Farmers Markets in Seattle, USA

My First Impression of Seattle

Seattle is one of those cities that cannot be reduced to a handful of landmarks. From the beginning, you sense that this place has its own rhythm and its own culture. It is urban and close to nature at the same time, high-tech and human, fast-moving yet somehow calm in the way it lives among water, hills and greenery.

Some cities impress with architecture, others with history, and others with food. Seattle somehow manages to bring all of these together without seeming pretentious. That is exactly why I liked it so much - it does not try to make you like it. It simply is what it is.

Seattle is one of those rare places where nature is not simply a backdrop to the city, but an equal part of its character.

SFMA - Seattle Farmers Market Association

SFMA - Seattle Farmers Market Association

“The mission of the Seattle Farmers Market Association is to provide fun and rewarding venues for small Washington State farms and artisans to bring their highest-quality, locally grown and crafted products to urban residents. Our goal is to help our vendors succeed. Our intention is to facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship between the residents of our community and the people who manage our local farmland and provide diverse cultural arts.”

This is stated as the mission of the farmers market association. And in fact, the idea can be felt not only as an official statement but at the markets themselves - in the way producers talk to people, in the closeness between buyer and farmer, and in the respect for local and seasonal food.

Pike Place Market - the Market That Began Because of One Very Expensive Onion

The iconic Pike Place Market is one of Seattle’s must-see landmarks.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

began because of one very expensive... onion.

Between 1906 and 1907, the price of onions rose sharply, and consumers as well as city officials decided that wholesale middlemen were to blame. This led to the idea of a public market where people could buy directly from producers. Pike Place Market opened in August 1907. Today it is the oldest continuously operating farmers market in America.

Today, everyone looking for fresh local food, fruit and vegetables heads to Pike Place. The stalls offer the freshest flowers, also locally grown, plenty of seafood, coffee, pastries and non-food products. There is also a craft section where local makers display paintings, handmade pieces and jewelry.

The most entertaining are the fish sellers. The fish arrives directly from Alaska and can be ordered on the spot and delivered the same day to destinations across the continent and in Europe. When an order comes in, a kind of wonderful chaos begins behind the counter - shouting, clapping and fish flying above people's heads. If you are lucky, you may even find yourself holding an enormous salmon as part of the show.

And, of course, you have to try the clam soup - clam chowder - whose recipe I will publish soon. The soup is remarkable.

Why Seattle Is So Different

It is one of the fastest-growing major cities in the United States - number three, to be precise - with its population increasing by 1 percent a year. This is a city where much of what has been modern, progressive and high-tech in the United States over recent decades has taken shape. Seattle is something like a focus group for every new business and product. If it works in Seattle, it will work anywhere.

Long before Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, the local billionaires, Seattle's first millionaire was a sawmill operator named Henry Yesler. He built the country's first steam-powered sawmill.

The 184-meter-high Spice needle was the idea of artist Edward E. Carlson, who sketched the tower's design on a cocktail napkin. It became a symbol of the city recognized around the world. From the top of the tower you can see downtown Seattle, the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier and some of the islands.