EVANSTON — This year’s Evanston Farmers Market is in the books and it’s doing as well as ever. According to Good to Grow owners Barb Martinez and Leanne Hutchinson, who manage the market, this year’s events were very well attended and even had a few new vendors on its last day, which was Sept. 19.

Hutchinson and Martinez said they have been holding the Farmers Market for 12 years and feel that it has grown every year, both with vendors and with customers.

“We have amazing vendors that keep the market going. They come from the county and from various farms in Utah,” Marinez said. “One loyal vendor lost hundreds of acres of crops last year due to hail and bad weather; even a wind that knocked over their silo and threw a huge cement block through a barn window. He bought produce from other farmers so he could still come to our market.”

Martinez said the 23 board members are amazing with even their children and grandchildren helping. One volunteer’s 3-year-old daughter helps her mom and gets mad if someone else does her job which might be picking up garbage and other small tasks.

Board member Peggy DuCharme comes to every market to read stories to children.

Board members take turns organizing and managing a children’s craft table and at the last market they had a large cardboard box full of pumpkins for the children to decorate.

The Herald interviewed a few of the vendors who have been attending the Evanston Farmers Market for many years.

Anna Escalante has been a food vendor at the market with her famous tamales and lime-aid drinks for all 12 years and said she comes because she loves the community and she will definitely be back next year.

Phyllis Visser with The Greek Oven from Ogden, Utah, has been a vendor at the Evanston Market for five years. “I love this market; the people are wonderful here,” Visser said. “The vibe in this community is fantastic. I’ll be back.”

At the Roberts Family Farms booth, vendor Ruth Roberts said they have been coming to Evanston for 10 years. They first started selling their produce in front of the Cazin store years before.

Roberts proudly said, “Our grandson who is helping us now is the seventh generation in our family to farm.”

At the Home Décor and Urban Renewal Agency booth, Evelyn Schofield encouraged people to sign a ticket for a chance to win the week’s prize donated by the different vendors. Stephanie Davis with Home Décor said they have had a booth at the market for the past seven years and she loves seeing all the people who come.

“It is definitely worth the time to be here,” she said.

A first-time vendor, Erasmo Tony Munoz from Clearfield, Utah, brought pears and apples from his small orchard to sell. He said he will plan to come every week next year.

Young Sergei Stahl set up a table to raise funds to go to Legoland with Scout Troop 911. His father, Eldon Stahl, stood by his side and explained the trip to patrons.

At the season’s final farmers market, there were two different musicians providing music. Rachel and Jason Rhodes played guitars and sang popular songs for the first half of the afternoon and were followed by Joe Storey singing and playing his guitar.

Now that the farmers market is over and their garden chores are slowing down, Martinez and Hutchinson are taking a much-needed vacation to Alaska to fish.

“We are so grateful for the community’s support again this year. Watch on the Good to Grow Facebook page for when our farm stand will start and what we will have available,” Martinez said. “We will be experimenting with winter crops this year: carrots, beets and spinach. The farm stand will be in my garage. The garden lies in a cold, frosty area. People can also call me at 307-679-1447 if they want to buy honey.”