We often focus on the deals at our local supermarkets – but if we are talking about fueling our bodies with delicious, healthy, homegrown foods AND wholesome, activities for our families – the local Farmer’s Markets, farm stands and farms should get top billing. I wanted to highlight some of those feel-good gems located in Thurston County, Washington.
If you live north of Thurston County – don’t despair, I partnered with some other awesome bloggers to bring you the farm lowdown for King and Pierce County. Head over and check their posts out, and tell them I sent you!
- King County – Christy from Thrifty and Thriving
- Pierce County – Angela from The Coupon Project
Now on to Thurston County . . .
FARMERS MARKETS
Olympia Farmer’s Market
700 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501
Fresh, locally-grown produce, plants, and flowers. Crafts and art, meat, seafood, hot lunches, baked goods, herbs, honey, and free entertainment!
Oh, how I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Olympia Farmer’s Market. It played a big role in us moving to Olympia, actually. My husband and I drove down to the market for a Saturday morning adventure and I fell in love with the charm yet complexity of the market. You can buy all kinds of things – meat, fish, pottery, plants, produce, flowers and more. The food booths are divine and you can count on a good musical act on the bandstand. Definitely worth the drive.
Lacey Community Market
College Street SE at 7th Avenue SE in Lacey, Washington
90 vendors at Huntamer park on Saturdays
Tumwater Farmer’s Market
Southwest corner of Israel and Capitol, Tumwater, Washington
Produce, baked goods and restaurants, Wednesdays from 11-2.
Tenino Farmer’s Market
Tenino Elementary School 301 Old HWY 99, Tenino WA
Farmers and growers, processors and crafters. Every Saturday.
FARMS AND FARM STANDS
Bush Prairie Farms
8400 Old Highway 99 SE, Olympia, Washington
Vegetables, flowers, and eggs. Open on Saturdays June – September, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB)
2016 Elliot Ave NW, Olympia, Washington
Weekly seasonal CSA, seasonal produce and flower farm stand Wednesdays (on-site and at Oly Coffee on Harrison Ave.) West Olympia
Helsing Junction Farms
12013 Independence Rd, Rochester, Washington
100+ varieties of organically certified vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, apples, Asian pears, herbs and flowers. Farm stand on the farm, open 7 days a week with vegetables, flowers, fruit, pickles and canning supplies.
Jay’s Farm Stand
3533 Mud Bay Rd W, Olympia, Washington
I don’t think you’ll find much organic stuff here but you will find produce SUPER CHEAP. You either love or hate the place, but most people LOVE, LOVE it, and rave about it often. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
Johnson Berry Farm
2908 Wiggins Rd SE, Olympia, Washington
Organic Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries and Blueberries from June – Late Sept. Farm Stand on Wiggins open from June to late Sept 7 days a week 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
My son when he was the wee old age of 22 months old. Sharing an apple cider slushy with his daddy at Lattin’s Country Cider Mill & Farm.
Lattin’s County Cider Mill & Farm
9402 Rich Rd SE, Olympia, Washington
Award-winning cider, apples, fruit, honey, eggs, veggies, sweet corn, pumpkins, pies, jams, dried fruit, frozen berries, gifts, and farm animals. Fresh donuts daily, apple fritters Sat and Sun. Apples all year.
I really like Lattin’s. It doesn’t get any more homegrown and locally owned than this. Built from the ground up, it truly is a family-owned and run business. I wrote an article about Lattin’s for the Washington Farm Bureau (in my other life as a freelance writer), you can read my article Lattin’s Cider Mill: Not Your Average Run of the Mill here.
Left Foot Organics
11122 Case Rd, Olympia, Washington
Organic vegetables, herbs and flowers grown with care. All proceeds support mission to promote self-sufficiency, community inclusion and independence for people with developmental disabilities through meaningful paid employment and training in agriculture.
Olympia Co-Op
Multiple locations – Olympia and Lacey, Washington
Although not a farm per se, it is a great place to go to buy local, buy organic and support small businesses. I wrote a post about shopping at the local food co-op here.
U PICK FARMS
Carr’s Organic Blueberry Farms
3844-1/2 Gull Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, Washington
Certified organic blueberries, U-pick and custom picked orders; large size and older varieties available. Bring a picnic and enjoy the tranquil surroundings.
Pigman’s Organic Produce Patch
10633 Steilacoom Rd, Olympia, Washington
Good selection of certified organic vegetables and berries. Strawberries Jun-Sept. Raspberries, green beans, flowers, corn, cukes, kraut cabbages.
Spooner’s Farms
12 locations throughout Thurston County
U-Pick is CANCELLED this year for the first time in 28 years at Spooner’s. Look for the Spooner’s farm stands to snag up a flat or three.
For additional listings, check out Pick Your Own Website
I gathered a lot of this information from the Community Farm Land Trust, which is an amazing resource and I recommend checking it out for a more complete list of Farmer’s Markets, Farm Stands, Farms and U-Pick Farms. They have a great Thurston County farm map that you can request.
This list is not comprehensive, just a sampling – I’d love to hear from you on your suggestions. What are your favorite farmer’s markets, farm stands, farms and u-pick farms? Please chime in!
Amanda McDougall says
We have a Helsing Junction CSA, and we LOVE IT! We are only on week two, but their strawberries have turned my picky 16 month old into a Strawberry Monster!