Published 7:00 am Friday, May 23, 2025
A farmers market with an international flair is coming to west-central Boise.
West Bench Farmers Market is slated to operate from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, June through September, at 3085 N. Cole Road starting June 5.
Along with food and craft vendors, Boise nonprofits Global Gardens and Global Lounge are involved.
Global Gardens, a program of the Idaho Office for Refugees, partners with community gardeners and career farmers from refugee and immigrant backgrounds by providing access to land, training and the marketplace.
Global Lounge focuses on cultural preservation, education, integration and the promotion of cultural awareness for individual and community development.
Global Gardens received a USDA grant to help launch the market, with plans to gradually transfer more ownership responsibilities to Global Lounge and the vendors themselves, according to a news release.
The market’s primary goal is to provide a fresh-food resource to the community while creating economic opportunities for small-scale producers of ethnic goods and produce.
“We imagined a gathering place where people could connect with cultures from around the world,” Global Gardens program manager Ben Brock said in the release. “From farm-fresh vegetables grown by farmers from refugee backgrounds to homemade goods from local artisans, the market offers something for everyone.”
Since the West Bench market will run on a different day of the week than the large Boise Farmers Market — open Saturdays downtown — the new market will provide additional opportunity for vendors and customers, he told Capital Press.
Vendors depending on capacity may choose to participate in both markets, but West Bench market organizers do not intend to pull vendors from BFM, Brock said.
“As a longtime West Bench resident and someone who values urban agriculture, I’m thrilled to see the launch of the West Bench Farmers Market,” Jonathan Melby, president of West Bench Neighborhood Association, said in the release.
He expects the market will be “a wonderful addition to our neighborhood, offering fresh opportunities for neighbors to connect, support local growers and celebrate our area’s agricultural roots.”
“A market is more than just a place of commerce — it is the heartbeat of a community, where culture thrives, connections are forged, and the essence of life is exchanged in food, stories and traditions,” said Dayo Ayodele, executive director of Global Lounge.
“Cooking is my way of honoring my mother, Adelfa, and the traditions she passed down,” Noel Argote-Herrera, chef/owner of Adelfa’s Comida Cubana, said in the release. “Her kitchen was always full of love, and every dish told a story. Joining the West Bench Farmers Market feels like extending that family’s table to the Boise community — offering a taste of Cuba, a touch of home and a warm welcome to all.”
The market is partnering with local nonprofits and organizations including the neighborhood association, Boise Bicycle Project, City of Good and radio station Tropico FM.
