New Los Lunas Farmers’ Market is a success
Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 7:01am
Margaret Costanza peers at produce on a scale.
The Los Lunas Farmers’ Market, which opened for the first time yesterday evening, was a huge success for organizers, after more than 20 vendors and at least 100 customers visited the market, exchanging cash for locally grown goodies.
“It’s been years in the process,” said Eugene Duran, one of the organizers and a Village of Los Lunas employee.
Duran contacted the state years ago to find out how to start a farmers’ market. At the time, there wasn’t much impetus for the market, he said, even though Belen already had its market.
“There just didn’t seem to be the political will to make it happen in Los Lunas,” he said.
This year, however, there were enough people interested in the project to get it accomplished. The planning and implementation went quick, with the first meeting held around March and the market opening only three months later.
The project brought together Jenniffer Singleterry, who coordinates the Belen Farmers’ Market, and groups like the Village of Los Lunas, Valencia County Cooperative Extension Office Master Gardeners, and Greater Belen Economic Development Corporation, which helps with Belen’s market.
Raymond Carrasco exchanges vegetables for money.
The farmer’s market has everything from vegetables and roasted corn to Italian ice and plants. Customers could buy grape plants, Chinese dates, peppers, carrots and other things. One vendor sold bread. Another had art.
“Some of this is probably just carry over from Belen,” Duran said. “Some of them are probably local from Los Lunas.”
At one vegetable stand, Raymond Carrasco, who owns Carrasco Family Farm in Los Chavez, commented, “It’s actually a good turnout.”
Farmers’ markets don’t always have smooth starts. Duran was eyeing the entire event from beginning to end, to see what needed to be changed for next week.
The Rio Valley Opry Players play tunes in the shade.
While the farmer’s market is geared toward locally-grown produce, Duran also wants it to be an event each week.
This week the Rio Valley Opry Players sang and strummed instruments. In the future, Duran said the Los Lunas High School band will probably play and he wants the high school’s drama program to perform. He’d even like to see jugglers.
“We’re going to grow. I don’t know how or where we’re going to grow,” Duran said, looking at the limited space he and the vendors have to work with. “I want to make it a community event more than just a farmers’ market.”
The Los Lunas Farmers’ Market is held from 4:30pm to 7:00pm on Tuesdays at River Park, south of Main Street and east of the Rio Grande. The Belen Farmers’ Market is open from 4:30pm to 7:00pm on Fridays at Anna Becker Park on Reinken Avenue.
