With the average age of farmers in Oregon exceeding 60 years and established farmers scaling back their operations or retiring, there is an increasing demand for new farm businesses. This transition poses a challenge for us as well as other farmers markets in our region, which rely on these established farms to supply a diverse range of produce and farm products to create a market experience that draws and develops a strong shopper base. However, it also presents an exciting opportunity for new farmers looking to establish reliable market outlets.
To help new farmers gain experience in selling their products at the farmers market, we partnered with the Headwaters Farm Business Incubator in 2019 to launch the New Farm Market Opportunity Pilot Program. This program provides market space at PSU Farmers Market for emerging farm businesses enrolled in the Headwaters program.
The Headwaters Farm Business Incubator provides a pipeline of new farmers seeking markets to connect with local shoppers and sell their products. Our two organizations aim to create a mutually beneficial partnership that supports the development of new farm businesses and contributes to a vibrant and healthy local food system. Establishing a purposeful connection between Headwater’s emerging farm businesses and the vibrancy of PSU Farmers Market is at the heart of this partnership.
The New Farm Market Opportunity Pilot Program, a successful initiative that has provided opportunities for multiple new farmers, is now in its seventh season at PSU Farmers Market.
More about Headwaters Farm Business Incubator
Owned and operated by East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) since 2013, Headwaters Farm Business Incubator is located on 60 acres outside Gresham, Oregon. The program serves as a launchpad for new farming businesses, helping to alleviate common barriers associated with starting a farm. It provides affordable access to farmland, equipment, peer networks, and other essential resources. The high cost of farmland in Multnomah County affects those who can participate in farming, making Headwaters an essential resource for aspiring farmers.
Since the program’s inception, Headwaters has had 44 farm businesses participate in their program, many of which experienced the New Farm Market Opportunity Program at PSU Farmers Market.
We are proud to have the following Headwaters alums at our markets as full-fledged vendors!
- Gentle Rain Farm (PSU Farmers Market, regular season)
- Glasrai Farm (PSU Farmers Market, regular season)
- Happy Moment Farm (Lents International Farmers Market)
- Mora Mora Farm (King Farmers Market)
- Rainbow Produce (PSU Farmers Market, year-round)
- Stadnikov Farm (Kenton and Lents International Farmers Markets)
We are thrilled to host these three new and upcoming farms to our vendor lineup this season, made possible through our partnership with the Headwaters Farm Incubator Program.
Cohesive Farm
Launched at Headwaters in 2025, Cohesive Farm is owned and operated by Randy, who began farming on his uncle’s 700-acre farm. He transitioned to orchard crops and greenhouse production before working with UC Davis Cooperative Extension.
Now a conservation ecology and plant biology instructor at Lewis and Clark College, Randy also conducts GlobalGAP assessments in the summer and runs a small vegetable starts business from home.
Cohesive Farm grows a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens, peas, fava beans, and squash, utilizing regenerative practices to enhance soil health and produce high-quality, seasonal produce.
Follow Cohesive Farm on Instagram!
Silly Goose Farms
Silly Goose Farms began at Headwaters in 2025 by David, a first-generation farmer with over 10 years of experience working on small to mid-scale, established local mixed vegetable farms.
David had been running an heirloom dry bean farm, La Merenda Farm, with fellow farmer Katie Gourley since 2021. He also brings years of farmers market management (he’s a PFM alum – woo hoo!) and food service experience to his new farm. He is excited to begin his mixed-vegetable farm, where he’ll focus on diversified vegetables, dry beans, and reconnecting with ancestral foods from Eastern Europe. Sharing food, mainly produce, is at the heart of what motivates Silly Goose.
Follow Silly Goose Farms on Instagram!
Walking Whale Flower Farm
Walking Whale Flower Farm started at Headwaters in 2024. Aaron and Madeline’s farming journey began in 2020 through WWOOFing on the West Coast, eventually settling in Oregon. They both worked in farms and agricultural organizations while Madeline started her own flower business, which originated from Portland’s backyard lots. In 2024, they decided to join forces and start Walking Whale Flower Farm.
Their farm focuses on locally grown, fresh flower varieties that last longer in vases and operates on a small scale, supplying annual and perennial flowers to farmers markets and florists. They do not use pesticides or herbicides; instead, they employ a holistic approach to plant and soil health, prioritizing a balanced ecosystem through cover cropping and tarping.
Follow Walking Whale Flower Farm on Instagram!
Be sure to stop by these emerging farms this Saturday at PSU Farmers Market to check out their fresh, locally grown offerings and, of course, support them and contribute to the food system.