Thursday, September 19, 2013
|
DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON
5
Ginger Rapport
buy? And can it still provide themwith enough
income to be worth doing?”
Farmers and budding craftspeople can
experiment in a more lucrative environment,
because there is no “middle man.”
“If they sell berries to Smucker’s for jam,
it’s obscene,” Rapport says. “They sell it for,
like, 50 cents a pound. Farmers market really
allows the farmers to get retail prices for their
products. Direct marketing makes sense for a
lot of farmers.”
If you attend the Beaverton Farmers
Market, you’ll see not only new businesses,
but also veterans that have grown to
establish permanent storefronts but still
use the community gathering to appeal to a
demographic that might not normally pass
by the brick and mortar location. Pacific Pie
Company is one such example. Located in
Southeast Portland, it brings its sweet and
savory pastries to the farmers market — and
potential Beaverton customers — each week,
Rapport says.
A perennial favorite
Last year, Beaverton Farmers Market added
a few dates to its calendar with its Winter
Market, allowing some farmers to begin their
seasons earlier—and giving loyal customers a
chance to shop on a more year-round schedule.
“It’s really been an amazing feat of farming
to see what these guys have been able to bring
in,” Rapport says of her vendors. “They put up
hoop houses, like a greenhouse, but with less
of a rigid structure. They grow things earlier,
bring it into the market earlier — that’s why
you might see strawberries at the beginning
of May.”
The market has also embraced its role as a
family-friendly event by appealing to younger
attendees with the Market Sprouts program,
a kind of kids’ club that provides a regular
activity: Each market, participants are given
a clue about the product — or rather, produce
— of the week. Children are then encouraged
to find farmers who harvest that item to sign a
passport card, and ultimately earn prizes.
“We joke and say we’re training our next
generation of market customers, which is
true, but mainly we do it because we get so
many kids,” Rapport laughs. “It gives the kids
something fun to do, so they’re not just tagging
along.”
No sign of slowing down
During Rapport’s tenure, she has seen the
size of the Beaverton Farmers Market triple.
She says that although she’d like to take credit
for the success, she has found that Beaverton
is an especially supportive community when it
comes to the farmers market.
Regardless of what makes Beaverton
Farmers Market so successful, one metric
cannot be denied: It remains the largest all-
agricultural market in the state.
The Beaverton Farmers Market is located at
Southwest Hall Boulevard between Third Street and
Fifth Street. Summer Market continues Saturdays
through Nov. 23, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Winter Market
will be held the first and third Saturdays of the
month during February, March and April, from
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit
beavertonfarmersmarket.com or call 503-643-5345.
Recumbents ...
No Steroids Required
LIKE US
NOW OPEN!
Just off Hall Blvd. near Fanno Creek Bike Trail
Portland:
2025 SE Hawthorne
503.230.7723
Beaverton:
8354 SW Nimbus Ave.
503.941.5367
427820.071813 DB
448115.091913 DTB
25
¢
25
PER
SLICE
S
APPLE PIE A LA MODE
Hurry In,
Only Through
Septemer!
12925 SWCanyon Rd. • Beaverton
503-646-2688
OPEN FROM 6am - 8pm Every Day
Regardless of what makes
Beaverton Farmers Market
so successful, one metric
cannot be denied: It remains
the largest all-agricultural
market in the state.
>> Continued from Page 4
Ginger Rapport
checks in with
Beaverton Farmers
Market staff while
at the Sun Gold
Farm booth with
Chris Hertel on
a busy Saturday
morning.
1,2,3,4 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,...16