06 June 2012

Northwest by Northwest

Big Thanks to Debra Pleva at Weinstein PR

Thursday, June 7 marks the return of Northwest Portland Farmers Market. The lively neighborhood market, run by Portland Farmers Market and sponsored by Food Front Cooperative Grocery features 20 vendors selling local farm-fresh produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods and other specialty foods. Northwest Market will be held every Thursday from June 7 through September 27, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in a parking lot adjacent to and generously donated by community partner Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at NW 19th Avenue and NW Everett Street.

Opening day will feature the launch of new programs and promotions including cooking demonstrations, market orientations, and senior days.

Also new this year, Northwest Market shoppers eligible for SNAP benefits can now receive a dollar-for-dollar match up to $7 in market tokens through Fresh Exchange, a program of Farmers Market Fund. SNAP recipients buy market tokens with their Oregon Trail Card to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, cheese and some baked goods. Fresh Exchange is also available to shoppers at the King and Buckman neighborhood markets.

“We want our Northwest Market to not only bring healthy farm-fresh produce to residents of the Northwest, but also to serve as a vibrant community gathering place that reflects the surrounding neighborhood,” said Trudy Toliver executive director of Portland Farmers Market. “We hope the combination of new and returning vendors, events and programs will provide a lively market experience week after week for our wonderful shoppers.”

Opening Day – June 7

Opening day will include musical entertainment by Water Tower and Dan Lange.

Northwest Market Vendor

About 20 vendor stalls brimming with farm-fresh produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods and other specialty foods will crop up every Thursday in a parking lot adjacent to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Five vendors new to the Portland Farmers Market family – Ravenhill Farm, Rudio Creek Ranch, Happy Campers Gluten Free Baking, Marshall’s Haute Sauce, Portland Creamery and Serious Business Pastries – will join the Northwest Market lineup.

Overview of New Vendors

  • Ravenhill Farm – Based in Carlton, Oregon, Ravenhill Farm is in the business of inspiring cooks. Their vegetables are chosen with the kitchen in mind, honoring the culinary traditions that have graced today’s cuisine. They are committed to bringing the highest quality produce, grown sustainably, without the use of chemicals.
  • Rudio Creek Ranch – The 6,200-acre Rudio Creek Ranch is nestled in Salem, Oregon, where grass-fed Black Angus cattle co-exist with the natural wonders of the surrounding spaces. Pure grazing practices combined with a commitment to a stress-free environment for every animal create premium, distinctive beef processed in a healthy and responsible way.
  • Happy Campers Gluten Free Baking – Lacy Gillham and Jan (pronounced Yawn) Taborsky are Camp Captains and founders of Happy Campers Baking based in Tigard, OR. They believe that life’s an adventure, and pure and simple foods help people stay energized. Their baked products are gluten-free, wheat-free, and vegan, and they contain no soy, corn, refined sugars, or GMOs. They source their ingredients and supplies locally whenever possible and donate baked goods to local charities twice a week.
  • Marshall’s Haute Sauce – Marshall’s Haute Sauce creates delicious fresh and local small-batch hot sauce to those craving heat and spice. Their sauces have unique spice blends and flavor combinations. All sauces are gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan. They believe in small business owners, farmers and producers, and work with as many as possible.
  • Portland Creamery – This Portland-based artisan goat cheese producer is focused on providing high quality traditional as well as unique goat cheeses. Their award-winning cheese is made using family recipes with the finest ingredients. Their vision is to promote the awareness of the benefits of goat cheese as a natural and healthy food source. Locally produced and handcrafted, their cheeses are 100% hormone free.
  • Serious Business Pastries – Serious Business Pastries is serious about quality and craftsmanship, but fun and funky when it comes to flavors and creativity. They make their pastries every day from scratch using all-natural ingredients, and never any preservatives or artificial flavors. In the summertime, they visit local farms and hand-pick the berries that go into their pastries, and they make a considerable effort to source all other produce, honey and jams direct from farmers markets.

Farmers and Ranchers

Bakeries and Food Artisans

* New vendor for the 2012 season

New and Returning Programs and Events

Throughout the season, Northwest Market will organize activities to promote neighborhood restaurants and attract new and loyal shoppers to the market.

“We have a terrific line-up of new and returning events this season at Northwest Market,” said Anna Curtin, Program Manager of Portland Farmers Market. “There are activities for the young and old to learn about the market, sample food from local restaurants and even play fruit and veggie bingo. We invite Northwest residents to join us for the festivities, fun, fruit and veggies on Thursdays from June to September.”

New programs include:

  • Portlandivore Program – Market organizers are launching the Portlandivore Program, a frequent shopper promotion. Shoppers who visit the market three times a month can enter to win a basket of $30 worth of market products. The drawings take place on the last market of each month.
  • Meet the Market – On Thursday, June 14, Northwest Market will host the first-ever open house featuring cooking demonstrations, market orientations, recipes showcasing market ingredients, product samples and giveaways from vendors and market sponsor Food Front Cooperative Grocery, and market prize drawings. Market organizers hope to attract new market shoppers to this informative, festive event.
  • Taste the Place – Neighborhood restaurants will provide samples and recipes to market shoppers the second Thursday of every month. Participating restaurants include Elephant’s Deli (June 14), World Cup Coffee (July 12), Dick’s Kitchen (August 9), and Touché (September 13).
  • Senior Day – On senior day, elderly shoppers are invited to take a brief guided tour of the market to learn more about the Portland Farmers Market organization, as well as discuss tips, techniques and new ideas for working with peak season produce. The tour will begin at 5 pm and last approximately 30 minutes. Plus, seniors are invited to play fruit and veggie bingo where the prizes come in the form of produce from market vendors. Senior Days take place the third Thursday of every month.

For up-to-date information on these events, shoppers can visit the Portland Farmers Market Northwest Market page.

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