Oregon City Farmers Market

Showers…and smiles this Saturday!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:15:30 +0000

A beautiful day and happy customers at the Feb 4th Market!

This IS Winter after all…but how wonderful to have an open-air food market where one can chat with a farmer, buy good food …all within a quick jog to a warm cafe or the parking lot! Don’t let the weather put YOU off this weekend! 25+ vendors will be set up on 8th St at Main for the 8th Winter market this season…my, how time flies:)

Steamed, roasted or grated , Brussels are delicious and pack a punch of nutrition!

Thanks to Rick Stefens Farms and Family Table Farms we STILL have a good mix of veggies including carrots (last week for these till spring), kale (2 colors) cabbages, Brussel sprouts (including some interesting red ones!), potatoes, onions, leeks, Swiss chard, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, red beets. Kiyokawa Orchards will be bringing 20 different apple varieties and 5 different pear varieties also.
Sweet Home Farms will have the usual selection of wonderful pasture-raised meats, sausages etc. ….and not forgetting soup bones! They will also have a ton of just-laid farm eggs, with firm golden-orange yolks and lots of flavor…have a farm egg and you won’t go back to the factory-produced eggs!

Ugandan exchange students helping out at Food Forest Farm!

Food Forest Farms will have cuts of their kurobuta pork, Welsh ducklings (TIP: all are delicious glazed with Diana’s Delights Marmalade or Radish Relish) and pasture-raised geese. Also…some fresh mustard greens and kale, plus dried catnip for the cat-lovers of the crowd.
Alsea Acre Alpine Goat Farm will have the first “Spring” Goat Cheese. Recipe ideas….. soft fresh goat cheese is a great counterpoint to the more robust flavors of winter veggies, so sprinkle some over still- warm roasted veggies to melt. Roasted squash or squash soup is wonderful with a dollop of half melted chevre, and a sprinkle of coarse salt and herbs. Sauteed kale with shallots and shitakes comes alive with a garnish of feta. Both available at Alsea Acre Goat Cheese booth this Saturday!

Beautiful, natural colors of Christensen Farm's wool roving.

Christensen farm will have lovely brown and khaki colored eggs along with duck eggs that will be at the market this Saturday. (Blow and decorate some for Easter!) There will be some new feathers for crafts and fly tying along with assorted Shetland roving for spinning or knitting. Expect some Jerusalem artichokes and maybe some fresh Swiss chard and herbs.

Connie (Blossom Vinegars) do try the drinking vinegars!

Blossom Vinegars is back with their marvellous Drinking Vinegars! Mango Habanero, Loganberry Beet, Wildflower Honey Cherry, Ginger Apple Pear and Dark Cherry…for use in “mocktails” and “cocktails.” For the mocktail – simply add to sparkling water; for cocktails – they’ll have recipes and will give that out with a purchase….try one, they are heavenly! Some people are using them for sauces and dressings – a more intense/sweeter version of the vinegar line.

Delicious, nutritious, gluten-free, frozen.... SouperNatural soups are perfect for a busy week-day evening!

SouperNatural will have their range of frozen all-natural locally made soups, including roasted Vegetable -Vegan, Potato-Bacon-Cheddar (yummm!) and Caramelized Oninon..a french onion soup pureed with heavy cream and sherry. They will have a large variety of flavors as well as their Vodka Cream Sauce and Marinara Sauce!!
Daisy Fed goats milk-based products have restocked all of their Whipped Body Butters and in response to tons of requests, now offer Body Butters in both 3 ounce and 1.5 ounces sizes (the perfect size to travel with). Something new is the Romance Product line.This includes a heavenly massage oil called Love Potion, a lusciously decadent Massage Bar, and divinely luxuriant Bath Melts, all with new unique scent blends.Get a whiff this Saturday!

For your shopping convenience: Out this week are: Sunset Woodworking, Mickleberry Gardens and Wild Oregon. In is Goldenwood Soaps.

Goats Cheese, Radish Relish crepe...oh my!

Savory et Sweet are all excited about a new crepe this Saturday using fresh goats cheese and Diana’s Delight’s Radish Relish…Chris will also be making hot soup, which will warm you up with a slice of La Provence’s bread….and as always, Hot Chocolate with whipped cream…yum!

The POP Club is still going strong…$2 for every kid (5-12) to shop for fresh fruits and veggies. $5 matching tokens for Oregon Trail customers...plus Growing solar will be on hand to advise you about a unique offer to Clackamas County residents…save money with the sun! Live music, good eats and treats, friendly faces…and bracing fresh air (!), what a way to start the weekend:)
The nice folks at Busch’s Home Furnishings are letting our customers park in their lot every market day this winter….or you could park on the bluff and ride the elevator! Cheers.

So what’s not to love?

Oregon City Farmers Market — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:38:49 +0000

Just some of Kiyokawa Orchards selection of apples and pears.

February, mostly sunny , mid-50s and a full open-air Farmers Market! Gotta love that this Saturday:) We’ll be set up on 8th St at Main St, downtown Oregon City from 10am-2pm. All the usual suspects (25 vendors) bringing good, local food for you and your family. Tons of veggies, multi-colored carrots, rainbow chard, 4 kinds of potatoes, winter squash…all kinds, cabbage…red and green, kale, chard, broccoli, onions,spinach, beets, turnips, rutabagas,shallots, 22 kinds of apples and 6 different kinds of pears.

Sweet Home Farms .

Meats from Sweet Home Farms will include smoked pork jowls and pigs liver (sliced real thin, coated with flour, salt and pepper and fried quick, is THE best! Serve with fried sweet onions, apple rings, steamed carrots, greens and mashed potatoes & gravy….OH MY, so delicious:) and you can taste Food Forest Farms Kurobuta pork sausage this Saturday, along with Olympic Provisions bacon and kielbasa…yum.

Food Forrest Farms will have chicken and duck eggs too!

Blossom Vinegars will be back with a full selection of their local fruit-based vinegars…lovely for marinading……. and salads, of course. Back also is Darris Dietz with his ceramics, including his fine mixing bowls with lips for easy pouring. Sunset Woodworking are back too, with bird houses and feeders, garden beds and new this year , just in time for spring, potting benches.

Darris's bowls, perfect for pouring !

Our Favorite Foods , out last market, are back this week with Duker’s Dills – HOT Pickles and Duker’s Dills HOT Pickle Relish, great condiments for Super Bowl Sunday!!!

Dukers HOT Dill pickles.

Stock up with some market goodies for the big game….salad of winter veggies (spinach, turnips, grated they are sweet and juicy, carrots, beets etc) salami, hummus, pita chips, pickles, chutneys, goats cheese (Alsea Acre will be at the market), crusty bread, a bottle of local wine…and don’t forget the caramels, Gram’s caramels has chocolate caramels for sampling, plus packaged gramellos, cashew and pecan, Hawaiian Black Lava salted, pumpkin pie and more, they’ll have the booth in FULL Valentine mode!!! The next market is AFTER Valentines day so stock up while you’re at the Market THIS week…a pot or two of Diana’s Delight’s Lemon Curd, perhaps or one of her jams? Make a sponge cake and sandwich with either product and some whipped cream for a heavenly sweet Valentine treat.
BigFoot Bread English muffins can now be found at Green Grocer in Oregon City in case you miss market….shock, horror! This week Big Foot is offering special flavored Focaccias – Feta Garlic Dill and BlueCheese/Onion. Plus a very short run on pitas-regular and whole wheat….get there early!

Daisy Fed

Cindy from Daisy Fed Soaps will have tons of Goats Milk Soap and lotions,and in preparation for Valentines, white and pink luxuriant bath melts that smell devine; massage bars that melt on contact with the skin (wow!), scented with a heavenly scent of Amber Essence; and a most decadent product …her Love Potion Massage Oil. “Every gift bag/box will be filled with several items all designed to contribute to one of the most romantic days of the year” says Cindy, don’t loose sight that she’s also a farmer!
We’ll have hazel nut shells for landscaping, honey and honey natural remedies and wool products and turned wood too. In addition Growing Solar will be at the Market to help you negotiate the world of SUN power.
Growing Solar Clackamas County is a citizen-run group, with support from Oregon State University Extension Service, Clackamas County Office of Sustainability, and Solar Oregon (an Oregon non-profit organization).This one-time golden opportunity so stop by their booth and get all kinds of good info. on affordable green power for your home.
The kids POP Club is still signing kids up ,thanks to the support of Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District. Kids (ages 5-12) get a shopping bag, button and $2 to shop for fresh produce EVERY time they come to the market:) For those with the Oregon Trail card we have a matching fund available for up to $5 , thanks to the Rotary Club Foundation of Oregon City.
Happy faces, great hot food, live music….nice weather…bring a friend (a lot of folks still don’t know about us…hard to believe I know!)…and we’ll see you this Saturday.
Cheers!

Rain or shine, you can dine!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:21:35 +0000

Dining on local foods…that’s what the Winter Market is all about! Don’t let rain put you off, we’ll be looking good with plenty of veggies (multi-colored carrots, rainbow chard, 4 kinds of potatoes, winter squash…all kinds, cabbage…red and green, kale, chard, broccoli, onions,spinach, beets, turnips, rutabagas,shallots). Fruit, 22 kinds of apples and 6 different kinds of pears. Consider buying a box and making butters, sauces, canning some and freezing pies We’ll have many different meats and eggs to choose from…plus honey,salami, breads, pastries, preserves, goats milk soaps, wool, wooden items and garden beds, hazelnut shells for landscaping…may be Alsea Acre’s Goats milk cheese IF they can get through the floods in the coast range! …Out this week is Duker’s Dill Pickles, back next market (Feb 4th) along with Blossom Vinegars.

You’ll see Savory et Sweet in their cute new trailer serving hot bowls of just-made-at-the-market delicious soup (a fave with market staff and vendors) and slices of good bread, plus heavenly crepes (both savory and sweet!) Come down for breakfast or lunch:) Chris has sent me the following recipe she would like to share with you:

Breakfast or dessert!

Dutch Baby Pancake with Apple
Preheat oven @425f
using the blender as a measuring device, Add:
1.5 c. milk
6 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
Blend well, add:
1 c. all purpose flour
mean while, heat a heavy glass or cast iron pan 1.5 – 2 qt. size
While waiting for pan, peel & slice 1 apple (pic shows pink flesh apple from Kiyokawa Orchards)
When pan is very hot, remove from pan add butter and apple slices.
Return to oven until apples are cooked and just starting to brown)
Remove from heat, quickly pour in all batter and add a few teaspoons of brown sugar (optional), return to oven.
Bake 20 min. or until pancake is puffed and brown
Serve immediately with powdered sugar and lemon
Note: these apples would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day Breakfast.
If you place the slices towards each other, they resemble hearts!

Souper Natural (homemade frozen soups from West Linn) will be sampling Tuscan White Bean (a white bean soup pureed with rosemary and lemon), Roasted Vegetable (vegan) and Turkey Chili. plus a variety of flavors like Vegan Chili and Carrot Ginger (vegetarian) Check out their “Buy 5-Get 1 Free” special , stock up for those busy evenings!

Interesting...and healthy for you!

A relatively new vendor at the OC Market is Mickleberry Gardens…they offer hand-made, small-batch hive products that are locally produced, therapeutic, and delightful. the product line is based around what is harvested from their honeybee apiary and diverse and growing garden. The honey therapy products are made using pure raw Oregon honey, organic apple cider vinegar, locally grown herbs, and propolis collected by Oregon bees and their skin care products contain pure Oregon beeswax, organic oils, organic fair-trade shea butter, and locally grown herbs. They make all their lovely products in small batches by hand. Check them out this Saturday!

For a sweet treat…..Gram’s Caramels has brought back the ‘Gramello’ and it’s a jarbuck item! Samples of this great combination of marshmallow, pecans and creamy caramel will be given out along with the original flavor. Packaged Valentine treats are being introduced on a limited basis, plus the newly labeled Caramel Sauce and many varieties of packaged caramels. Also…new Hawaiian Black Lava Salted Caramels…they are VERY pretty and they taste fantastic.

Christensen farm (back this week) is bringing some dark brown chicken eggs and duck eggs. Plus Cindy will have Jerusalem artichokes, some winter squash, assorted feathers for crafts or fly tying, and some Shetland wool roving for sale.

Last Market I saw a mother/daughter duo shopping with a cooking book (may be a Christmas Present?)…they were buying veggies to make a roasted root vegetable soup…great idea! Bring your books/recipes down and let’s see what you can make from the winter produce. Send me the recipe and we’ll put it up on this blog for everyone!

Live Music, hot food and drinks, a place to sit out of the rain…..grab a cup of coffee from the Caulfield Hose Cafe across the street…bring the kids…$2 to every kid (5-12) to shop for produce! $5 match for those using the Oregon Trail Card to shop:)
Cheers…see you Saturday!

Happy New EAT LOCAL Year!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:39:17 +0000

The Market kicks off the New Year with a splendid variety of local produce! With the lack of really cold temps. everything is continuing to grow well…and with the expanding amount of light each day spring is just around the corner…yeah…well almost!
Rick Stefen Farm will have the beautiful multi-colored carrots, rainbow chard, 4 kinds of potatoes, winter squash…all kinds, cabbage (red and green) kale, broccoli, onions,spinach, beets,shallots and eggs. Family Table Farm will have parsnips, beets, turnips, rutabagas, kale and chard.
Sweet Home Farms will have a good mix of pastured-raised meats, beef, goat, chicken, pork, lamb and eggs…all really good , flavorful and nutritionally dense. Try slow-roasting lamb or beef this weekend with some winter root veggies for an easy and delicious meal…add garlic, herbs and a little red wine , serve with mashed potatoes and steamed greens or roast some brussel sprouts…crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside:) They’ll be featuring their pepper bacon this week alongside their Hungarian, Polish and summer sausage.Sweet Home will have smoked pork chops for sale too, great with fried onion rings and pickled red cabbage…yum!
Food Forest Farms will have chestnuts again….perfect to add to stuffing for their geese or welsh ducks.They are bringing “gobo” or burdock root…which is a wonderful winter root vegetable used in Japanese cooking, plus kurobuta pork, feathers for hair extensions(!) and quince jam.

Alsea Acre Goats cheese will be back with chevre, feta, party in a jar….all sizes, perfect with Olympic Provisions salami and pate, Duker’s dill pickles…or their Hot Pickle Relish, all in 1lb jars. Pickle-lovers take note…they will be gone next market so stock up for January. Duker’s Dills are a great addition to bowl parties — antipasti platters, bloody marys, etc. and the relish is an awesome addition to potato salad, deviled eggs, and amazing on handmade sausages and burgers.

For easy, quick, healthy mid-week meals pick up tubs of Souper Natural’s home-made soups….many flavors to choose from including Sweet Potato Curry (vegan), Cream of Tomato (Vegetarian) and Potato Cheddar (vegetarian)..all Gluten Free Samples! Made by hand just across the river in West Linn.

Sage, from Gram's Caramels, in her cute apron at the last market!

Gram’s Caramels will be featuring their coffee flavored caramels. These are literally caramel with brewed coffee added for a wonderful, rich and infused coffee flavor. There will also be varieties of other flavors and the ever-popular jarbucks caramels for just $1 each.

Diana's Delights handcrafted small batch preserves and pastries, made in Oregon City.

The Market has contracted somewhat this week with several vendors out of town but we will see them back next week, including Christensen farms, Blossom Vinegars and La Provence Bakery (for baked goods try out Big Foot Breads selection of handcrafted products and a must are Diana’s Delight’s little bags of Rugelach Pastries….heaven!). Flying Onion will be back later this winter and next month Mickleberry Gardens will be back also.
In this week (from the summer market)….. He Sells These Shells with bagged hazelnut shells for landscaping and David has a new product…squirrel food!
Box It Up will have wooden salad boxes and raised beds, to get you thinking about ordering those seeds. Beautifully handmade and crafted right here in Clackamas County…this family business will help you to extend your growing season in your garden by making boxes or raised beds especially suited to your site.

Spindles and Fiber will have wool and turned-wood products...all from their farm.

Great food (soups and crepes) by Savory et Sweet…live music! Wine by the Glass from the local Kings Raven winery.
Debit cards accepted, Or.Trail cards matched…up to $5! (Thanks to the OC Rotary Club Foundation)…AND we’re still encouraging kids (5-12) to eat healthy food by giving them $2 to spend on veggies or fruit EVERY time they come to the market….plus on registering they receive a shopping bag, button and Passport to Health! The Kids POP Club is sponsored by Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District. We are always collecting for the Oregon City Food Bank …peanut butter is especially requested right now:)Please place in the blue bin at the Info. Booth. They pick up after each market.

Bring your family, friends and neighbors…let’s make the first market of 2012 a roaring success for the farmers and vendors, take in the sights and sounds of Oregon City and eat The Freshest Food In The Oldest City!

Holiday Treats and Gifts!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:11:58 +0000

Annie (La Provence Bakery) will have Christmas cookies for you:)

SO many good things for your holiday tables and gift searching this Saturday! You could make gift-giving simple with wonderful local products from the Market this year…or purchase Market Tokens. We’ll have them in little muslin drawstring bags with our logo, a Market Info.Bookmark too. Ideal for those hard to buy for folks, who doesn’t like food and wine?!
We’ll have a real seasonal flavor this week with TONS of produce, freshly cut trees and wreaths, chestnuts, traditional English Christmas Puddings, wonderful local meats, goats cheese, baked goods…and all kinds of products to put together gift baskets full of delicious local products, jars of preserves, pickles, salami, wine, caramels, herbs and spices, goat’s milk soaps and body-care lotions (Daisy fed is back!),beautifully turned wood and home-spun wool items.
The farmers will have a lot of great roots and greens for seasonal soups, root roasts, salads and more! Kiyokawa Family Orchards will have the usual amazing array of winter fruits…apples (including heirloom ones), plus pears and Asian pears. Family Table Farm will have parsnips, red beets, golden beets, red chard, kale, napa cabbage, bok choy, and onions.

Kiyokawa Orchard's apples

Flying Onion brought their YACONS last market … worth a try, crispy and sweet in salads along with their fab. rutabagas (chopped or grated into a seasonal root veg. salad…heaven!) They’ll have baby spinach salad mix, radicchio, arugula, cilantro, mixed cooking greens, fennel bulbs ,celeriac , carrots, beets, potatoes, delicata squash, butternut squash, Rick Stefens Farm will have wheelbarrows full of sweet potatoes, beets, cipollinni onions.. real sweet!, shallots, nice and mild for cooking, 4 colors of carrots, winter squash, cabbages, several kinds of potatoes,

This Saturday Sweet Home Farms will have delicious old-fashioned, sugar-cured holiday hams and lots of pasture-raised eggs….stock up for the holiday baking and breakfasts! (Plus their other meats, pork, beef, goat etc ) Hot dogs, Andouilles, Hungarian, and Polish sausages are back in stock…as well as Summer Sausage (great for appetizers!) Like them on facebook!

Food Forest Farm have your Christmas dinner goose. Pasture-raised and managed 100% naturally with organic feed. Approximately 20 lbs. Available Dec. 17, price $4.99/lb with $20 advanced deposit. They also have pork, including sausages (and eggs) for your breakfast! Chestnuts for roasting and walnuts,
Hansens Family Farm will have their grass fed and finished Beef, naturally raised Pork, fresh Eggs and once again will have their customer FAVORITE (and Phil’s too!) Beef Pepperoni Sticks! Great to add to stockings, or as hostess gifts!

Crack a bottle open and serve with Alsea Acre's delicious chevre!

To celebrate the holidays, Our Favorite Foods will have 2 NEW items at the Dec Markets -Duker’s Dills Hot Pickled Green Tomatoes and Duker’s Dills Hot Pickles both in a 1 LB jar. These items are in addition to the Duker’s Dills- Hot Pickle Relish and the 2 LB jar of Duker’s Dills – Stop by their booth and have taste…they are delicious. ALL are perfect for holiday gift giving, stocking stuffers and celebrating with family and friends! Alsea Acre’s goats cheese Party-in-a-Jar is something to have on hand this season.Makes for a quick, easy and delicious appetizer, with crackers and pickles.

Christensen farm is bringing lots of sweet chestnuts to roast over an open fire, along with Jerusalem artichokes and their unusual assortment of feathers, fiber, and few winter squash. Missy is coming back to market with more totes she has made from recycled feed sackes for one of her 4-h projects.

A local hand-crafted item from Spindles and Fiber makes the best gift!

Spindles and Fiber will have hand-spun wool items and turned wood products…don’;t miss this booth for those last minute gifts, they also have items perfect for stocking stuffers.

Souper Natural (new to the Market early Dec.) will be sampling Roasted Artichoke Soup, SW Chicken and Rice and Corn Chowder this week. The soups are delicious, made from local products and frozen for easy re-heating when the days are too short to cook from scratch. They will also have a variety of about 10 different flavors. Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Options…PLUS jars of Vodka Cream Sauce and Marinara Sauce…making healthy eating this season easy! www.soupernatural.net

Gran Mary’s Herbs will have wonderfully fragrant Mulling Spices (Mulled means heated and flavored..another gift idea:).www.facebook.com/granmarysherbgarden

Blossom Vinegars is back this week …and will start the Winter Market for the whole season. Wonderful decorative bottles of fruit vinegars make great salad dressings and gifts too.

Gram’s Caramels will feature samples of cashew caramels and original flavor, plus jars of caramels at just $1 each! Jars of caramel sauce are ready for that fondue pot:) There will be festive tins of gift caramels as well. Gram’s Caramels will have holiday tins filled with caramels, ready to give! Irish Cream will be featured and samples will be available as well as many other flavors. Stop by and sign up for their drawing for free caramels!’

Bring the kids (ages 5-12)! They receive $2 to shop at the Market every time they come, thanks to support of our POP Club (Power Of Produce!) by Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District. We will be selling donated wooly hats to benefit the POP Club…both kids and adult sizes available at the Info. Booth…just $5…wow!Thanks to the OC Rotary Club Foundation we also have an Oregon Trail Card Matching Funds program , and we can match up $5 per card per market. Plus we take debit cards ($1.50 charge) if you run out of money:)

Robert Richter will be entertaining you…holiday style…from 10am-1pm! Savory et Sweet will once again be cooking up a storm with hot soups and chunks of bread and their to-die-for crepes…savory AND sweet! We are right across from the Caufield House Cafe…if you need a hot cup of coffee and a full breakfast. Busch’s Furniture Store is allowing all our customers to park in their lot at the side of the Market… don’t forget Main St. is now 2-way !! Plenty of parking available downtown OC on Saturdays. Thanks for bringing unperishable foods for the OC HOPE Food Bank’s blue bin at the market’s entrance.
We’ll be set up ready to sell at 10am, on 8th St at Main…open until 2pm.
(Market manager’s phone number 503 734-0192…if you have questions)

Taste the Holidays at the Winter Market!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:04:21 +0000

Homegrown Harvest's wreaths, made by Amy and her family who also grow the trees.

Almost my favorite Market time is right before the holidays, when the local seasonal fruits and veggies look so bright and appealing in the cold fresh air! We’ll have a real seasonal flavor this week with TONS of produce, freshly cut trees and wreaths, chestnuts, traditional English Christmas Puddings, wonderful local meats, goats cheese, baked goods…and all kinds of products to put together gift baskets full of delicious local products, jars of preserves, pickles, salami, wine, caramels, herbs and spices, beautifully turned wood and home-spun wool items.
The farmers will have a lot of great roots and greens for seasonal soups, root roasts, salads and more! Kiyokawa Family Orchards will have the usual amazing array of winter fruits…apples (including heirloom ones), plus pears and Asian pears. Family Table Farm will have parsnips, red beets, golden beets, red chard, kale, napa cabbage, bok choy, and onions.

Karen, Flying Onion Farm, harvesting Yacons.

Flying Onion (back this week!) will have their wonderful baby spinach salad mix, radicchio, arugula, cilantro, mixed cooking greens, fennel bulbs ,celeriac , carrots, beets, potatoes, delicata squash, butternut squash, yacon – an andean tuber renowned for its sweet, crunchy texture – fantastic raw on salads or appetizer plates, or roasted in the oven! Rick Stefens Farm will have wheelbarrows full of the last red and green peppers, sweet potatoes, beets, cipollinni onions.. real sweet!, shallots, nice and mild for cooking, 4 colors of carrots, winter squash, cabbages, potatoes, and the last of the strawberries and tomatoes….not bad for December in the NW!

This Saturday Sweet Home Farms will have delicious old-fashioned, sugar-cured holiday hams and lots of pasture-raised eggs. (As well as their other meats, pork, beef, goat etc ) Like them on facebook!
Food Forest Farm have your Christmas dinner goose. (Very Dickens!) Pasture-raised and managed 100% naturally with organic feed. Approximately 20 lbs. Available Dec. 17, price $4.99/lb with $20 advanced deposit. They also have pork, including sausages (and eggs) for your breakfast! Chestnuts for roasting and walnuts,
Hansens Family Farm will have their grass fed and finished Beef, naturally raised Pork, fresh Eggs and once again will have their customer FAVORITE (and Phil’s too!) Beef Pepperoni Sticks! Great to add to stockings, or as hostess gifts!

Christensen farm is bringing lots of yummy sweet chestnuts to roast over an open fire, along with their unusual assortment of feathers, fiber, and few winter squash. Missy is coming back to market with more totes she has made from recycled feed sackes for one of her 4-h projects.Stop by they’ll have candy canes for you:)

Gran Mary's Mulling Spices..perfect for the holidays.

Gran Mary’s Herbs will have wonderfully fragrant Mulling Spices (Mulled means heated and flavored..another gift idea:)
Make a sachet: Add 1 tablespoon mulling spices to a muslin bag.
Mulled cider: Simmer 1 bag in 2 quarts apple cider or apple or cranberry juice for 15-20 minutes. Serves 8. Additions may include: lemon or orange zest or slices, whole cardamom, ginger slices.
Mulled wine: Simmer 1 bag in 1 bottle of dry red wine for 30 minutes. Additions may include: zest or slices of lemon or orange, fresh ginger slices, whole cardamom, 1/4 cup of honey (more or less to taste), 1/4 cup brandy. Make sure you use a non-reactive pot.www.facebook.com/granmarysherbgarden

…and talking of wine! King’s Raven has a new offering of Leon Millot, a Pinot Hybrid, priced at $18 per bottle.

Gram’s Caramels will feature samples of cashew caramels and original flavor, plus jars of caramels at just $1 each! Jars of caramel sauce are ready for that fondue pot:) There will be festive tins of gift caramels as well. Great put together with a bag of Kiyokawa Orchards heirloom apples for a ready to go caramel apple-making kit!

The 12 strong River City Pitch-Pipers will be singing between noon and 1pm, with Jeff Becker and friends playing 10am-2pm…so lots of good sounds this week. Savory et Sweet will once again be cooking up a storm with hot soups and chunks of bread and their to-die-for crepes…savory AND sweet! We are right across from the Caufield House Cafe…if you need a hot cup of coffee and a full breakfast. Busch’s Furniture Store is allowing all our customers to park in their lot at the side of the Market… don’t forget Main St. is now 2-way !! Plenty of parking available downtown OC on Saturdays. Thanks for bringing unperishable foods for the OC HOPE Food Bank’s blue bin at the market’s entrance.
We’ll be set up ready to sell at 10am, on 8th St at Main…open until 2pm.
(Market manager’s phone number 503 734-0192…if you have questions)

Give Thanks for Local Farmers!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:04:16 +0000

Plenty of veggies!

Have a local-foods feast this Thanksgiving! Plenty of produce and meats will be trucked into the market this Saturday.
Rick Stefens Farm will have mounds of fresh green beans , red and green peppers, sweet and regular potatoes, eight types of winter squash, shallots (sweet and mild) onions,all the greens, Brussels, a rainbow of colorful carrots, plus his greenhouse strawberries!Family Table Farm will have parsnips, golden beets, nappa cabbage, kholrabi, bok choy, plus delicata, acorn and butternut squash.
Flying Onion Farm is out till December’s markets but White Star are coming back this week with greens including salad mix and kale, loose beets and carrots, fresh herbs for the Thanksgiving meal, Jerusalem artichokes, bok choy, cabbage, and red onions. They’ll also be cutting up their giant 50 pound Sugar Hubbard winter squash into smaller chunks and roasted for a lovely side dish. Kiyokawa Orchards will have the usual amazing selection of apples (19 varieties!), pears and Asian pears (9 varieties!).
As for meats: Sweet Home Farms will have turkeys, beef, pork, chicken, goat…you can order ahead at www.sweethomefarms.com
Food Forest Farms have a Thanksgiving dinner special:Your choice of kurobuta pork shoulder roast or Welsh duck, plus garlic, walnuts and chestnuts for $19.They will also be offering Food Forest geese for Christmas ($4.99/lb). Reserve yours ahead at the Food Forest booth. Hansen Farms have their excellent pasture-raised and finished pork and beef too.
Christensen farm will have lots of lovely chestnuts from large to jumbo in size, plus Jerusalem artichokes–sun chokes– that make a nice crunchy addition when sliced and added raw to salads, or drizzle some olive oil on them and bake them in the oven with a little sea salt. Winter squash and and fresh herbs will also be available along with an assortment of feathers, quill pens, Shetland roving and related fiber.
Gran Mary’s Herbs have Paperwhites for the Thanksgiving table, mulling spices for spiced cider or wine, poultry seasoning for the turkey and dressing (plus other dried herbs for cooking). Herbal bath salts and bath teas for relaxing and an array of herbs and plants for growing indoors.Diana’s Delights is taking orders for Traditional English Christmas Puddings, in addition Diana will have jams, chutneys, relishes, including Quince Charming Preserves and Jalepeno Jam.

Tasting Olympic Provisions Salami....heaven!

We’ll also have pickles, salami, goats cheese, hummus, honey, soups to take home, baked goods, caramels, wines (bottle and by the glass) soaps and lotions.For a full list please refer to our map on the vendor page.
At the entrance we’ll have trees and wreaths too, if it’s too early for your tree you can place your order this Saturday and pick up at the Market on Dec. 3rd! C&K Flowers are back this week (only) with fresh flowers for your table Spindles and Fiber are back next market…as is Darris Dietz ceramics.

Last years"Wild Turkey" Table Decoration!

We are kicking off our WINTER FOOD DRIVE this weekend so please bring your unperishable items and place in the BLUE FOOD BIN at the entrance. It will be collected by HOPE each market day and used to stock the OC Food Bank ..thanks!!!
ALSO Savory et Sweet our wonderful crepe and soup food cart folks will be offering another of their spectacular Turkey Centerpieces for a silent auction to benefit HOPE. You won’t want to miss a chance to have this on your table…and for such a good cause too. Thanks Savory et Sweet:)
So….another great looking market, full of delicious local foods for this Thanksgiving’s meal….give thanks to your growers/farmers while you’re shopping, they’ll appreciate it! Meanwhile we all appreciate our customers and hope you and yours have a wonderful day next Thursday…cheers!

Winter Market opens with Art Unveiling~!!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:20:33 +0000

Shop for local foods AND see Oregon City’s fabulous new art sculputure….unveiled at 10am!!Info. below…

Our first winter Market...09!

The same question comes up whenever I mention the Winter Market “but what will you possibly have to sell?”!!…it’s as if all food production stops in the NW at the end of October and is trucked up from CA for the winter!! Nothing could be further from the truth…and it’s a myth we have set out to bust this season!

Find carrots in red and white too!

The OC Winter Market has 8 farms this Winter bringing fresh produce, meats, cheese, eggs! This week from Flying Onion Farms…. lovely baby spinach , salad mix, fennel and more, Family Table Farm will have a good variety of root crops, Food Forest Farm has quince, nuts, apples, garlic (as well as their Kurobuta Pork and Welsh Duck), Rick Stefen Farm has carrots, chard, Brussels Sprouts (nice and sweet as we have had a frost!) plus many more products including peppers and tomatoes ..still! Sweet Home Farms have a good selection of their beautifully and ethically raised meats, pork, beef, goat and lamb…and just in time for the holidays you can order Turkeys from them!! Hansen Family Farms will have their beef, pork, winter squash…apples and quince. Kiyokawa Orchards will have an amazing selection of apples, including heirlooms and pears too. We’ll have plenty of hens and duck eggs, but they will go early so don’t dally.
The Goat Meister is coming to market bringing chervre in many flavors!!! Alsea Acre Farm gets goat questions every week. Everyone loves goats. Alsea Acre goats are exceptionally happy due to the excellent care of David, the Goat Meister.Say hello to him and bring your goat questions.
Other farmers in the market are Daisy Fed, with goat’s milk-based body products and Spindles and Fiber with Judy’s sheep and goat’s wool products…her fingerless gloves are a must-have!

Nothing says Fall like pears!

The good mix of vendors includes Dukers Dills, back with their pickles and new…hot relish! Wild Oregon will have fresh fish, The Hummus stop has many flavors of hummus, pita and chips. Olympic Provisions will have their wonderful salami and sausage, La Provence Bakery, Big Foot Bread and Kasey Creations will have breads, pastries, cakes and pies for you…ask about special holiday orders. Diana’s Delights will have all the usual preservers (great gifts!) plus the seasonal Quince Charming preserve and (new) Jalepeno Jam! Gran Mary’s Herbs will have a terrific selection of dried herbs in 2 ounce containers (thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, tarragon, oregano) Dried cayenne peppers, poultry seasoning, culinary lavender, stevia and mullein and sage tea (great for colds and flu). Bath salts and bath tea for colds and flu (eucalyptus rosemary blend). Dried catnip.Lavender “moth chaser,” and mulling spice sachets.Plus paper whites (both planted and bulbs available), African Blue Basil, Aloe Vera, Holy Basil, Cuban Oregano, Cat Grass, Lemon Grass, Bay Plants..phew!.
…More vendors coming next week and in December too, including honey and honey products, vinegars, ceramics, local fresh-cut Christmas Trees and handmade wreaths.

Have a glass of wine while you shop:)

King’s Raven will have a good selection of local (OC) wines…..some of which will be added by Savory et Sweet to their extra large pot of Chicken Soup tomorrow that uses David’s Pinot Gris wine and market veggies!They’ll have crepes too and hot chocolate with whipped cream…yum! That will keep you warm!

This Saturday at 10am is the unveiling of the Rotary Club’s gift to the citizens of Oregon City, commemorating their 75th anniversary in this town! The large stainless steel sculpture, mounted on the wall of Railroad Ave. at 8th St (market site) has been designed and made by local (and internationally known) artist Lee Kelly. Come and see for yourself…don’t let a little rain put you off!
As a reward…Stone-Bhur Mills are giving away 2lb. bags of their NW flour…just to get you in the mood for holiday baking! (10am-12pm)

The kids POP Club continues, with $2 for every child (5-12)!… plus we still have the OR Trail Card $5 Matching fund …music by Robert Richter, a market fave (10am -1pm)….help us to spread the word about the Winter Market, tell your friends and neighbors!
See you down there:)

The Market goes to school!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 19:18:14 +0000

King Elementary School invited the Market to their Farm to Table activities on Wednesday October 26^th. Teacher and Green Team Coach Jamie Semrad and her volunteer’s set up a wonderful replica of a Farmers Market in the gym with a shopping area, an apple tasting table and a fun activity. We set up the Kid’s POP Club table with pictures and information, and spoke about the Power of Produce Club offered at the Oregon City Farmers Market to each class as they rotated through the gym.

Each class stopped first at the POP Club table to learn about the club including the great news that it will be continuing through the Winter Market starting November 5^th. (Thanks to Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District!) Each student received a bookmark with all the OC Farmers Winter Market info in their shopping bags.

Next the students rotated over to the activity table where they could write down their guesses for the weight of a giant head of cabbage. Rumor has it the cabbage weighted 13 pounds!!! Then the kids went over to shop at the “market”.

Third grade teacher Jamie Semrad and her team of volunteers had arranged fresh local produce from the Oregon City Farmers Market and the school garden in attractive displays. The tables were filled with both orange and purple carrots, radishes, rhubarb, apples, both red and golden beets, purple peppers, green beans, kohlrabi, brussles sprouts, potatoes and turnips. Another table held fragrant produce; garlic, cilantro and a small herb pot containing thyme, rosemary and sage. Each student was encouraged to choose two pieces of produce, hopefully ones they had not tried before, to put in their bags and take home. Popular early choices included purple carrots, kohlrabi, and purple peppers!

Students were then encouraged to smell the herbs and garlic as they passed the fragrant table on their way to the tasting station. At tasting station students were able to sample slices of fresh Tsugaru apples and a variety of crisp Asian pear. Big smiles filled their faces as they munched away on the sweet healthy treats.

Congratulations go out to Jamie and her crew of volunteers….great Job!!! And thanks to Oregon City Farmers Market vendors Kiyokawa Orchards, Three Brothers Nursery, Spring Creek Nursery, Gardenripe, Green Acres Farm, Parsons Farms, Hansen Family Farm, Family Table Farm and May’s Produce and Flowers for providing the fresh produce and decorations for the first Farm to Table day at the school.

Also last week Mt Pleasant Elementary School invited the Market to come and let their kids know about the POP Club at their assembly….so we should have a bunch of kids shopping this coming Saturday, at the opening of the Winter Market on 8th St! We kick off at 10am, which will also be the time of the unveiling and dedication of the Rotary Club’s gift to the City ….a 35′x 8′ stainless steel sculpture by renowned artist (and local resident) Lee Kelly. This week it is being installed on the wall of Railroad Ave. at 8th St.

Stay tuned for more Winter Market news……..

Last Market at the County site!

Oregon City Farmers Market — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:42:59 +0000

Parsons Farms mini pumpkins and gourds.

Celebrate the Harvest & Halloween all in one market! This is the final market at the County site until next May…we’re off to Downtown Oregon City (8th St) for the Winter Market starting Saturday November 5th…without missing a beet…ouch!

Fun at the Market this week includes great music from Succatash playing great blue-grass and folk, Kid’s POP Club Fun supplied by Extension’s 4H club’s, who will be helping kids make their own goody bags and have rabbits and Guinea pigs for petting! Customers are invited to vote for their favorite vendor costume….vendors will win a free booth space!

Diana's Delights preserves....get your orders in for traditional Christmas Puddings now!

The Market will have plenty of pumpkins, winter squash and corn stalks for decorating and beautiful produce for eating! Gram’s caramels have a good supply of their sauce for apple-dipping, Pro-farm will have apple cider…and for those grown-up treats Diana’s Delights will have a new product….Jalapeno Jam, great with crackers and cheese!

Time to put the garden to bed…or dig in those winter veggies. Spring Creek Nursery will have a selection of winter greens for you to plant , colorful planters and pansies to brighten your front door or entry way. The Underground Worm Connection has bags of fabulous worm castings…added to the garden now (or raised beds) the worms work all winter turning your soil into black gold by spring. Buy two bags and get a bottle of Worm Juice Fertilizer free. Sir Sharp-A-Lot will be out for the last Market attending to a sick family member, Kasey’s Kreations will be back in the Winter Market…but is out this week too….as is Three Brothers Nursery for the year.

The Winter Market starts next week, down on 8th St at 10am (we get an extra hour in bed …yeah) This will be a really special day as the Oregon City Rotary Club will be unveiling a large art installation to commemorate their 75th anniversary! The stainless steel sculpture commissioned from renowned local artist Lee Kelly, will be mounted on the wall of Railroad Ave at the end of the market site. The official dedication is at 10am…just as the Market opens for the winter season! This is a gift to the citizens of Oregon City from the Club and all are welcome to join the celebration….and shop for local foods right after!!

Savory et Sweet will be taking their cute new trailer down there and setting up to bring you some wonderful hot food! The Market is right across the street from The Caufield Cafe so a warm seat and hot drink is not far away. Parking is easy on the street downtown on Saturdays, or you could park up on the bluff and ride the Elevator down, while taking in the amazing views of the river and falls.

Meanwhile the last market of the summer season is upon us and we look forward to having some fun with you all this week! Thanks for all your support…what a great season!

Cheers:)