Produce at Farmer's Markets (Portland, Beaverton: rent, to buy, organic)

[Jane M]

There are so many farmer's markets in Portland, but which ones are best for actual PRODUCE? I've only been to a few and it seems what is mostly on display is prepared food, snacks and items such as salsa, hot sauce, etc.. If I wanted these items, I would go to a grocery store or restaurant. I don't want to waste anymore time walking or driving to a farmer's market just to encounter 20 different kinds of homemade pastries, food trucks and ubiquitous kettle corn. I want to have more options to buy fruits and vegetables from local farms. thank you

[texasdiver]

The one in downtown Vancouver is good. I have no trouble finding produce selections there. I haven't been to any of the ones on the Portland side of the river.

[StealthRabbit]

Tough with short growing season and weather to keep enough interest to keep a FT market healthy (and pay rent to city for space...) thus there are crafts / prepared foods at each market and we (customers and growers) enjoy extended exposure to markets that otherwise would be BARE shelf 9 months / yr...

Here are some 'produce centric option in Portland (There is also a Sauvie Island, Valley and Clark County (WA) local growers association.)
https://www.thegrowersoutlet.com/
https://portlandfarmtofamily.localfo...lace.com/Index
https://multco.us/multfood/local-food
https://www.localharvest.org/portland-or/farms

There are stable / seasonal 'fresh' markets in several Portland metro locations;
I do the 'Park Blocks' (near art Museum on Weds and Sat.)

Hopefully many will share their favorites. I miss 'The Farm' near Airport Way, but it turned into yet another Brew-pub... (higher revenues for space)

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...692470707!5i11

(I was a fruit farmer for many yrs and still do a lot of AG marketing and finance volunteer work (Including helping set up a Mobile Farmers Market in the Columbia Gorge for small towns and elderly shoppers).

[sam812]

This is just about farmers markets in general because I have no experience in Portland. I do have 8 years experience is growing and selling produce for a living at farmers markets. Shop at markets that only let vendors sell what they grow or make at their home/place of business.

You need to find out the rules for the vendors. Some of these places let anybody sell pretty much anything. There are vendors who will go to stores and buy tomatoes at $.99 a pound and sell them at the market for $2.50 a pound and tell you they grew them. This is done with ALL vegetables.

I had to leave the business because I just could not compete with the resellers that did not grow a thing they sold.

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by Jane M

There are so many farmer's markets in Portland, but which ones are best for actual PRODUCE? I've only been to a few and it seems what is mostly on display is prepared food, snacks and items such as salsa, hot sauce, etc.. If I wanted these items, I would go to a grocery store or restaurant. I don't want to waste anymore time walking or driving to a farmer's market just to encounter 20 different kinds of homemade pastries, food trucks and ubiquitous kettle corn. I want to have more options to buy fruits and vegetables from local farms. thank you

Not sure which ones you've gone to, but I am very familiar with four of them - Wednesday market in the Park Blocks, Downtown PSU and Beaverton markets on Saturday, and Hillsdale on Sunday. ALL are very produce oriented with wonderful selections all season long. Sure, they have pastries, jams etc. and food carts, but are mostly seasonal local produce.

[Jane M]

Thank you for the suggestions! I will check them out.

Sam812, I am sorry you had to leave the business. I will definitely investigate vendor rules. So sad that people are able to do that.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Woodstock has a great farmers market.

But I always wonder how many people are selling produce grown in their backyard in the middle of the city.

To be honest, I find better organic produce and fruit at better prices at Safeway.

If you check out that section in the Woodstock Safeway, it's outstanding.
They do a really great job there.

Plus it's a lot cheaper than paying premium prices at a "Farmers Market".

I'll bet (the people selling at a farmers market) they buy their stuff at wholesale prices, and then pretend it's all organic and raised with free range carrots or something.

The Mt Hood Fruit Loop is getting the same way.
Very commercialized, and totally set up for yuppies and tourists.

For example, right now, I can buy the same exact cherries a buck a pound cheaper at a local grocery store than what they are being sold for at "farmers market" fruit stands outside of Hood River.

It's all a big racket.

[sayulita]

All the ones I mentioned have their own websites. You can check out what's available on a week-to-week basis. Here is Hillsdale Market's latest for this Sunday. It's a smaller market than the others, but still great produce.


https://mailchi.mp/6e2109e3e890/hill...t?e=744377ee94

[sam812]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Woodstock has a great farmers market.

But I always wonder how many people are selling produce grown in their backyard in the middle of the city.

To be honest, I find better organic produce and fruit at better prices at Safeway.

If you check out that section in the Woodstock Safeway, it's outstanding.
They do a really great job there.

Plus it's a lot cheaper than paying premium prices at a "Farmers Market".

I'll bet (the people selling at a farmers market) they buy their stuff at wholesale prices, and then pretend it's all organic and raised with free range carrots or something.

The Mt Hood Fruit Loop is getting the same way.
Very commercialized, and totally set up for yuppies and tourists.

For example, right now, I can buy the same exact cherries a buck a pound cheaper at a local grocery store than what they are being sold for at "farmers market" fruit stands outside of Hood River.

It's all a big racket.

It's not a scam. The bigger growers that sell to the stores are getting government subsidies. Most of the smaller sellers at Farmers Markets are not. Without those subsidies food in stores would be WAY more expensive. I know this for a fact from personal experience. As a grower I couldn't grow tomatoes for what they sell for in the stores.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by sam812

It's not a scam. The bigger growers that sell to the stores are getting government subsidies. Most of the smaller sellers at Farmers Markets are not. Without those subsidies food in stores would be WAY more expensive. I know this for a fact from personal experience. As a grower I couldn't grow tomatoes for what they sell for in the stores.

There are no government subsidies for cherries. The price supports are mostly for commodity crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans.

What is probably happening is some groceries are selling highly visible seasonal items like cherries as a loss leader to get you into the store whereas the small producer at the farmer's market actually has to earn a living with the produce in front of them.