'Tis the Season: Markets and Murmurs

It's Portland own version of March Madness: the earliest opening ever last weekend of the 800-lb. gorilla that is the Portland Farmers' Market, which will be followed in the more stately month of May (on Mothers' Day, the 7th) by the mother of all markets that is the Beaverton Farmers' Market.

Between now and then I thought I'd take a moment to round up some of the market news for the upcoming 2011 season:

• This is the 15th season for the Hollywood Farmers' Market, the 20th season for the Portland Farmers' Market and the 10th season for the Hillsdale Farmers' Market. Who says fresh and local are new ideas?
• The newest addition to the 40-plus markets in the metro area is the Woodstock Farmers' Market, scheduled to open in June. Find it on Sundays in the parking lot of Key Bank at SE 46th and Woodstock.
• The Hollywood Farmers' Market will be piloting a year-round market (yay!) that will open on April 30th with a small number of vendors, to be joined by the full complement of participants on May 7th. Then the plan is that it will reopen after the holidays in December with a regular winter schedule. The smaller initial market will be up on higher ground in the Grocery Outlet parking lot, the better to avoid wet feet.
• The Oregon City Farmers' Market is just finishing up its first and hugely successful downtown winter market season. It will be opening for its regular season on Saturdays at the Kaen Road site on May 7 followed by the Wednesday market in Old Town Oregon City on June 1.
• The former Cully Collective Market has closed but a new Cully Community Market has been given a grant to operate and is planning its season opener on Sunday, June 5, from 10 am-2 pm. Their location will be at 42nd and Killingsworth in the PCC Workforce Network parking lot.
• A minor change of hours is in the cards for the OHSU Farmers' Market (11 am-3 pm), but the big news is that it is involved in opening the South Waterfront Urban Harvest farm stand this year. You'll find it on Thursdays from noon to 7 pm adjacent to the Center For Health and Healing Parking Garage, just off SW Moody between Whitaker and Curry.
• Unconfirmed rumors abound that the Portland Farmers' Market at PSU will be going to a year-round schedule after their holiday market in December. And despite whispers that the Con-way parking lot has been sold, the website for their NW 23rd market still states that it will remain at that location. Stay tuned for updates in the near future!

Details: Information on all of the farmers' markets in Oregon, including hours, locations and links to their websites, are available on the GoodStuffNW Oregon Farmers' Markets page. Check it out!