Daffodils are here!

Spring is in the air…it’s March after all…green tips are pushing through the soil in the fields and in the gardens, trees and shrubs are budding out too. March is a great month for the Farmers Market as we have an EXTRA one on the 31st ! Make sure you pick up a bookmark at the Info. Booth with all the scheduled dates of the markets in March and April….we have 5 more “Winter” markets before we open on top of the hill at the County site May 5th.!
Mark your calenders: April is Gardening Month at the Market. We kick off on April 7th with a FREE Veggie Plant Give-a-Way! Thanks to Clackamas County (Health and Human Services) in celebration of National Public Health Week, we will have 1,000 (WOW!) spring veggie plants to give out, including kale, chard, lettuce, arugula.This is to help you start your veggie garden off …AND on April 21st we’ll be holding the first Seedy Saturday Seed Swap at the OC Market! Bring seeds, plants, pots, tools…and take something home, encourage you neighbors to plant a garden this spring!…Flyers available at the Info. Booth about these events.
So , back to this weeks market…25 vendors, lots of veggies (Daffodils TOO!) from Family Table and Rick Stefen farms, including kale (2 colors) cabbages, Brussel sprouts , 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….this is their last week, so stock up on fruit!
Market Recipe Idea: Tis’ the season of hearty soups.. purchase soup bones from Sweethome Farms, boil up with herbs, garlic, root veggies and lentils…add a dollop of fresh spring chevre! …available at Alsea Acre Goat Cheese.
Sweet Home Farms raise heirloom cattle ( Belted-Galloway, originally from Scotland) and will have ground beef this week that is naturally VERY lean and tasty. Plus they will also have Pork Belly …uncured for you to make you OWN bacon! Not up to making your own ?! Then try Olympic Provisions’, they not only sell fab. salami, but sausage and bacon too.

Back on the tables at Diana’s Delights is the new ,popular Jalapeno Jam. (Serve with cream cheese and crackers as an appetizer, or with roasted lamb or pork). The chickens are laying well and the delicious Lemon Curd is BRIGHT yellow with goodness! Serve with scones, on muffins , crusty bread, with crepes or stirred into Greek yoghurt and be prepared to be in heaven! Not familiar with this marvelous concoction….ask Diana for a sample, you’ll be back for more!
Gram’s Caramels will feature samples of the new Pistachio Caramels. These locally hand-made old-fashioned caramels have hand-cut pistachio nuts folded into the mixture right before it’s poured into the pan. Also Jarbucks, caramel sauce and many other flavors will be available. Don’t forget to bring your caramel card or have the crew stamp it with your purchase!
Kings Raven winery will have wine-by the glass and bottles to sell too…a glass of red with a salted Gram’s caramel is a pretty good way to finish off a meal:)
Back this week : Mickleberry Gardens…honey and honey-infused health products, Sunset Woodworking (planters, potting benches and more), OUT is Daisy Fed (back next market). We are keeping our fingers crossed for fresh fish, Robin (Wild Oregon) is at the coast today and will let me know later….check our facebook page for updates.
Remember we have plenty of customer parking in Busch’s Furniture Store parking lot (accessed off Railroad ave) or you can park up on the bluff and take a ride down on the Elevator…fun for the kids and great views from the deck up top!
The Kids POP Club program is going strong…kids get $2 each time they have their Passport to Health stamped…and a shopping bag and button when they join:)
Great hot food by Savory et Sweet, hot chocolate too with whipped cream. Live music by Nick Petersen. Hot coffee just across the street at the Caufield House Cafe. We open at 10am, on 8th St at Main…bring a friend…see you then!