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By Lauren Rosenthal
Communications Manager, ACHD
The Delridge Farmers Market was launched in June 2021 by African Community Housing & Development (ACHD), a South King County–based nonprofit led by women of color. The market was created to address food insecurity and economic disparities in Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood, a USDA-designated food desert. ACHD aimed to provide fresh, culturally relevant food to the community while supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs.
The idea for the market originated from a youth-led community café organized by ACHD Vice President and Co-Founder Bilan Aden at Hope Academy in the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle. During food-justice workshops, community members expressed that existing markets were unaffordable and did not reflect their cultures. This feedback underscored the need for a market that offered culturally appropriate foods and supported local BIPOC vendors.
Two years later, after seeing substantial success in launching a start-up market and advancing in their goal of eliminating King County’s food apartheid zones, ACHD launched the SeaTac Farmers Market at the Matt Griffin YMCA, where fresh, healthy, and affordable food options were scarce.
Like Delridge, the SeaTac market operates with a no-fee vendor model, low-cost equipment rentals, and a buyback program that ensures unsold produce is purchased from farmers and redistributed for free to local families and community organizations. This model is not seen anywhere else and is uniquely community-centered.
The SeaTac market runs the same Kids Bucks program as Delridge, giving every child $5 to spend on fresh food, teaching them budgeting skills and encouraging them to invest their dollars in the community. With its mix of fresh produce and global cuisine, the markets serve both residents and travelers passing through the city.
Since their inception, both the Delridge and SeaTac Farmers Markets have prioritized BIPOC farmers, chefs, and artisans, offering them a platform to sell their goods without vendor fees. ACHD provides technical support to help first-time vendors succeed and purchases unsold produce to ensure that surplus food reaches those in need.
Together, these markets have become hubs for holistic community care, offering free resources such as healthcare services, hygiene supplies, and youth programs. In their combined operations, vendors have earned over $256,000, and more than 43,000 pounds of fresh produce have been distributed to the community. ACHD’s innovative approach has transformed these markets into a model for equitable food access and community empowerment.
But that’s not the end of this story. Inspired by the achievements and holistic model of the Delridge and SeaTac Farmers Markets, ACHD is in the midst of building the Seattle International Public Market (SIPM). Set to break ground in 2026, SIPM will be a permanent public market focused on uplifting immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC entrepreneurs and small business owners, creating a new pathway for enduring generational wealth and prosperity for these communities.
“A BIPOC Pike Place,” as ACHD’s Market Manager Indra Budiman calls it, the market will feature low-cost workspaces, one-on-one mentorship, technical assistance, culturally specific support services, and advocacy to ensure the success of business owners and the community itself.
“ACHD’s farmers markets are rooted in a unique sense of community care and camaraderie that is truly built at the speed of trust,” Indra Budiman, ACHD Market Manager who manages both the Delridge and SeaTac Farmers Markets, said. “Every hand is instrumental in weaving a crucial thread in the markets’ tapestry of stories, whether it be our volunteers’ hands helping set up vendor booths every market day, our farmers’ hands that pull nourishment from the soil, the hands that stir the jollof rice that fills your tummy and comforts your heart. Every market day is filled with these moments of seeing and knowing one another, beyond what we are there to sell, but the passions that wake us up every day, excited to share something special with the world. Our community is built in these moments, and it’s a gift to be present in all of the small but mighty movements — from hand to soil to mouth to heart.”
Learn more about the SeaTac Farmers Market here.
The market is held every Wednesday from 3–7 p.m. at the Matt Griffin YMCA through Oct. 29, 2025.
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