More and more Portlanders are planting a garden this year, large or small, new or well-established. But garden or no garden, anyone who enjoys putting together meals when produce is the most fresh and varied, will head to a local farmers market occasionally this summer for fruit and veggies and possibly other Oregon and Southwest Washington products to eat, drink and beautify their homes.
And unless you are shopping averse or daunted by the monsoon weather that’s had a damaging impact on both farmers and market visitor counts, a market visit is a treat in itself. What’s not to like about free samples of meat and cheese, bread, artisan chocolates, wine and beer, fresh berries, and then following your nose to a tempting lunch? Other draws are live music, cooking demonstrations and cooking classes for children and adults at some markets.
Chances are there’s at least one market near where you live or work. Portland Farmers Market, the grand-daddy of local markets lists more than 30 metro area markets on its web site. I was an early customer in 1992 when Portland Farmers Market first opened: 13 stalls in a parking lot on the edge of the not-yet-developed Pearl District. Today the market has six locations across the city, more than 250 vendors, and its largest location, along the tree-lined Park Blocks at the Portland State University campus, is considered one of the best farmers markets in the country.
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