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13 March 2013

Now is the Springtime of Our Kaleness

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Thanks to Weinstein PR

Nothing signals the start of spring like opening day at Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University. The freshest seasonal foods will be ripe for the picking starting Saturday, March 16, when the market’s 22nd season commences on the South Park Blocks at Portland State University.

Mayor Charlie Hales is scheduled to ring the opening bell at 8:30 a.m. “Portland Farmers Market has helped put Portland on the map as a destination for great food,” says Mayor Hales, adding, “There’s nothing like wandering through the market, picking out the freshest local produce, and talking directly to the people who grew it to make you feel connected to your community.”

Under a canopy of budding trees in the South Park Blocks, the Saturday PSU Market will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. More than 100 farmers, food producers and artisans will start the season off. This number will grow to 130 vendors as the days get warmer and the bounty of local produce ripens.

“Everyone’s favorite farmers and food vendors are back, and we’re welcoming several new ones to the family as well,” says Trudy Toliver, executive director of Portland Farmers Market. “Every year, we are wowed by the gorgeous, artful produce and products that the farmers and artisans bring to market.”

In its 22 years, the market has sustained the region’s food and farming community by helping to launch more than 40 small businesses and providing a lively and profitable sales outlet for small family farms, many of which count on farm-direct sales as their main source of income.

What’s fresh this spring at Saturday PSU Market?

Shoppers will find peak-of-season produce and proteins from close-by farms—some are even within Portland’s city limits. They can also grab hot coffee, baked goods, breakfast or lunch while taking in live music, and then move on to shopping for meats, cheeses, seafood and more.

Several new vendors will enhance the market’s world-class status this season at the Saturday PSU Market:

  • Bodmer – Carlton, OR – Gourmet garlic growers offering over 20 varieties of soft-neck and hard-neck garlic and several varieties of shallots.
  • Honey Mama’s – Portland, OR – Their flagship product is a nutrient rich, cocoa-honey treat called Nectar Fudge—a soy-, dairy- and gluten-free food, made from five pure ingredients. honeymamas.com.
  • InTownAg – Portland, OR – Neighborhood crops farmed in Portland yards brought to market through garden sharing with homeowners. intownag.com
  • Kuys Cambodian Sauces – St. Helens, OR – Made-by-hand sauces from Kuys restaurant, using local ingredients whenever possible. kuyscambodiansauces.com
  • Little Localvore – Portland, OR – Always-fresh baby food made in a certified kitchen using locally grown, organic fruits, vegetables and grains. littlelocalvore.com
  • Mickelberry Gardens (PSU, NW, Shemanski, Buckman) – Gresham, OR – Specializing in treatment-free raw honey and bee products used to make Honey Tonics and organic skincare. mickleberrygardens.com
  • Natural Valley Poultry – Woodburn, OR – Offering pastured poultry that is free of hormones and antibiotics.
  • Nectar Creek Honeywine – Corvallis, OR – Handcrafted mead from small batches, using the best ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer to produce a sensational pint. nectarcreekhoneywine.com
  • Nightlight Farms – Portland, OR – A truly urban farm at 39th and E. Burnside offering specialty microgreens. nightlightfarms.com
  • Nossa Familia Coffee – Portland, OR – Locally roasted coffee sourced directly from the owner’s family farm in Brazil. A true farm-to-cup pedigree. familyroast.com
  • Three Sisters Nixtamal – Portland, OR – Organic corn masa and tortillas made using the centuries old, nutritionally-rich process of Nixtamalization. threesisterspdx.com