Healthcare, Health Insurance, Vitamins, Nutrition

Hoquiam and the Grays Harbor have always been good consumers of the local produce of the farmers and fisher folk of the area, and this has always been a good relationship since agriculture and commerce work side by side to sustain both. The Grays Harbor and Hoquiam town have for many generations and seasons been good sources of income for the farmers, fishermen and craftsmen who have come to supply the needs of hundreds and sometimes thousands of seasonal residents of Hoquiam and the surrounding communities who work for the millers and logging companies.

Hoquiam’s name came from a Native American term, which meant “Hungry for wood” fortunately it is the name given the river that empty into the pacific, not that the people ate wood because they were starving, but rather for the propensity of driftwood from naturally felled logs or through the efforts of men floating and clogging the mouth of the river.

The forest an old growth one supplied good wood and a multitude of people descended on the lumber treasure either as investors, workers or entrepreneurs seeking their fortunes from the ancient trees that dotted clustered and dotted the forest and harvest lumber they did, day in day out, working like there was no tomorrow finding little time to tend to their basic needs like the olden times, there was money to be made to provide for those needs through lumber.

As time went by in Hoquiam and Grays Harbor a lot of people came in as contract workers for the big or medium sized lumber corporations and mills and that meant they lived in logging camps that needed everything brought to them, such as food, clothing, personal products and other stuff that a lumberjack or a miller might need or not to drive them and sustain them throughout their quest for more wood.

Aside from meat and cereals and grain men needed fish and in the good old days the rivers and coast were a very good source of seafood and fresh they were. The earlier settlers came about catching their own when time allowed them or special fishing and foraging parties were organized to provide the logging camps their protein requirements.

Now fish can still be had, especially if they are in season you will surely find a great whole fresh fish or a sumptuous fillet ready to be poached or fried in any of the fish stalls in the Grays Harbor Market and if you are already hungry and cannot wait to cook your own salmon or trout then surely there will be a small stall selling well cooked and delicious fish dishes to tickle your taste buds.

The law of supply and demand dictated the rest with the seasonal arrival of workers and lumber men and the requirements of the residents of Hoquiam and Aberdeen farmers, fisher folk and craftsmen, salesmen and entrepreneurs trooped to Hoquiam and the Grays Harbor area to get the workers to part with their hard earned dollars and it was a good venture, with most of the men and women working directly or indirectly for the lumber companies and mills needing an endless supply of things to eat, drink and use.

Grays Harbor Farmers Market and Craft Fair is one of only two Washington State farmers markets open all-year round. And you will find excellent local produce, delicious freshly baked pastries, very fresh seafood, fine chowder, even fine arts, & quality crafted items at affordable prices or even trade. Visit and partake of what the Grays Harbor Farmers Market and Craft Fair has to offer, discover new things, make new friends and taste the best of Grays Harbor and Hoquiam itself or better yet, try to bring your business to Hoquiam and be part of the good story yourself.

Agriculture and commerce has always been part of Hoquiam and the Grays Harbor area farmers all around Washington state have endeavored to bring their fresh produce from their beautiful productive farms to the communities of the Grays Harbor area to supply the mixed population of official residents and temporary ones who in the past worked for the logging firms, mills and shingle factories in the area.

“Hungry for wood” that is the translation of the town and rivers’ name Hoquiam which is a Native American term. The abundance of the old growth forest can only satiate men’s hunger for lumber but of course he cannot eat wood, in earlier times men took from the woods, rivers and coast to supplement their meager supplies, elk, deer, salmon and berries and the occasional trade with the indigenous tribes made it possible for some few enterprising souls to continue on with their quest for precious lumber.

The men who ventured forth into the great forest of the Grays Harbor found their fortunes or meager livelihood from the good quality timber that was felled, hauled and processed and this took much time. The lumber men and those in the mill had little or no time at all to find their own food and other supplies, unlike those that came before them.

The workers of the various paper and pulp mills and logging concerns increased steadily in numbers and the men and women who worked in these camps needed more supplies to feed and provide them with the basic necessities. More men meant more opportunities for farmers and other businesses to thrive.

Fish were far more bountiful before with fresh catch coming over from the coast and the fresh water species like trout and salmon come in from the various river systems all around the Olympic Peninsula, and most of not all those fish were caught by the lumber workers themselves if they can afford the time.

Now fish can still be had, especially if they are in season you will surely find a great whole fresh fish or a sumptuous fillet ready to be poached or fried in any of the fish stalls in the Grays Harbor Market and if you are already hungry and cannot wait to cook your own salmon or trout then surely there will be a small stall selling well cooked and delicious fish dishes to tickle your taste buds.

The rising number or people who were getting employed as tree fellers, mill workers and other work that had to do with the lumber industry of needed more food and other supplies, the basic law of supply and demand was at full work in Hoquiam. More people meant more business for those who produced, manufactured or provided services to meet those growing needs of the people of Hoquiam whether they were true residents or temporary due to their jobs with the logging firms.

Grays Harbor Farmers Market and Craft Fair is one of only two Washington State farmers markets open all-year round. And you will find excellent local produce, delicious freshly baked pastries, very fresh seafood, fine chowder, even fine arts, & quality crafted items at affordable prices or even trade. Visit and partake of what the Grays Harbor Farmers Market and Craft Fair has to offer, discover new things, make new friends and taste the best of Grays Harbor and Hoquiam itself or better yet, try to bring your business to Hoquiam and be part of the good story yourself.