If it’s Thursday and it’s a sunny spring day, it must be Farmers Market day in Burien.

Yep, it’s all of the above today.

The Burien Farmers Market will be open until 6pm today, and they’re now accepting Debit/Credit/EBT cards.

The market is located near Town Square Park, at the intersection of SW 152nd and 5th Place SW.

NOTE: The B-Town Blog is not at the market today, due to staffing resources. We’ll next have our booth there on Thursday, June 2nd.

For the first time, shoppers at the Burien Farmers Market, which opens Thursday, May 5th, will be able to use their credit, debit and EBT cards to make purchases.

When the market opens Thursday in Burien Town Square, customers can buy farm-fresh produce, locally-made food products and one-of-a-kind handcrafted goods with Visa, Mastercard, debit cards or EBT cards. Some vendors accept credit cards directly. Otherwise, shoppers can use debit, credit or EBT cards by purchasing market tokens at the Discover Burien Association booth. EBT tokens are only good for produce purchases. Debit and credit tokens can be spent like cash with the majority of the market’s 40-plus vendors. The nonprofit Discover Burien (we’re members), which produces the market, will not charge a fee for debit card use.

The B-Town Blog will again have a booth at the market (but on a more limited schedule this year), where we'll be doing 'live blogging' of the latest news, arts, events and more. We'll also be demonstrating how our popular local website can help you promote or market your business or cause. So come find us there, and hang out in our brand new tent and chat with a bunch of locally-based Writers, Photographers and other creative types!

“Freshness is a primary draw for the market,” said Debra George, Discover Burien’s Events Manager. “The just-picked produce is sold directly by local farmers, plus a few from Eastern Washington. Dealing with the farmers without middlemen or delays provides better quality at lower prices.”

Seattle Bagels, hot chili sauce and other new food finds will join the many returning vendors offering items such as organic produce, local raw honey and freshly baked goods.

Take a stress break with bargain eats from the market’s hotdog cart, and dine al fresco at one of the market’s patio tables to live music by Eric “Two Scoops” Moore from noon to 3 p.m.

Discover Burien is a nonprofit organization that works on the economic development and promotion of Burien.

Sponsored by Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, LLC, the market operates every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 13th.

The market will be situated on 5th Place SW off SW 152nd Street in Burien Town Square.

For more information, call 206-433-2882 or go online to www.discoverburien.com.

With this Sunday’s upcoming B-Patch Garden Day we though it would be a good time to swing by the community garden and check things out for ourselves.

We were amazed at how lush and verdant the gardens have become. Everywhere you look are beautiful flowers and vegetables growing and you’re surrounded by buzzing bees and the sounds of bird calls. The garden is even equipped with a bench and picnic table, making it an inviting place to relax and spend some time.

It’s well worth stopping by for a visit, but in the meantime here’s a photo slideshow taken by Michael just this morning. Sit back, relax, click and enjoy the view!

1. The Humane Society’s MaxMobile is here, which means you should come shop, buy fresh produce, arts & crafts and possibly…a PUPPY (or kitten)! The bright, 33-foot, custom-built yellow RV will be here until around 3pm, providing pet adoptions on the spot – all you have to do is fill out a form, pay a fee and you can leave the market with a new friend.

2. We’re selling DVDs for “B-Town: How Burien Came Into Its Own,” the documentary film shot last summer that’s all about Burien, will be available for purchase at The B-Town Blog’s booth at today’s Farmers Market for just $15. All proceeds from sales will be donated to Hospitality House, a Burien-based shelter which has helped hundreds of homeless women “get their groove back.”

But you’d best act fast – we only have 10 7 copies left, and we’ll be at our booth from 11am – 3pm. We’re mid-way down 5th Place SW on the east (library/city hall) side near the Burien Town Square– just look for a big ol’ LCD monitor and The B-Town Blog banner and a couple of goofballs huddled around a computer.

Featuring interviews with local dignitaries like founding City Councilmember Sally Nelson, first Mayor Arun Jhaveri, current Mayor Joan McGilton, as well as businesspeople like Dan “The Sausageman” House and many others, this film has very high production values and is a great tribute to our city.

Here’s a 4:55 preview of the finished product, hosted by former Seattle Times travel editor Terry Tazioli:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here are some pics taken by Scott Schaefer of “Max” and its cute, furry inhabitants from one of its previous trips to the Farmers Market:

The Burien Farmers Market runs every Thursday through October, from 11am – 6pm, downtown at Town Square on SW 152nd and 5th SW.

As if finding great food, arts & crafts, along with supporting local farmers, vendors, craftspeople and other businesses wasn’t enough, now you have another great reason to come to this week’s Burien Farmers Market – the state of Washington has officially proclaimed this “Farmers Market Week”!

Today’s Farmers Market runs from 11am – 6pm at Burien Town Square, and we’ll be at our usual tent on 5th Place SW, around the mid-point on the east side, so come on by and say “Howdy, B-Town Blog!” and we’ll give you some free coupons from great local businesses.

Here’s more info from the state’s press release, followed by the official proclamation itself:

Celebrate Farmers Market Week and enjoy produce at the peak of perfection

It’s the height of summer – and the height of the farmers market season across King County. With 41 farmers markets spreading from Auburn to Woodinville, it’s a sure bet that farm-fresh produce is just minutes away from wherever you live.

“Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or the ingredients for a special meal, visiting your local farmers market is a must,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Supporting farmers markets helps strengthen our rural communities and is a terrific way to eat healthier.”

Governor Chris Gregoire has proclaimed Aug. 1-7 as “Washington State Farmers Market Week,” which is a timely reminder to visit a farmers market and get some of the best just-picked fruits and vegetables around, plus a wide assortment of other tasty products.

This time of year, farmers markets feature berries, early ripening apples, root vegetables and much more. Many farmers markets also offer farm-fresh eggs and meat, while some markets sell farmer grown and produced cheese, wine and other products.

Some communities have debuted new markets this year. To find one close to you, get recipes, find a farm, or sign up for the “What’s Fresh” e-newsletter, visit www.pugetsoundfresh.org.

King County farmers markets provide strong sales opportunities for more than 250 family farms across Washington, including more than 100 farmers from the county itself. The Columbia City Farmers Market was recently highlighted in story on CNN as one of the 10 best farmers markets in the nation for travelers to visit.

The Puget Sound Fresh program was started in 1998 with the goal of encouraging consumers, wholesalers and retailers to seek out locally grown products, and to provide funding and technical assistance to farmers markets.

Puget Sound Fresh was created by the King County Agriculture Commission and is supported through a partnership between King County, the Cascade Harvest Coalition and King Conservation District. For more information about King County farmers markets visit www.pugetsoundfresh.org or contact Karen Kinney at 206-263-6429.

Click to see larger image.

The Burien Farmers Market begins its season today (Thursday, May 6th) at the Town Square, with booths officially opening for business at 11am and continuing until 6pm.

Of course, just as we have the last two years, The B-Town Blog will have a tent there, so look for our banner and groovy LCD monitor and come by and say hi!

The market will continue through mid-October, with 40 to 50 vendors each week, including a food booth, handmade goods, and the usual farm fresh produce and fresh baked products (and “live bloggers blogging”!)

If you’d like to have a booth, contact Debra George, Event Manager, at (206) 941-7199.

Here’s what Discover Burien says on its website:

The Burien Farmer’s Market is an outlet for farmers, crafters and food processors and restaurants to sell their wares directly to the public.

In addition to the above, the Burien Farmers Market will be an outlet for area non-profit organizations to provide information to the public through displays, performances, handouts, personal contact and fund raising.

One stall will be set a side each week for non-profits to use.

Final decisions for non- profit scheduling will be handled by Discover Burien.

To read Market Rules and Vendor Registration, click here (PDF file), or to find out about Sponsorship opportunities, click here (PDF file).

We’ll be there, safely ensconced in our tent (we’ll save room for you), wearing our B-Town Blog-branded clothing and risking our lives by using live electricity to showcase and demonstrate our website right there on an LCD monitor.

The market won’t start up again until Spring of 2010, so we hope to see y’all there!

To inspire you to attend, here’s some original artwork by our own Danielle Burton, called “$2 a bunch”:

Another gorgeous sunny summer day in Burien and the Farmers Market is just bustling on 5th Ave SW near Town Square with 42 vendors, including lots of fresh produce, flowers, handcrafted stuff, assorted other folks including us B-Town Bloggers in our own booth, and two brand new vendors we’d like to feature:

Jerry Robnett extracts honey from bees so you don't have to.

1. ROBNETT APIARY’S: Fresh honey from Jerry Robnett’s own bees (84 hives at last count) which he also packages and will sell to you with a Queen, so you can start your own colony. Jerry also does crop pollination, honey extracting, swarm recovery and just about anything else having to do with bees. This is his first week at the Burien Market so bee sure to come on down and check his stuff out.


Hannah Hoffmeyer wants you to Eat Local.

2. EAT LOCAL: Hannah Hoffmeyer is working the booth, where they sell meals prepared entirely from farmers market food. Some are fresh, some are frozen, but all are organic, locally-grown and healthy, including soups, entrees, sides and desserts, all of which can be cooked or warmed up in the oven or microwave.

The Farmers Market is open from 11am to 6pm every Thursday, in its great new location smack dab in the middle of the new Town Square on 5th at SW 152nd.

Burien’s Farmers Market, which runs every Thursday from 11am to 6pm, is moving today (Thurs. 7/2) to its brand new digs nestled between the new city hall and Town Square buildings on 5th Ave SW, just a stone’s throw from everyone’s favorite naked female statue “Paradigm Shift.”

Of course, if there’s fresh vegetables and the potential of nudity involved, you can count on The B-Town Blog to be there, so come on down to the new location today on 5th Ave SW at SW 152nd (see map below), right smack between the city hall/library building and the new condos.

Burien Farmers’ Market runs through mid-October, and has developed into a very successful market with 40 to 50 vendors each week, including our own booth where we do “live blogging” and demonstrate our website.

Vendors include a food booth, handmade goods, farm fresh products, flowers, fresh baked products and much more.

Here’s a slideshow by Photographer Michael Brunk to get you in the market mood:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Slideshow

And here’s a map showing where the new location is in relation to the old one:
View New Farmers Market location in a larger map

The Des Moines Farmers Market kicks off its 2009 season today at the south end of the Des Moines Marina, starting at 10am and continuing until 2pm, and we encourage everyone to come on down, find some fresh foods, sample some stuff, have fun with the kids and say hi to the staff of our sister site The Waterland Blog!

Also, here’s a list of the vendors you’ll see:

Full Season Farm Vendors:

• Acma Orchards
• Alvarez Organic
• Blue Rose Dairy
• Cha New Life Garden
• Children’s Garden
• Collins Family Farms
• Happy Mountain Cattle Farm
• Hmong Highland Gardens
• Moua Gardens
• Sidhu Farms
• Sweet Success

Prepared Food, Value added and Ready to Eat Vendors:

• Cafe Valle Espresso
• Forest Fairy Bakery
• Kauzlarich Smoked Products
• Miro’s Secret of Europe
• My Newt Mini Donut
• Panda Catering

Craft Vendors:

• A Thoughtful Place (6/6, 6/20, 7/20, 8/22, 9/19, 10/17)
• Auntie M’s Mercantiles (6/13, 6/27, 7/4, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/5, 9/19)
• Basket Works N.W. by Reggie (6/6, 6/20, 7/4, 7/18, 9/12, 9/26,10/10, 10/24)
• Caryn Grow (6/6, 6/20, 7/18, 7/25, 8/8, 8/15, 9/5, 9/19, 10/3, 10/17)
• Fox Enterprises (6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/22, 8/29, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10,3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
• Diane Henderson Eye-Spy Fun (6/6, 6/20, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/19, 10/3, 10/17, 10/31)
• Herb Align (6/13, 6/27, 7/4, 7/11, 8/1, 8/8, 8/22, 9/12, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/24)
• M & R Creations (6/27, 7/11, 8/22, 9/26, 10/10)
• Nancy Webb Copper Art (6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/25, 8/15, 9/26)
• Tails and No Tails (6/6, 6/20, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/19, 10/3, 10/17, 10/31)
• Teresa Eastwood Cards & Dog Biscuits (6/6, 6/13, 7/4, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/5, 9/12)

Musicians at the Market:

• Saltwater Saints 6/6, 6/27, 7/25, 8/15, 9/19
• Charlie Spring Music 7/4, 8,1, 8/22, 9/26, 10/17
  
• JD Hobson 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12, 10/10
  

For more information, go to the Des Moines Farmers Market website here.