Our Story
About the Jackson Hole Farmers Market
The market exists because Jim Darwiche decided it needed to. What started as one man's idea grew into a weekly tradition under the elk antler arches, a place where Jackson Hole comes together over real food.
Jim is a Lebanese immigrant who learned early that a market isn't just a place to shop. In Lebanon, the market was where the whole town showed up to talk, to share, to celebrate. Years later, after visiting friends in Europe and seeing how a farmers market could shape the rhythm of a town, he came home convinced Jackson needed one too.
So Jim proposed a farmers market as a unifying place: rich and poor, old and young, locals and newcomers, side by side under the antlers of the Town Square.
The founding contributors
While Jim conceived, organized, and led the creation of the market, its early success was strengthened by a circle of friends. Dan Thomasma, a beloved school teacher and musician, helped shape what the market felt like. Dan brought music to the Town Square every Saturday through local bands.
John Bickner, a local businessman and early supporter, helped make sure the market worked. In those first seasons, dozens of details lived in his hands, week after week. And Ken Thomasma, Dan's father and a well-known author, gave the market its most memorable line:
“Who said tomatoes don't bring people together?”
That motto became part of the market's identity, because it was never only about tomatoes. It was about the people standing next to you while you picked them out.
Our mission in Jackson Hole
The Jackson Hole Farmers Market is here to:
- Support local and regional farmers, ranchers, and food producers
- Bring the Jackson Hole community together in a shared weekly tradition
- Create opportunity for small producers and food entrepreneurs to grow
- Keep the focus on food and agriculture, the real roots of a farmers market
Why the Town Square matters
The market belongs in the heart of Jackson Hole. From day one, Jim pushed for visibility and accessibility, for the market to be where the town already gathered, not tucked away somewhere quieter. The elk antler arches became part of the brand.
A founder-led idea, raised by the community
Jim often describes the farmers market as his “baby,” but also as something the community nourished and grew. The result is more than a market. It's a weekly reminder that community still happens when people have a reason and a place to show up.