Group aims to make Kent Farmers Market a destination

The new operators of the Kent Farmers Market want to make it a destination to hang out and enjoy rather than just a spot to grab some produce and leave.

Plenty of produce will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday from June 14 to Sept. 13 at the downtown market along Second Avenue between West Smith Street and West Gowe Street. So far, about 12 produce vendors are part of the lineup that includes more than 40 vendors.

Living Well Kent, however, in partnership with the city of Kent, will add a food court, featuring at least three food trucks lined up along Harrison Avenue facing into Town Square Plaza; a seating area to enjoy the food; and a stage with musical or other entertainment. There also will be a kids corner featuring activities, such as face painting, and games.

“What we’d like to do this year is make the market more of a destination where people come and stay and hang out a little bit,” said Shamso Issak, executive director of Living Well Kent, during a recent interview at Town Square Plaza. “We’ll have a food court, with three food trucks facing toward the park from Harrison. We’ll have have tables and chairs so you can order food, and can watch what’s going on at the market.”

Living Well Kent, a nonprofit organization focused on health, equity and food access, took over operation of the Farmers Market late last year from the Kent Lions Club which bowed out after the 2024 market due to a lack of volunteers. This will be the 51st year of the market.

Living Well Kent is familiar with running a market. The group ran an East Hill farmers market starting in 2016. When it lost space two years at Morrill Meadows Park due to construction, the group moved downtown, adjacent to the bigger market.

“It’s not our first market to run,” Issak said.

With 23 employees, Living Well Kent can fully staff the Kent Farmers Market, Issak said. The nonprofit is funded by federal, state and local grants and a private foundation.

Much of the produce will come from Living Well Kent farms in Kent and Sumner. The group has 4 acres of King County farmland near Carpinito Brothers in Kent and 8 acres in Sumner that it took over from Lakewood-based Emergency Food Network. It also leases a greenhouse in Auburn from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

“Produce-wise we will have about 12 vendors, which is pretty great,” said Izzy Ceccanti, Living Well Kent manager of the Farmers Market.

In addition to fruit, vegetables and flowers, other vendors will sell honey, donuts, baked goods, jewelry and other products. It also will be a diverse group of vendors, including businesses led by women, immigrants and BIPOC community members.

Living Well Kent is set up for the market to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Electronic benefit transfer (EBT), Women, infants and children (WIC) and Fresh Bucks payments for food to help people with lower incomes. People who use EBT will receive a market matching amount, so if they spend $10 they will get another $10 to spend, Issak said.

Living Well Kent accepted those payments at its previous markets, but the Lions Club did not. Issak said she has the paid staff to handle the government paperwork required for those programs, which the Lions Club did not with all volunteers.

“With our history in Kent and running a market for almost 10 years, it was natural for us to be the ones to take over the market,” Issak said.

Living Well Kent wants the market to be a community gathering space for all.

“We are so excited,” Issac said. “We are looking forward to make our small market a bigger market, serving all of the community. …We saw people buy food and leave, we want to make it more fun and appeal to different generations.

“Our dream is to see everybody hanging out here.”

• For more information, go to kentfarmers.market.com