Unsafe air quality impacts the local farmers’ markets operation hours, and some organizers may have to develop a policy for when to open.

Public health and state Department of Ecology officials continue to recommend staying indoors and avoiding strenuous activity, leading local farmers markets to close. and await the smoke to clear.

Air quality over Walla Walla County is slightly improving, reaching the very unhealthy level today after almost a week of remaining hazardous, according to the Department of Ecology.

College Place Farmers & Artisan Market

College Place Farmers & Artisan Market is canceled today due to poor air quality.

Carolyn Holm, College Place’s deputy city clerk, said she hopes the smoke dissipates and clears to make way for the city’s last market of the season a week from today from 4 to 7 p.m.

Overall, the market has been better than expected, with counts through the single entrance, exit system approximately at 315-450 customers per market, she said.

Downtown Farmers Market

The Downtown Farmers Market in Walla Walla closed last weekend but hopes the air will improve to open this Saturday.

Many other farmers markets have set air quality policies, inspiring a new development for Walla Walla’s market, said Kathryn Witherington, executive director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation, which manages the Downtown Farmers Market.

Witherington said the cancellation is determined if by 3 p.m. Friday the air quality index is above 200. The measure has become a standard used by other markets and is what led to last weekend’s closure.

“This week we are hoping things will be cleared up enough so we can have it this Saturday,” she said.

Witherington said the market exceeded their expectations considering COVID-19 impacts.

“It’s a weird year because the farmers market is really meant to be sort of a community center where people can hang out, and already under COVID we were discouraging that and even more so now with air quality concerns,” she said.

Witherington said the Walla Walla market typically hosts about 55 vendors, but this year it has had 25. Those fewer vendors are getting close to regular sales, if not exceeding what they do in an average year.

The market runs through the end of October near Fourth Avenue and Main Street, but an indoor market will open after that inside The Showroom on Colville with the same hours Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through mid-December.

“We want to be able to offer something for that late harvest produce and other goodies that people count on,” she said.

Milton-Freewater Farmers Market

A few vendors showed up at their usual spot in Milton-Freewater for the market, which remained open Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Orchard Park, according to a social media post.

Air quality index remained in the very unhealthy range Wednesday, according to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at the Pedleton McKay Creek station.

Agnes Ebersol vendor for Our Daily Bread was present and said the market was missing almost a quarter of its usual vendors Wednesday.

She sets up at the Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater markets.

The vendors have worked to maintain relationships with each other and the community this year, she said.

“We’re extremely grateful for the community and their support,” Ebersol said.

Joanna Ley vendor for M & J Martinez Garden said she could not attend some of the other markets nearby in Oregon during the poor air quality.

Ley said business has already been down about a quarter for the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.