Bee Aware Pollinator Fair this Saturday!

The annual Bee Aware Pollinator Fair is this Saturday folks! Why are we so passionate about this subject? In a word ‘Food’. Approximately 30 percent of the food and fiber crops grown throughout the world depend upon pollinators for reproduction. The U.S. grows over 100 crop plants that are pollinated by insects and animals. The farmers tables would be very empty without a vibrant and ‘buzzy’ ecosytem on their farms. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. (But when did you last see a butterfly in your garden? ) They also sustain our ecosystems and protect our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Pollinators are under extreme pressure with the intensive use of agro-chemicals on large commodity farms and even due to chemical sprays in our own gardens. Pesticides have a direct affect on insect pollinators, and herbicides remove important floral resources as well as poison water sources etc.

What can you do to help? Shopping at the Farmers Market is one way. Most small farms take pride in supporting ecosystems which in turn support pollinators. Brown Bottle Farm, Sun Love Farm, Coyote Ridge Farm, Maggys Farm, Farm D’Ici…all have third party-verified certification and grow without toxic chemicals. Most of our other farmers pride themselves in growing sustainably too. OCFM has given preference since 2016 to farmers with certification! The following links have more info. on polinators:  https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/gardeners/ https://draxe.com/milkweed/

SWARM PDX is back with honey-comb shaped raised beds and much more.

At this weeks market you’ll find all kinds of info on helping pollinators. Look inside a working hive (can you spot the Queen?), buy honey-comb shaped raised beds for pollinator flowers, pick up milkweed plants for monarch butterflies, get a free ‘Give Bees a Chance’ button and listen to the Master Gardeners give a talk on ‘Attracting Pollinators to your garden’ at noon. T Bees Honey’s hives help pollinate berry farms in Yamhill and the resulting honey, propolis and royal jelly is for sale at our market. Check out their skin creams too! Also…are you interested in volunteering for the new Oregon City Seed Library?! Sign up this Saturday!

Certified Naturally Grown veggie plant starts from Maggys Farm, Sun Love Farm and Coyote Ridge Farm this week.

Maggys Farm, SunLove Farm, Coyote Ridge Farm, Petal Heads and Ten Oaks Nursery will all have plants. S and K Nursery will have hanging baskets, 3 flowers farms will have fresh flower bouquets and the High Desert Pickers are back with astonishing recycled garden art.

We are ‘Springing into Canning’ on Saturday. Bring your pressure canner lid and have it tested for FREE, by OSU trained Master Food Preserver volunteers. Learn tips and skills to start the new canning season, and utilize what’s left over from last year. They’ll have a scavenger hunt and button-making supplies for the kids, and a lot of great ideas and resources for the grown-ups. Don’t let another season go by without preserving at least some of the summer’s bounty.

Grano Bakery is back this Saturday for the summer!

Campfire Farms wants you to know they have duck fat and broth this week as well as cuts of their pastured pork. Grab the kosher salt….their pork belly would be perfect for this recipe!  https://jesspryles.com/recipe/perfect-crispy-pork-belly-recipe/

Duck Fat and Bone Broth as well as all the cuts of pork, bacon and sausage at Campfire Farm

Last week we welcomed back Bama BBQ and enjoyed curry from our newest vendor Yes Please (Indian food). This week we welcome Altengartz German Bratwurst food truck. Making sausage from an old family recipe, plus German potato salad and other delights, this father and son duo is a first in Oregon City. https://www.germanbratwurst.com/about.shtml

Profarm’s thin asparagus and pickles!

58 vendors this week. The Worn Out Shoes string band are entertaining us (10am-1.30pm) and the Songbirds Choir from Ogden Middle school will take over the music tent from 11am till 11.30am. Remember your bags and coolers, come for lunch , enjoy the market shopping and leave with determination to help our Pollinators!

Tell your neighbors and friends…..this is the place to be on Saturdays! We have a Wait List of vendors and farmers, the more customers support us, the more new vendors we can approve! Sprrad the word:)

Find us every week now through October in the big parking lot at 2051, Kaen Rd, off Beavercreek Rd. Open at 9am till 2pm. Questions on the day? Call 503 734-0192.