- Saturday PSU Market remains open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday until Dec. 15 -
- Winter Market readies for opening of second season -
Portland, Ore., November 2, 2012 – Just as many farmers prepare their fields to rest and lay dormant during the winter months, Portland Farmers Market is winding down operations at six of its eight markets. The last days of October mark the end of the 2012 season for all of the neighborhood market locations.
Shemanski Park Market hosted its final market of the season on Wednesday, October 31. Already closed is King in Northeast Portland, which hosted its last 2012 market on October 28, as well as Buckman in Southeast Portland, Kenton in North Portland, Northwest in Northwest Portland and Pioneer Courthouse Square market, which all finished their seasons at the end of September.
“Thank you to all of our shoppers, farmers and vendors for another wonderful year. In the 2012 season, Portland Farmers Market continued to invest time and resources to support local farmers, ranchers and food artisans at neighborhood markets,” said Trudy Toliver, executive director of the Portland Farmers Market. “We were especially proud to expand our Fresh Exchange program to ensure low-income residents have access to fresh, local produce and to open a new market in the North Portland neighborhood of Kenton.”
Some of the highlights of the neighborhood markets in the 2012 season include:
- Expansion of Fresh Exchange - A first for the 2012 season, Northwest Market shoppers eligible for SNAP benefits received a dollar-for-dollar match (up to $7) to purchase local food through Fresh Exchange, a program of Farmers Market Fund. (SNAP recipients buy at least $7 in market tokens with their Oregon Trail Card to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, cheese and some baked goods and receive an additional $7 in matching Fresh Exchange tokens.) In its inaugural year, Fresh Exchange distributed nearly $6,000 to low-income shoppers at Northwest Market. Fresh Exchange was also available to shoppers at King and Buckman neighborhood markets, where matching funds totaled $24,000—nearly $14,400 at King and over $9,600 at Buckman.
- New North Portland Market - Portland Farmers Market welcomed a new neighborhood market to its crop of locations, operating Kenton Portland Farmers Market from June 1 to September 28 on Friday evenings from 3 pm to 7 pm on North McClellan Street at Denver Avenue at the flashing light, steps away from the Kenton/N Denver Avenue MAX Station. Residents made almost 17,000 visits to the market to support the 15 to 20 vendors.
- Programming – Festive events and engaging programs successfully attracted new shoppers to the community markets nestled in neighborhoods around the city.
Senior citizens enjoyed Senior Day at the Northwest market location the third Thursday of every month. Elderly shoppers were invited to take a brief guided tour of the market to learn more about the Portland Farmers Market organization, as well as discuss tips, techniques and new ideas for working with peak season produce. Seniors also played fruit and veggie bingo where the prizes come in the form of produce from market vendors.- On July 15, Portland Farmers Market hosted the first Urban Homesteading Fair at the King Portland Farmers Market. Shoppers asked questions and learned more from specialists on the subjects of home gardening, beekeeping, urban chickens, wild foods, food preservation, DIY home/personal care, etc.
- Once per month (June-September), Buckman Market shoppers were treated to a special Mealtime Makeover class with professional market chef Kathryn Yeomans of The Farmer’s Feast. During this informational series, shoppers built their kitchen know how and learned to make the most of their market purchases through topics ranging from how to make homemade stocks to preserving the harvest through canning and fermentation.
PSU Market and Thanksgiving Harvest Market at King
For the remainder of 2012, Portlanders foraging for farm-fresh local produce, proteins and other artisan foods can still fill their baskets at the Saturday PSU Market, which shifts its opening time from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. starting November 3. The flagship market will welcome dedicated ‘Portlandivores’ every Saturday through December 15.
For the first time, residents of Northeast Portland will feast in the one-day return of King Portland Farmers Market, where they can stock up on fixin’s for their Thanksgiving holiday feast. The King Thanksgiving Harvest Market runs Sunday, November 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Winter Market Sprouts for Second Season
Saturday, January 5 marks the start of the 2013 season with the ringing of the opening bell at the second season of Winter Market at Shemanski Park. The Winter Market will operate eight consecutive Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., from January 5 to February 23.
Located downtown at Shemanski Park in the South Park Blocks between SW Salmon and SW Main Streets, more than 35 market vendors will return to offer shoppers meats, fish, eggs, artisan breads, cheeses, wine, hot foods, sweets, and winter produce including leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, radishes and leeks, along with storage crops such as apples, pears, potatoes and onions.
As the demand for locally-grown produce continues to rise, the region’s innovative farmers are meeting that need with a variety of season-extending techniques such as planting winter-hardy varietals and using row covers, cold frames, hoop houses and greenhouses to protect crops from the elements. With the addition of Portland Farmers Market’s new Winter Market, Portlanders now have access to locally grown farm-fresh food all year long.
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About Portland Farmers Market
Founded in 1992, Portland Farmers Market operates world-class farmers markets that contribute to the success of local food growers and producers, and create vibrant community gatherings. The independently run local 501(c)6 nonprofit which receives no ongoing support from government agencies employs five full-time and four part-time employees who manage eight weekly farmers markets in the Portland area year round. More than 650,000 shoppers purchased farm-fresh produce, meats, cheeses, seafood, baked goods and other specialty foods from more than 190 vendors generating over $8 million in sales in 2011. In addition to operating markets, Portland Farmers Market also serves as an incubator for emerging businesses, a leader of the local food movement, a source of education, a culinary focal point in the community, a cultural destination complete with musical entertainment, and a billboard for Portland’s sustainability movement. To learn more about how Portland Farmers Market aims to grow, nourish and inspire the community, become a Twitter follower, Facebook fan, blog reader and visit www.portlandfarmersmarket.org.