History of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

1960s

The Santa Fe Farmers Market began as a loose-knit group of farmers selling produce from the back of their trucks on Saturdays in the late 1960s.

1971

With the help of the League of Women Voters and the County Extension Office, this group became more formally organized and began selling from the St. Anne’s Church’s parking lot.

1976

The Market moved to the Alto Street Recreation Center parking lot and remained there for the next ten years.

1986

Next, the Market moved to the newly opened Sanbusco Market Center in the Railyard. Over the years there, the Market grew so much that it reached its upper limit for growth at the Sanbusco site.

1995

The City of Santa Fe acquired a 50-acre parcel of downtown property known as the Santa Fe Railyard. This is to be the Market’s permanent home.

1999

The Market, once again , had to move. This time to a close-by location in the Railyard. After just four years at this location, the Santa Fe Farmers Market became stronger than it had ever been with approximately 160,000 annual attendees and over 170 registered vendors.

2000

The City of Santa Fe hosted community meetings over the next two years to gather ideas for the 50-acre downtown parcel that would reflect the history, life, and culture of the region. The Santa Fe Farmers Market participated in all aspects of this planning process. The result of this process was a Railyard Redevelopment Master Plan in which the Santa Fe Farmers Market would retain a central presence.

2001

The Market generated over $1.5 million in direct sales, which was an increase of more that $300,000 from the previous year. Members of the Santa Fe Farmers Market began the process of creating the Santa Fe farmers Institute, the non-profit (501c3) that would take charge of establishing a permanent site for the Market in the Railyard and implement programs to promote agriculture in Northern New Mexico.

2002

The City of Santa Fe formally adopted the Railyard Redevelopment Master Plan.

2003

In April, due to upcoming redevelopment on the Market’s current Railyard site, the Santa Fe Farmers Market was once again moved to another temporary site in the Railyard Park. This is where the Market is held today.

2005

The Santa Fe Farmers Market continues to serve Northern New Mexico with fresh, locally grown produce and agricultural products. The establishment of our Permanent Site is progressing. While we will keep you updated on the progress, the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market continues its active commitment to its market producers and our customers.

2008-present

The Santa Fe Farmers Market LEED certified building is complete, and the Market can be found at its permanent home in the Santa Fe Railyard year-round! The Santa Fe Farmers Market continues to be rated among the best and brightest farmers’ markets in the USA. The Market is happy to welcome visitors from all over the world, as well as Santa Fe community members who gather there every week for fresh, locally produced groceries, goods, and entertainment.