Salmonberry Goods will sell its last loaf at the Ballard Farmers Market on Sunday, June 14.

This will end their 12-year run on Ballard Avenue NW where co-owners Alex Johnstone and David Rothstein first parked their Convoy Coffee bike carts at the corner of 22nd Street.

The co-owners left the door open to a return but set no timeline. Johnstone and Rothstein announced the decision on Instagram on Wednesday, June 10, calling it "bittersweet" and describing the market as "one of Salmonberry's great loves."

"Waking up at 2am and watching the light change through the bakery door, baking and bagging hundreds of pastries and loaves, finding inspiration for new recipes, and sharing countless beautiful small moments with so many of you," the co-owners wrote. "We don't know when we'll return to the market, and that's ok."

The departure comes as Salmonberry has expanded well beyond its market booth. The company says it now delivers Farm Box and Essentials subscriptions to hundreds of households across Seattle and operates Salmonberry Green Grocer, a bakery-grocery at 6405 32nd Ave NW in Sunset Hill that opened in October 2024. The shop is open 9 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, roughly a half-mile uphill from the market.

The move also aligns with a structural reality in the market's vendor rules. The Seattle Farmers Market Association's 2026 vendor handbook states that "vendors with multiple sales outlets and established brick-and-mortar operations are given lower priority" in the jurying process. Under those rules, Salmonberry's growth into retail and delivery could place it in that lower-priority category, though the co-owners did not cite the handbook in their announcement.

Johnstone and Rothstein said they plan to remain at the market as customers, sourcing produce from other vendors for their Farm Box program. They are also launching a newsletter called Almanac.

Some residents are responding to the business decision on social media.

"They have the store and a thriving CSA program too. I imagine they’re just ready to narrow their focus for a while and maybe catch a break from those long market days," one person commented on Reddit.

"The farmers market grew these guys into the most optimized small local business that literally gives a huge shit about where they came from. They’re not leaving the market. It's integrated into their business model and really their lives," another person said.

The Ballard Alliance, which tracks commercial activity in the neighborhood, has not commented on the departure. In January 2026, Executive Director Mike Stewart told My Ballard that small business costs in the area have risen broadly, citing payroll, insurance, and cost of goods. The Alliance reported 30 business closures and 35-plus openings in downtown Ballard during 2025, with ground-floor occupancy at 94%.

SFMA has not responded to inquiries about whether a replacement vendor will fill Salmonberry's booth space. The market's annual Pride Celebration falls on the same day as Salmonberry's final appearance, Sunday, June 14, with a Pride Market Walk at 9:15 a.m. and a Drag Showcase from 11 a.m. to noon.

Salmonberry Green Grocer, 6405 32nd Ave NW, is open daily. The Ballard Farmers Market runs Sundays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., year-round on Ballard Avenue NW.