They say the only constant is change. I’ve definitely learned that to be true in the world of retail. Or, in the wise words of our first retail clerk, Marlene Willis, “You’ll never figure out retail. If you think you have, it changes!” Yes, we’ve learned quite a bit in our 15 years at Ferndale Market and one of those lessons has been to keep adapting. We want to keep your experience fresh with each visit, so we’ve attempted to keep adapting to be an enjoyable visit for our customers.

In that spirit, a lot has changed at Ferndale Market over the past few months. If you’ve been in, you’ve likely seen our new produce cooler as a very visible change in our space. We’re excited both to be regularly stocking more produce and also have a better set-up to ensure peak freshness when you take it home. Along with our expanded mix of local and organic fruits and vegetables, we’ve added to our lineup of daily staple items, like milk, fresh bread, and eggs to help our local neighbors make a quick pitstop for essentials.

When you visit, you’ll also notice that we’ve added displays of some experimental new products too. Think Chai Pecans and Peach Habanero Salsa. We are introduced to lots of intriguing new local foods, but often have no good way to gauge whether there will be customer interest. We’ve decided we’re best off to give you the chance to decide. Undoubtedly, not all of these items will gain traction and stick around, but you’ll have a chance to see fun new local foods, and we’ll gladly make a home for anything you tell us you enjoy. When we opened in 2008, I probably wouldn’t have guessed we’d be carrying oat milk, Wagyu beef, and heat-and-eat frozen oatmeal, but these are just a few of the new items we’re trying these days.

In our continued evolution, the constant has been our commitment to carrying the best distinctive local foods from independent farmers and food makers. That hasn’t changed and it’s been a joy for me to watch our mix change as new products emerge.

We invite you in again to join us in shaping the local foods we carry at Ferndale Market and in creating space for new local foods and faces to thrive. I hope to see you in the market soon!