Local Growers Flourish at the Talpa Community Farmers Market

Taos growers looking to connect with local customers are challenged by a lack of affordable venues to sell their produce, making it increasingly difficult for locals to compete with out-of-town and large-scale producers. To address this problem, a group of growers team up with the Talpa Community Center to create an ad hoc market that was smaller and prioritized local producers. To grow the grassroots market, though, the group needed funding for things like marketing, vendor outreach, security, and set-up, take-down and clean-up efforts. In the summer of 2022, with support from LOR, the new, formalized Talpa Community Farmers Market launched, offering affordable fees to vendors. More than 10 growers now gather each Friday from May to October, building relationships and a customer base with Taos area residents.