and the attitude and expectation of the consumer has changed tremendously.” In the same article, per person sales of farmdirect products was $15, far exceeding the national figure of $4 per consumer, placing Oregon second only to Vermont. Extending market seasons into the winter months can only mean that those figures will increase, benefiting not only small family farmers, but also the communities where the markets are located. Community health can also be improved by providing residents with access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food, particularly when markets accept SNAP, or food stamp, cards. Many markets in the Willamette Valley have initiated matching programs that award dollar-for-dollar matches up to a specified limit to their customers on food assistance. Eamon Molloy, market manager at the Hillsdale Farmers Market in Portland, which has had
a winter market season since 2003, said he’s seen a marked change in his customers’ expectations of what they’ll find at the market in the winter. “I know, regardless of the weather, I can count on 1,000 people coming to Hillsdale on a winter market Sunday,” he said. “I don’t get questions like ‘Will you be open?’ when the weather is bad. The questions are more like, ‘Is it going to snow in the Coast Range, and will Meadow Harvest and DeNoble Farm be able to get to the market?’ or ‘It was really cold this week, are the farmers going to be able to harvest enough produce this week?’ “To steal a quote from (businessman and philanthropist) Sy Syms, ‘The educated consumer is our best customer.’”
Where to find ‘em
Beaverton Farmers Market February-April; Sat.,10am-1:30pm 12375 SW 5th St., Beaverton, OR www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com
Forest Grove Farmers Market (Winter Stock-Up Markets) Nov. 2, Nov. 23, Dec. 21; Sun ., 12-4pm TimesLitho Warehouse, Pacific & A Street www.adelantemujeres.org/fg-farmers-market
Lloyd Farmers Market Year-round; Tues., 10am-2pm Oregon Square Courtyard, NE Holladay Street between NE 7th Ave and NE 9th Ave. www.lloydfarmersmkt.net Lookingglass Grange Farm Market Year-round; Fri., 3-6pm 7426 Lookingglass Rd., Roseburg, OR lookingglassgrange.wordpress.com
Happy Valley’s Sunnyside Winter Market January-March; Sat., 10am-2pm 14100 SE Sunnyside Rd., Clackamas, OR www.sunnysidefarmersmarket.com
Marketplace at Sprout Year-round; Fri., 3-7pm 418 A St., Springfield, OR www.sproutfoodhub.org
Hillsdale Farmers’ Market December-April; 1st and 3rd Sun., 10am-2pm 1405 SW Vermont St., Portland, OR www.hillsdalefarmersmarket.com
Montavilla Farmers Market (Winter Stock-Up Markets) Dec. 21, 2014 and Jan. 11, Feb. 8, 2015; Sun., 11am-1pm 7600 Block of SE Stark St., Portland, OR www.montavillamarket.org
Hollywood Farmers Market December-April; 1st and 3rd Sat., 9am-1pm NE Hancock between 44th & 45th Ave., Portland, OR www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org Independence Riverview Winter/Holiday Market November-December; Sat., 9am-2pm Riverview Park, Independence, OR www.independenceriverviewmarket.com Lane County Winter Farmers Market February-March; Sat., 10am - 2pm 8th & Oak St., Downtown Eugene, OR www.lanecountyfarmersmarket.org
About Kathleen In Kathleen’s family the story goes that her first sentence was “Grandpa milked the cow.” Perhaps spending countless summers going on cattle drives through the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon accounts for her interest in stories of the people who make a living off the land and put food on our tables. That fascination with the lives of Northwesterners drives her writing and her blog, GoodStuffNW. Asked to describe herself in one word, she said, “Curious.”
Salem Public Market Year-round; Sat., 8am-2pm 1240 Rural Ave. SE, Salem OR www.salempublicmarket.com Salem Saturday Market (Holiday Market) Americraft Building, Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem, OR Dec. 13 & 14; Sat & Sun www.salemsaturdaymarket.com St. Johns Winter Market Dec. 7th, Sat., 9am - 2pm St. Johns Plaza, N. Lombard St. & N. Philadelphia Ave., Portland, OR www.sjfarmersmarket.com Sunnyside Grange #842 Farmers’ & Artists’ Market Year-round; Sun., 11am-3pm 13100 SE Sunnyside Rd., Clackamas, OR www.windancemarkets.com
Oregon City Winter Farmers Market November-April; Bi-weekly, Sat., 10am-2pm 8th St. at Main, Oregon City, OR orcityfarmersmarket.com
Troutdale Farmers’ & Artists’ Market Year-round; Sat., 10am-2pm 473 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy., Troutdale, OR www.windancemarkets.com
People’s Co-op Farmers’ Market Year-round; Wed., 2-7pm 3029 SE 21st Ave., Portland, OR www.peoples.coop/farmers-market
Umpqua Valley Winter Market November-April; Sat., 10am-2pm First United Methodist Church, 1771 Harvard Ave., Roseburg, OR www.uvfarmersmarket.com Visit Kathleen’s blog at www.goodstuffnw.com (you’ll love it!)