of you may be experiencing for the first time, sowing seeds and hatching chicks, growing food at our altitude is no easy feat: with that sun so hot and the ground so hard and those temperature swings so extreme.  Farming here takes courage and the prospect of an unexpected act of nature that can send us to ruin is ever present, it is something our producers face every season.  But hey that’s something we all face as humans, we’ve just become less aware of the chaos of the natural world, of the natural cycles.  Plants in fertile soil will grow strong and blossom, may these parallels to our own lives continue as we move forward out of this uncomfortable feeling of having little to no control.  We all have the most impact right here in the community around us, what will be your impact here and now as you emerge with a new view, a new reality?  We commit to our community’s food security, it has and always will be the Taos Farmers Market’s top priority.  We will do this by upholding the traditions of farming in this valley/region and by bringing fresh food to market weekly. 

with love,
Jennifer – TFM Market Manager

Oh man we are ON IT this year! Sooner than expected the 2020 Vendor Applications are ready for download here: http://taosfarmersmarket.org/vendors/

Remember ALL vendors who apply must read & sign the 2020 Vendor Agreement and include a copy of the signature page with their application.

Mail applications to:
Taos Farmers Market
PO Box 3114
Taos, NM 87571

Scan & Email to:
info@taosfarmersmarket.org

3 Current Job Openings at Taos Farmers Market, click links below to download job descriptions.  Contact Jennifer at info@taosfarmersmarket.org to apply with cover letter and resume.  We’d love to have you as part of the TFM Team!

-SITE MANAGER (starting at $15/hour) Saturdays May 16-November 21

TFM Site Manager Job Description

-RETAIL MANAGER (starting at $12/hour) Saturdays May 16-November 21

TFM Retail Manager Job Description

-ASSISTANT RETAIL MANAGER (paid weekly in cash) Saturdays June 27-September 26

TFM Assitant Retail Manager Job Description

2020 is here and the TFM Board of Directors is pleased to announce 2020 Market Dates: May 16-October 31 8:00am-12:30pm, with 3 November Market dates 11/7, 14, 21 9:00am-12:00pm ALL located outdoors at the historic Taos Plaza!

For those of you interested in vending with us this season we are looking forward to your applications but need some more time to get the new 2020 Applications updated and released. We are also translating our applications and vendor agreement into Spanish so we need some time… We will release the 2020 Applications and Vendor Agreement by 3/1/2020 available for download on our Vendors page here.

This month we offer something totally NEW!
Free at market Cooking Demos with the incredibly talented Karen Todd.  Wondering how to combine the fresh, in-season, local ingredients you purchase at market?  Find Karen cooking a different recipe every other week in the Gazebo at 11am with food bought at market.

Cooking Demo June Dates:
June 1,
June 15,
June 29

Meet in Gazebo at 11am to watch & learn from one of Taos’ Best Chefs!

 

Sponsored by: Engel & Volkers Real Estate

We are looking forward to another incredible season of fresh, local, delicious food grown and prepared by our community!  Join us on the Plaza every Saturday May 11- October 26, 2019 8:00am-12:30pm

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for weekly updates!

2019 Vendor applications for both Farmers and Non-Farmer Vendors are now available for download on our Vendors page.

If you are a Non-Farmer Vendor your application is DUE by APRIL 1, 2019 (we will not accept applications for Non-Farmers after this date for the 2019 season).

If you are a Farmer you are welcome to apply whenever through the season as long as you get your application to us at least 1 week prior to the first week you plan to attend market, either in person or by mail to PO Box 3114 Taos, NM 87571 or by email to info@taosfarmersmarket.org

ALL vendors must agree to the 2019 Vendor Agreement, also available for download on the Vendors Page and include a copy or at least the signature page with their application.

If you have any questions feel free to contact Jennifer at info@taosfarmersmarket.org

We are happy to announce that our vendors have enough produce to continue holding markets for 3 weeks in November!  We will be only in the center of the Plaza meaning we will not be closing any roads so there will be a lot of parking.  We will open at 9am and close at 1pm for these 3 November markets only.  Get all your local food for your Thanksgiving meal this year in Taos!

Bring the whole family for our Halloween Costume Contest on October 27!  We will have candy and prizes for all the kids who are dressed up but also a costume contest with 3 categories for Best Costume: Kid, Adult, & Group – all 3 categories will win anything they choose from the TFM Info Booth.  If you’ve been eyeing one of those Ghana Baskets or sweet TFM hats all summer, its time to shine in your costume and hopefully win!  Get your most local produce while you still can, theres still a LOT in season!