Produce vendors at Durango Farmers Market had mixed experiences this season, with different weather extremes posing larger challenges for some than others.
Chuck Barry with Stone Free Farm in Arriola said aside from a couple of “bummer” hail events that hurt his fruit crop, the farm fared well this year.
“It just sucks that it goes from drought to, like, tumultuous hail downpour. There’s no ‘in the middle,’” he said.
He said the climate is “weird,” and it appears to becoming more and more challenging.
“I hate to say it living in the desert, but sometimes I’m just as happy if it’s not raining, because it doesn’t just rain anymore,” he said, adding that when it rains, it pours and hails.
Tyler Hoyt with Green Table Farm in Mancos said the farm had just enough water to make it through the season. June and July were “super hot and dry,” and torrential rains arrived right at the season’s end.
“The weather was all over the place,” he said.
Heidi Rohwer of Rohwer’s Farm likewise said the year has been challenging for farmers because of the summer drought.
Despite that, she said, Rohwer’s Farm had a strong showing at the Durango Farmers Market.
The Durango Farmers Market tried something new this year by hosting the market on Main Avenue on several Saturdays.
Some vendors loved the change of venue. Others appeared somewhat on the fence.
Rohwer said she experienced a slight decrease in sales on Main Avenue, although she isn’t certain whether that was because she had slightly less product or rain deterred people from shopping.
Barry said he sees pros and cons to hosting the market on Main Avenue. He’s old, he said, and change is more challenging for him sometimes. On one hand, he feels comfortable at the farmers market’s usual place in the parking lot of TBK Bank.
“It’s cozier here,” he said, adding the market stretches on seemingly “forever” on Main Avenue.
On the other hand, he’d like to know how Main Avenue merchants feel, and it is cool to change up the venue, he said.
Hoyt said aside from one Saturday where it rained on the market all day, he very much likes hosting the farmers market on Main Avenue.
“The switch to Main is going to be an awesome asset for the town. It definitely boosted sales,” he said. “It was good for a lot of the other main street businesses that I talked to, I think it was just a win-win for everybody.”
The regular farmers market season has come to a close, but the Harvest Market is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 22 in the TBK Bank parking lot. The Holiday Market is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 13 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
cburney@durangoherald.com
