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Research > Guides > Farmers' Markets

Farmers' Markets

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Have you noticed the growing number of farmers' markets in the Portland area? Crowds gather early, anticipating the choice seasonal produce of the day. From early spring lettuce to late fall squash, the markets' food purveyors provide locally grown produce, plants, wines, seafood, cheeses, baked goods, herbs, fresh eggs, and many other choices for shoppers.

Local Markets

From Hillsboro to Gresham, the greater Portland metropolitan area is home to more than 25 farmers' markets as well as countless farm stands. Local chefs find fresh, seasonal foods to enhance their menu offerings. Shoppers have access to organically-raised fruits, vegetables and herbs. Growers can offer choices that supermarket chains might hesitate to carry because of a shorter shelf life or the sometimes higher prices of organics.

Websites

Portland Farmers' Market
Get the scoop on some of the most popular markets in the country.
Oregon Farmers' Markets Association
Find a complete list of local markets, fresh produce tables and the location of a market near you.
Food Alliance
Valuable resources for the consumer and grower. Find the Northwest Resource Guide which lists producers of certified crops and market partners.
Tricounty Farm Fresh Produce Guide
Features a crop calendar, farm list, maps to farms and much more to help you choose local, in-season produce.

Politics of Food

The industrialized American diet of over-processed, refined foods has spread across the globe, creating an epidemic of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Use of chemicals and a decrease in the diversity of food crops produced by modern agriculture have resulted in a food supply loaded with cheap calories from processed corn, wheat and soy. Authors like Michael Pollan, Frances Moore Lapp'e and Eric Schlosser have exposed the dark side of the food industry from feed lots to fast food chains.

Websites

Ecotrust's Food and Farms
Learn more about local area food issues.
Community Food Security Coalition
This coalition of diverse groups works to reduce hunger, encourage sustainable agricutlture, community gardens and much more.
Animal Welfare Institute
Find information on participating family farms that put each individual animal's comfort and well-being first.
SlowFood
An international movement concerned with the affect fast food has on society and life.

Cooking Fresh and Local Foods

Now it's time to feast!

Eating healthful foods is a longstanding tradition in the Portland area, where regional cooking combines with concern for healthy living and a safe environment. Cooking and eating seasonally means using the freshest foods available. What a wealth of eating choices we have in the Portland area! Herbs and produce from the temperate Willamette valley, fresh seafood from the coast, orchard-ripened apples, pears, peaches and cherries from the Cascade foothills, prize-winning wines from the region's thriving vineyards and wineries, cheeses with all the flavor of the rich Northwest country.

Websites

Chefs Collaborative
A national network of more than 1,000 members, the collaborative promotes sustainable cuisine by providing farmer-chef connections, community events, resource lists and a great bibliography.
Seafood Watch
Learn more about your seafood choices from Abalone to Wahoo. Find conservation and farming information for different species.
Splendid Table
Companion to the popular radio program, this site features restaurant recommendations, recipes, cooking techniques and a fine cookery bibliography.
Oregon Wine Board
Lists of and links to Oregon wineries, touring maps, events calendar and lots of information about wine.

For Growers and Sellers

Websites

Spin Farming
Small Plot Intensive farming is a system of vegetable farming on under an acre of land.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Community supported agriculture, also know as subscription farming, is an adaptation of a European concept, which features community involvement in small farm production of safe crops.
Portland Community Gardens
Grow your own vegetables in a beautiful community setting. A good way to meet your gardening neighbors.
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Farmers market and farm stand information. Contains food safety guidelines and measurement standards.
Oregon Tilth
A non-profit research and education organization certifying organic farmers, processors and retailers. The library subscribes to the group's educational magazine In Good Tilth.
Salmon-Safe
Nonprofit organization which certifies fish friendly farms in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Salmon-Safe has become one of the nation's leading regional eco labels with more than 30,000 acres of farmland certified.
Seeds of Change
This company's mission is to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable agriculture by cultivating and disseminating organically grown vegetable, flower, herb and cover crop seeds for both the home gardener and the professional grower.

Library Resources

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