Portland Farmers Market today announced its decision to permanently close the Thursday Ecotrust Market at 721 NW 9th Avenue located in the parking lot of the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center. While Portland Farmers Markets’ four other locations experienced increased traffic and sales over the years, the Thursday Ecotrust Market did not share the same rate of growth.

The market which first opened in 2003 through a partnership with non-profit Ecotrust had been open 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays from June to September.

“The Ecotrust Market was located in a vibrant, densely populated neighborhood, and yet it never seemed to reach its full potential,” said Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market, a nonprofit 501(c)6 organization operated by a small staff of four full-time and four part-time employees and numerous volunteers. “We thank Ecotrust for their partnership, Food Front Coop for their sponsorship and, of course, the dedicated shoppers that supported our local farmers and food artisans every Thursday.”

Deborah Kane, vice president Ecotrust Food & Farms, said, “We have much respect and admiration for the Portland Farmers Market. While Ecotrust staff will no longer have the option of buying some of the region’s best products right outside our door, we’ll continue to support local agriculture through initiatives such as Edible Portland and FoodHub. And of course we’ll be among the first in line at all of the other Portland Farmers Market locations.”

THE MARKETS ARE UP

The closing of this location isn’t a reflection of the state of farmers’ markets nationally. As of October 2009, there were 5,274 farmers markets registered in the USDA Farmers Market Directory and over the last decade there has been a 170% increase in farmers’ markets opening nationwide.

The staff of Portland Farmers Market is currently evaluating other possible locations for a weekly market in Northwest Portland. The organization describes the ideal site as one that offers high visibility, community engagement and support from neighborhood and business associations.

The Thursday Ecotrust Market was sponsored by Food Front Cooperative Grocery. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.

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About Portland Farmers Market
Founded in 1992, Portland Farmers Market, a nonprofit 501(c)6, brings the best of the country to the heart of the city by supporting the region’s farmers and creating vibrant urban marketplaces where growers and consumers come together. This nonprofit’s staff of four full-time and four part-time employees aims to grow, nourish and inspire the community by staging weekly markets in four different locations throughout the Portland area from March until December. In addition to managing the markets, Portland Farmers Market has been an early leader in Portland’s sustainability movement and has served as an incubator for small businesses. With more than 250 vendors from Oregon and Washington – including farms, bakeries, nurseries, meat and seafood providers, cheese makers and specialty food producers – Portland Farmers Market is a true showplace of Northwest agriculture. www.portlandfarmersmarket.org

On Nov 14th from 11am to 4pm, fun, entertainment, exhibits, prizes and more await you at the 2nd Annual Baby + Family Expo at Jantzen Beach Center in Portland and it’s all FREE.

With more than 50 vendors, this is the perfect one-stop shopping experience for consumers looking for baby, parenting and family focused businesses, offering product samples, valuable discounts and information. Geoffrey the Giraffe from ToysRUs fame will be making appearances throughout the day, passing out goodie bags to all the kids.

There will be carousel rides, face painting, a magician and tons of crafts to enjoy. Attendees will have a chance to win fabulous prizes, so grab the kids and get out of the house for a day of fun at Jantzen Beach Center.

For more information, vending opportunities or to become a sponsor, you can contact Stef-Anie Wells at Events@jantzenbeachpdx.com or call 503.286.9103

The Portland Farmers Markets are so much fun. Although the tone is cool, calm and collected (after all, you are shopping! How hyper could you get?), any of the local Farmers Markets around the area are great places to visit, enjoy some live tunes from local musicians and peruse for some of the freshest produce and baked goods on the planet.

October is going to be especially spooktactular as the PSU Farmers Market holds their 10th annual Great Pumpkin Event on October 31st. This promises to be a wonderful and safe event for the entire family. Bring the kids and enjoy a pumpkin carving contest, a children’s costume parade that will wind throughout the Market, a couple exceptional cooking demostrations, and other terrific things to see and do.

The fun starts at 9am  sharp and goes until 2pm. All the children’s activities are graciously being provides by Playworks. Thanks, guys!

So, now is your chance to jet down to the PSU Farmers Market, centrally located at the south park blocks at Portland State University (SW Park between Harrison and Montgomery), on Saturday, October 31st, for the Great Pumpkin Event.

Just think….you’ll finally have your chance to dress up like a giant Rutabaga and no one is going to look at you funny! Weeeee!

For more information about this Portland event,you can contact Deborah Pleva at (503) 250-4750 or email her at deb@leeweinstein.biz. You can also visit the Portland Farmers Market web site and check things out for yourself.

Portland Farmers Market welcomes food activist, eco chef and cookbook author Bryant Terry to host “Local Lunch Box,” an educational event to enable local kids to experience nutritious food.

School-aged participants can: take part in a market scavenger hunt to learn more about good versus bad food choices, learn about a day in the life of a farmer, and experience fresh and/or new fruits and veggies. Other planned activities include an opportunity for children to cook simple recipes similar to Portland Farmers Market Kids Cook classes, nutrition bingo, make-your-own lunch box, and a blind box produce game where children can identify fruits and veggies based on touch and smell.

Visuals

* Bryant Terry speaking, interacting with local children
* Teams of children racing around the market for a scavenger hunt
* Kids cooking, making lunch boxes, trying foods
* Market-goers playing nutrition bingo

WHO

* Bryant Terry is known for his cookbooks Grub and just released Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. Terry has spent the last nine years working to build a more just and sustainable food system and uses cooking as a tool to illuminate the intersections between poverty, structural racism, and food insecurity. In 2002 he founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth), a multi-year initiative designed to empower youth to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system.
* Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market
* Anna Curtin, education and events manager for Portland Farmers Market
* Local children from the North/Northeast neighborhoods surrounding market

WHEN
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 30

WHERE
New Sunday King Market
The Sunday King Market, which opened in May, is located at NE 7th and Wygant Streets between NE Alberta and Prescott. Due to the success of this new location, Portland Farmers Market will extend the length of the market season at the Sunday King Market until Sunday, October 25, 2009.

HOW
Portland Farmers Market is asking parents/children who are interested to RSVP to the event by calling (503) 241-0032 or emailing contact@portlandfarmersmarket.org.

CONTACT
Deborah Pleva, deb@leeweinstein.biz, (503) 250-4750

SPONSORS
The King Sunday Market is sponsored by New Seasons Market. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.

Portland Farmers Market has announced that the Sunday King Market, the newest of Portland Farmers Market’s five weekly markets, will stay open until Sunday, October 25, 2009. Shoppers, farmers and other food artisans requested the neighborhood market located in North/Northeast Portland remain open an extra month.

This location first opened May 3, 2009, through a partnership with Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), an umbrella organization for 12 neighborhood associations and more than 30,000 households located in inner North/Northeast Portland. The market is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, near the intersection of NE 7th Avenue and Wygant Street. It was originally slated to close its inaugural season at the end of September.

“The Sunday King Market has exceeded our expectations to date and we expect it will keep growing in both sales and attendance,” said Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market. “It has become a wonderful weekly gathering place for neighborhood residents.”

The market hosts eight produce vendors, including Groundwork Organics, Wintergreen Farms and Natures Fountain Farm. Other food artisans include Jacob’s Creamery, Ancient Heritage Dairy and Linda Brand Crab. The market has featured bands like James Clem, Shorty & the Mustangs and Sour Mash Hug Band. Every week, rows and racks of bicycles line areas around the market and the adjoining playground is often filled with families with children.

Foodshare Fund Northeast
In early July 2009, NECN with the support of the Portland Farmers Market launched the Foodshare Fund Northeast (FFNE), an incentive program to improve the access of low-income residents of North and Northeast Portland to the Sunday King Market. FFNE supplements food stamps with a dollar-for-dollar match, providing up to $5 per person per week in matching funds.

The success of the program has contributed to the overall success of the market location. Since the program was launched, the average number of food stamp customers at the market has more than doubled, from 25 to 52 per week and the average amount of food stamp tokens purchased has nearly doubled, from $420 to $780 per week. Because the Foodshare Fund tokens are unique, vendors can readily see the increase in sales due to FFNE and several have expressed their appreciation for the program.

David Sweet, co-chair of the King Farmers Market Community Advisory Council, said, “Community members have told us that they came to the market for the first time because they heard about the matching program. We are delighted by the response to this program and grateful for the generous support of the Northeast community that makes it possible. This is a part of our continuing effort to make the Sunday King Market welcoming to everyone in our community.”

The Sunday King Market is sponsored by New Seasons Market. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.