New and Old in NW
A good Farmers Market needs good partners: Good neighbors, good farmers, good sponsors and a good home – With our new Thursday location at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at NW 19th & Everett all the pieces are in place to build a vibrant gathering place for food lovers and NW community members. The Market kicks off its 2011 season this Thursday and will be open every Thursday between 3 and 7 pm, until the end of September.[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=NW+19th+and+everett,+portland&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=NW+Everett+St+%26+NW+19th+Ave,+Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon+97209&z=14&ll=45.524942,-122.690307&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
Our host, Trinity Cathedral is an ideal partner. Not only for its location near NW businesses and homes, but because of Trinity’s longstanding commitment to promoting the greater good in Portland. Currently, Trinity is working to become the greenest church in the US. Communications Coordinator Pam Knepper, who worked with PFM to help find its new home sees a Farmers Market as a natural fit with the church’s outreach efforts, saying “Trinity is building a relationship with the local farmers and helping the local community put a face to the food they eat every day.”
Just as Trinity sees a Market as way to build on the good work they do, Northwest Market sponsor Food Front sees the new Market location as an extension of what they already do, Food Front’s Jessica Miller adds, “Supporting local growers and producers and providing access to delicious food to our neighborhood is what Food Front grocery stores are all about”.
As exciting as new things are, it’s good to see familiar faces following us to our new home. Trevor Baird of Baird Family Orchards is excited about the new location, even though he can’t promise fresh cherries for the Market opening – they will be there as soon as the weather cooperates, adding, “I’m sure people are ready for some good fruit and sunshine after a long, long, long winter.”
Besides Baird Family Orchards and Food Front, the Northwest Market will have 2 dozen vendors returning for the 2011 season and 5 new vendors – veg from La Terra Vita, Feastworks and their sausages, Crust and Common Pie, plants from Willamette Valley’s KCK Farms and juices from Pure Simple Nourishment.
The Trinity lots will be available for parking but in keeping with its green ethos, Pam wanted to remind everyone that the Max (Blue and Red) stops a mere 3 blocks away. For bicyclists, there are designated bike lanes leading in almost every direction to and from Trinity.
Bonus: For the kickoff of the 2011 Northwest Market, Trinity’s grounds and bookstore will be open until 6 and there will be a mini-organ recital, which sounds like the organ is small, but it’s the program that is brief. The organ itself is a 54-stop monster that Bach himself would be proud to play. And that isn’t just me saying that 12,000 people attend music performances at Trinity annually – If you have never had a chance to hear music at Trinity with its wonderful acoustics and world-class organ, take the chance to enjoy one of the things that makes Portland special.
