Vendor Spotlight - Patty Pan Cooperative
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SFMA had a chance to connect recently with long-time farmers market superstars Patty Pan Cooperative and chat about what make them tick, the importance of a employee owned business, what they love about farmers markets (they have been doing them since 1997) and why locally sourcing is so important in making everyone successful.
Who is Patty Pan Cooperative?
Patty Pan Cooperative is a tight group of hardworking folks who try not to take ourselves too seriously, even as we try to change the food system. We care about doing good work, making clean and reasonably-priced food, and collaborating with likeminded farmers. We're the oldest market concession in the Seattle area, having done this work since 1997. The past few years we've also started selling our products to local and regional grocery stores.
Why was creating Patty Pan as an employee owned business so important to you?
We spend a lot of time at work, and creating a worker-owned cooperative was a way to make that work some stability and meaning. Having an ownership stake creates a wonderful feedback loop: we take care of the business so it can take care of us.
What changes have you seen in the food industry over the years?
When we first started selling at farmers' markets in 1997, there were only two weekly markets in the city, and eating locally wasn't on most customers' radars. It’s been exciting to be part of this movement as it's gotten so much traction.
What is it about Farmers Markets that you like?
A farmers' market is kind of like a coop: the vendors and farmers are all in this together. This is especially true at winter markets, where we're less likely to be successful on any given day, but having a critical mass of consistent vendors makes everyone more successful overall.
Why is sourcing from local farms and farmers markets so important to Patty Pan Cooperative?
Local farms and farmers have the best food! The better the ingredients, the better the quesadilla.
What impact has the relationships you have developed with local farmers had on your success? Who do you source from at the Ballard Farmers Market?
Our success has been all about the relationships we've developed with local farmers. Our local ingredients are an opportunity to tell a story, whether it's about the weather and the seasons, or how there just happened to be a glut of bok choy or cauliflower in any particular week. We source beef and pork from Olsen Farms, and veggies from Kirsop Farm, Foothills Farm, and other farmers at the markets we vend at.
What are some highlights of what Patty Pan Cooperative offers at the Farmers Markets?
The star of our booth is our vegetable mix, which we grill and serve as a dish on its own, a side with our tamales, and a filling for our famous grilled vegetable quesadilla. We get as much as we can from the farmers who work alongside us at the markets. We press our own tortillas from Skagit-milled flour and we fill our tamales with beef and pork from Olsen Farms. In addition to the menu that we serve hot and ready, we also have available a wide range of packaged frozen meals and pantry staples.
Whether you eat it at the market, or at home, Patty Pan Cooperative delivers fresh, locally sourced, and delicious food that you can feel good about eating. During your next visit to the Sunday Ballard Farmers Market give Patty Pan Cooperative a visit and get yourself a tasty vegetable quesadilla fresh off their grill and/or add something from their frozen menu to take home with you for dinner!
