PORT TOWNSEND — Tickets are on sale now for the Jefferson County Farmers Markets’ farm-to-table benefit dinner to be hosted in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Port Townsend Farmers Market.
The dinner will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at White Lotus Farm & Inn, 3723 Beaver Valley Road in Port Ludlow.
The farm-to-table menu will showcase locally sourced, seasonal ingredients expertly prepared by Chef Deborah Taylor of Finistère and wine pairings. Guests, who must be 21 and older, also will find a late summer farmscape, a farm tour and live music.
“In 1992, the Port Townsend Farmers Market officially opened in the downtown parking lot of neighboring Elevated Ice Cream,” said Amanda Milholland, market director, in a press release.
“In its 30 years of operation, the market has grown from a half dozen farmers to over 90 vendors this season.”
Ticket prices range from $150 to $1,200. Proceeds go toward the continued operation of the Jefferson County Farmers Markets (JCFM).
Markets include the Port Townsend markets on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April through October and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. November through mid-December at 650 Tyler St., and the Chimacum market, which was founded by the Chimacum Grange and which is now in its 14th year, on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June through October at 9122 Rhody Drive.
“Our Port Townsend and Chimacum farmers markets are cornerstones of the local agricultural, arts and artisan food culture,” Milholland said.
Between the two markets, the nonprofit JCFM hosts more than 90 vendors and provide booth space for a rotation of Jefferson County nonprofits, as well as public health, city and county groups.
”JCFM has a strong commitment to keeping our farmers markets accessible for our community, local farms, and new small businesses. This means keeping our vendor fees low, growing our food assistance programs,” Milholland said.
Milholland said that JCFM also hosts free weekly live music, culinary education, kids’ activities, and the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Start-Up Business Fund.
”These programs and the markets themselves depend on community support for their sustainability,” she said as she urged support for the markets.
White Lotus Farm & Inn is a 70-acre property that produces vegetables, flowers, sourdough bread made from locally-grown grains, lamb, fleece and eggs. Its historic red barn is used as a venue for weddings and community events.
“It is an honor to host this very special benefit dinner for JCFM at our new event space here at the farm,” said Natalie Motson, White Lotus Farm.
“The farmers market has played such an impactful role in our budding business.”
More information and tickets can be found online at jcfmarkets.org/, Tickets also can be purchased at the Port Townsend and Chimacum farmers markets.
