Maple Valley Farmers Market cofounder Victoria Laise Jonas was presented with flowers, a quilt, gifts and well wishes on her last day as manager.

Jonas opened the market six years ago and has guided the sumner market at Rock Creek Elementary from the first day to Saturday, the closing day of the 2014 season.

After 15 years on the Maple Valley City Council, Jonas resigned her seat when she and her husband, Scott, moved to the Key Peninsula in June. She agreed to complete this season as manager, commuting on Saturday mornings from her new home.

Jonas said the idea for the market began in the spring of 2008 when she and cofounder Patty Davis began the process of building a farmers market in the community.

“When I looked around our local surroundings, there wasn’t a farmers market in Covington, Black Diamond nor Enumclaw,” Jonas wrote in an email. “If we started a farmers market in Maple Valley, I was confident that we would have a captive audience of farmers market supporters.”

She said the inspiration came from her visits to the Pike Place Market when she worked in downtown Seattle.

The inaugural day of the Maple Valley Farmers Market was June 20, 2009.

“We collectively as a community have built a farmers market we can all be very proud of,” Jonas said. “I am forever grateful to all of our market vendors, volunteers, customers and to our many local sponsors who have contributed to our success.”

Next season the farmers market will be managed by Lee Ellis and Linda Kowalsky.