Students are invited to peruse the first Pullman Farmers Market of the school year, where local goods are promoted under the market’s new slogan, “Think Global, Shop Local.”

Fresh vegetables and fruits will be sold at the market alongside artisanal bread, peanut brittle and goat’s milk lotion.

Marie Dymkoski, Executive Director for the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is the No. 1 sponsor for the market.

“Especially on the Palouse, agriculture is so important,” Dymkoski said.

It’s also important to buy local because when consumers spend in their own community, that money ends up going back to the community through services like the police department, she said.

The market is held on Wednesdays to provide a mid-week option for people to buy fresh, local vegetables. The weekday market complements the Moscow Farmers Market, which is held every Saturday from May to October.

The market has been fairly popular in the last few years and typically when school starts, more students attend, which pushes the total attendance up over 400, Dymkoski said.

Brad Jaeckel, farm manager for WSU Organic Farms, said it is one of the market’s biggest contributors. Also on Wednesday, WSU Organic Farms will set up a farm stand on Glenn Terrell Mall from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to help close the gap between students and the local market, he said. Supporting organic farming means supporting better farming practices like soil building, crop rotation and water conservation.

“We’re very regulated on what we can put in the soil or on the plant as far as herbicides or pesticides,” he said.

Patrick Allan, owner of Allan Family Farm, also sells at the Pullman Farmers Market. He continues to farm using sustainable farming practices started by his son, he said. For instance, on the four acre farm, they plant clover in between all of the rows to provide nitrogen to all of their plants.

One of the main promotions at the market is the selling of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and Student Supported Agriculture (SSA), Allan said. In these programs, community members can receive a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables once a week from local growers at a monthly rate. Students can also join the program for a discounted rate.

“We love the support from all the people,” Allan said.

The market is open from 3:30 – 6 p.m. each Wednesday through Oct. 28 in the Spot Shop Parking Lot on 240 NE Kamiaken St.