Buried in the 75 messages waiting in my email inbox yesterday morning, I unearthed this bit of news about large grocery retailers staging lookalike farmers markets in select locations, regardless of the actual source of the produce being sold. It seems supermarkets have figured out that freshness, taste and traceability of food from farm to table matter to people. It also seems that supermarkets are looking to take advantage of the hard work farmers, market managers and community supporters have invested in building the modern local food movement over the past half century.

On the one hand, this development indicates the conversation about food security and sustainability is really going somewhere if the industrial food system is taking notice and capitalizing on the integrity of the term farmers market. On the other hand, this makes a whole lot of us who work in the world of local food and sustainable agriculture stinkin’ mad. Farmers markets are just that - places of commerce where farmers sell directly to the produce loving public, not big grocery store chains with big marketing budgets. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.

When does less equal more? When you’re talking about garbage, for one. At Portland Farmers Market, we are serious about sustainability and the fact that less waste generated at our markets means more resources for the generations to come. This year, with generous support from the City of Portland, we launched our EverGreen initiative, a comprehensive waste reduction plan designed to address this crucial issue. Read more here about how we are doing so far.

See you at the market!

(Photo courtesy of PFM volunteer and food blogger Allison Jones)

We are rolling through the Portland Farmers Market high season with hardly a breath between markets. The harvest is here in splendid abundance, the farmers are tired from long days (and nights) of labor, and Portlanders are awash in the edible rewards of backyard gardens and local farmers’ markets. Everyone, from the bees to the squirrels, is hard at work with an eye towards the cooler, darker days of fall.

Before the rains arrive though, we’d like to spend a little more time reveling in the peppers, melons, tomatoes, stone fruit and squashes of the full summer sun. An easy way to do that is by enjoying a humble workhorse of the vegetable world: zucchini. By virtue of its easygoing nature and prolific production, zukes are omnipresent this time of year and under appreciated by (almost) all the food lovers we encounter. One exception to the zucchini naysayers crowd is PFM volunteer Nicolette Smith. She has lately been singing the praises of zucchini on our blog. Check out what she has to say and see if you aren’t newly converted!

See you at the market!

The 19th season of Portland Farmers Market has officially begun. This past Saturday, the stars aligned for a picture perfect spring day and 12,000 Portlanders turned out en masse for food and fun on the South Park Blocks. It was an amazing sight. See it for yourself in this cool video from Cooking Up a Story that takes a peek at opening day from the farmers’ perspective.

If pictures are more your thing, “taste” opening day through the eyes of two of our favorite bloggers. PFM volunteer Allison Jones snapped these fantastic shots and our community partner and Pietopia creator Tricia Martin captured these sights. Enjoy!

See you at the market!

Have you ever looked at the ubiquitous symbol of comfort that is the t-shirt and thought about the ‘ingredients’ that go into the finished product? Take the two most obvious: water and cotton. One organic cotton t-shirt is coaxed into existence by more than 400 gallons of water. Conventional cotton production accounts for roughly a quarter of all pesticides used in the U.S., according to the USDA. That’s a heavy load to wear.

Even though Portland Farmers Market is in the food business, we dabble in the world of apparel when we choose which t-shirts to offer for retail sale at the markets. Each year, we take a close look at the sourcing and components of the apparel we select, seeking out merchandise that reflects our values to the greatest extent possible. We believe our name belongs on only the most local and sustainable option out there. That’s why we are particularly excited to partner with Looptworks to create our t-shirts for the upcoming season. Looptworks is a Portland-based apparel manufacturing company using 100% “upcycled” materials. Rather than manufacturing shirts from new materials, Looptworks uses quality, unused fabric that is destined to be discarded before it is made into finished pieces when the factory has completed a production run. This means everything Looptworks creates is from pre-consumer excess. The company’s goal is to promote closed loop manufacturing by making good use of surplus textiles, pushing for textile recycling at the community level, and advocating for textiles to be recycled into new fabrics. As a result, the manufacturing ‘loop’ is complete with less or no new materials needed. Bottom line: Looptworks is in the business of turning waste into want. That’s exactly the kind of company Portland Farmers Market is proud to support.

For a closer look at life cycle of apparel, see this article from Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

How many people can say they eat for a living? Here at Portland Farmers Market, we have the good fortune of doing just that during product jury time. Every year as part of the application process, a select group of potential processed food vendors are invited to bring in their goods for evaluation by a panel of PFM staff and Market Advisory Council members. Products are assessed based on a number of factors. Although passing the taste test is the most important criteria, the jury panel also takes a hard look at ingredient sourcing, aesthetics and packaging, balance of products in the marketplace, and alignment with PFM’s mission

This season, we received a record number of extraordinary applicants. The jury had the honor of sampling 20 entries representing everything from baked goods to wine to chutney. After several hours of eating and drinking, the jury panel was faced with some very tough decisions. Even though we had to decline many qualified vendors based on space availability and market needs, the sheer diversity of entries tells us this will be a banner year for artisan foods in Portland.

Among the businesses that will be joining PFM for the 2010 season are Oregon Kombucha, Sassafras Catering, and Leftbank’s own Upright Brewing Company. Congratulations, Alex & Co.!

The applications are in for the upcoming Portland Farmers Market season and we are ecstatic to report receiving over 600 entries for our six market locations! We are most excited to report submissions from more than 25 new (to PFM) farms. That means there’s a good chance you will get to meet some new faces at the market this year. Stay tuned for hints on new vendors and products you can expect to see!

Mark your calendar now to greet the first day of spring with fellow food lovers on opening day at our flagship Saturday at PSU market. The market will be open 8:30am – 2:00pm every Saturday through December 18. (9:00am – 2:00pm in November & December.)

As long as you have that calendar open, please take note of opening dates and hours for our other markets. Find your favorite and join us to welcome the farmers back to the heart of the city. Or better yet, plan a trip to each location and discover the unique flavor every market has to offer.

Sunday at King Elementary School (NE 7th & NE Wygant)
May 2 – October 31
10:00am – 2:00pm

Monday at Pioneer Courthouse Square (SW 6th & SW Yamhill)
June 21 – October 25
10:00am – 2:00pm

Wednesday at Shemanski Park (SW Park & SW Salmon)
May 5 – October 27
10:00am – 2:00pm

Thursday at Hinson Church (SE 20th & SE Salmon)
May 6 – September 30
3:00pm – 7:00pm

Thursday at NW 23 (NW 23rd & NW Savier)
June 3 – September 30
3:00pm – 7:00pm

See you at the market!

Founded in 1992, Portland Farmers Market is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization that operates vibrant farmers markets throughout Portland, OR. Our collection of six urban markets contribute to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthen the local food economy and serve as community gathering places. Each week during the height of the season, more than 26,000 shoppers purchase farm-fresh produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, seafood and other specialty foods from more than 250 vendors with deep roots in Oregon and Southwest Washington. 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 and cultural destination, and a billboard for Portland’s sustainability movement.

Portland Farmers Market operates vibrant farmers markets that contribute to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthen our food economy and serve as community gathering places.

The vision:

PFM creates vibrant opportunities for the region’s agriculture community to come together with urban residents to share the bounty of our land. The downtown Saturday Farmers Market at PSU is our signature weekly event that supports growers and artisan food preparers. Our other markets extend our services throughout the week. PFM strives to maximize the consumption of local foods through leadership in the farm direct movement; create educational programs to strengthen consumer support of local agriculture; and explore additional distribution channels for farm direct products. PFM is financially stable and places high priority on maintaining our financial health. PFM seeks to operate at the highest level of integrity in our dealings with customers, Vendors, and partners.

Learn more here!