Get Fresh All Winter

Thanksgiving heralds the last gasp of fall and the onset of winter, with its focus on squash, fowl and root vegetables. It also marks the beginning of the winter farmers' market season, and this year the census of markets open year round has increased to eight…count 'em…eight! All full of vendors willing to brave the elements with a plethora of fresh, lively produce harvested from their fields (whether under cover or not). For times, dates and maps please consult the Oregon Farmers' Market page right here on GoodStuffNW. The full list is:

• Beaverton Farmers Market: First and third Saturdays, Feb.-April, 10 am-1:30 pm.
• Hollywood Farmers Market: First and third Saturdays, Dec.-April, 9 am-1 pm. On NE Hancock between 44th & 45th Ave.
• Hillsdale Farmers' Market: First and third Sundays, Dec.-April, 10 am-2 pm. 1509 SW Sunset Blvd. in Hillsdale.
• Lloyd Farmers' Market: Every Tuesday, 10 am-2 pm. In the Oregon Square Courtyard on NE Holladay Street between NE 7th Ave and NE 9th Ave.
• People's Farmers' Market: Every Wednesday, 2-7 pm. 3029 SE 21st Ave.
• Winter Market at Shemanski: Every Saturday from Jan. 7-Feb. 25, 10 am-2 pm. In the South Park Blocks at Shemanski Park between SW Salmon & SW Main.
• Oregon City Farmers Market: First and third Saturdays, Dec.-April, 10 am-2 pm. On 8th St. at Main in downtown Oregon City.
• Montavilla Winter Stock-up Markets: Second Sundays of the month, Dec.-Feb., 11 am-1 pm. On the 7600 block of SE Stark St.

In Season NW: Join the Parade!

I was trying to think of a good metaphor for the farmers' markets opening this week, and the first thing that came to my mind was popcorn. You heat the oil, pour in the kernels and at first there's nothing…then a few seconds later you hear a pop. A second later there are a couple more pops, then suddenly a chorus.

But however you choose to think of it, we're fast approaching the rolling waves of the harvest that summer represents, first with strawberries and early vegetables, then the fat cane and bush berries and fruits, peppers and tomatoes (left). I get excited just thinking about it, so before I go completely off into fantasy land, here's a roundup of markets opening in the next few days:

• Shemanski Park, Wed., May 4, 10 am-2 pm. The mid-week version of the big Kahuna that is the PSU market, it draws a big crowd of downtown office workers for lunch and a chance to restock the pantry before the weekend. In the South Park Blocks at Shemanski Park between SW Salmon and Main.
• Buckman Market, Thurs., May 5, 3-7 pm. A small, well-curated market, its Thursday afternoon slot has been a big hit with the residents of this inner eastside neighborhood. At SE 20th and Salmon between SE Belmont and Hawthorne in the parking lot of Hinson Baptist Church.
• Beaverton Farmers' Market, Sat., May 7, 8 am-1:30 pm. The area's signature farmers' market representing the bounty of Washington County and beyond, it is a destination for tourists and residents alike. On SW Hall Blvd between 3rd and 5th Streets in Beaverton.
• Hollywood Farmers' Market, Sat., May 7, 8 am-1 pm. A lively market in one of NE Portland's hot neighborhoods, it draws from people all over the city's east side. On NE Hancock between 44th & 45th Avenues.
• Oregon City Saturday Farmers' Market,  Sat., May 7, 9 am-2 pm. This suburban market has grown from a scattering of tents to a vibrant survey of the bounty of farms south of the city. 2051 Kaen Road, off Beavercreek Road.
• Moreland Farmers' Market, Wed., May 11, 3:30-7:30 pm. You'll find neighbors gathering to shop and visit at this mid-week market…it's also a perfect place to sit and nosh and soak up the mellow neighborhood vibe. At SE Bybee Blvd. and 14th St. with free parking across the street at SE 14th and Glenwood.
• Oregon City Downtown Market, Wed., June 1, 3-7 pm. The mid-week version of the Saturday market, it is located in the same spot that a "producers market" operated in 1924. 8th and Main Streets in downtown Oregon City.
• Montavilla Farmers' Market, Sun., June 5, 10 am-2 pm. Montavilla feels less like an urban market than one you'd find in a small town, with friendly neighbors laughing and local businesses joining in the fun with events and promotions. Between SE 76th and 78th Streets on Stark Street.

Look for a complete schedule of Portland and Willamette Valley farmers' markets on the Oregon Farmers' Market page.

Outstanding in His Field

I was lucky enough as a young child to have relatives with a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon, which meant that I learned to ride the ranch's cattle horses starting at the age of four. We would spend several weeks each year there, so I got to live the horse-loving girl's dream of going on cattle drives and riding through green pastures in the foothills of the Blue Mountains.

Nick and Nellie canoodling.

Though the desire (my parents would have said single-minded obsession) to actually own one of my own has given way to the reality of my (happy) life as a city dweller, I still love to hang out with horses whenever I get the chance. So when I heard from my friend Clare that she was participating in a plowing competition with other members of her Draft Horse Breeders Association, I had to jump in the car and go.

Yes, mules plow, too!

The video at the top of this post shows Clare's mentor, Duane Van Dyke, and his horses Nick and Nellie plowing in today's competition. If you're saying "Gee, I wish I'd known about this!" Clare said that the teams coming to this year's Champoeg Founder's Day on May 7 are going to blow your mind. In addition to the draft horse plowing competition, there'll also be blacksmith demonstrations, live music and other activities.

So if you or someone you love is crazy about these animals or simply can't get enough of traditional arts, make plans to go. I'll see you there!

Details: Champoeg Founder's Day, Sat., May 7, 10 am-4 pm; free with purchase of $5 State Parks Day Use Parking Pass. 8239 Champoeg Rd NE, St Paul.503-678-1649.

'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!

Livin' in the Blurbs: Thankful For What We've Got

Thanksgiving's just a little over a week away and that means I'm making lists of favorite foods and favorite people, and trying to remember where the heck I put the gravy boat after last Thanksgiving. Our farmers' markets are gearing up for the big day, too, with several reopening for a final blowout, many featuring special products and vendors. Think turkeys, brussels sprouts, squash, patés, jams, greens, cheeses…close to everything you'll need for this most seasonal of feasts. Check out what's going on at a market near you by going to GoodStuffNW's complete list of Willamette Valley markets to find links, maps and locations. Here's what a few are doing:

• Sat., Nov. 20, 8 am-1:30 pm: Beaverton Farmers' Market celebrates with a Harvest Market that not only has harvest-fresh foods for your table but holiday wreaths and garlands, gifts and stocking stuffers. SW Hall Blvd. between 3rd and 5th Sts., Beaverton.
• Sat., Nov. 20, 9 am-2 pm: Portland Farmers' Market's Thanksgiving Feastival with all things fresh and tasty for your holiday celebration. In the Park Blocks between SW Montgomery and Park.
• Sat. Nov. 20, 10 am-2 pm: Oregon City Farmers' Market shows off its new Winter Market that will continue every other week through April and has everything you need for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving. 8th Street at Main in downtown Oregon City.
• Tues., Nov. 23, 1-5 pm: Thanksgiving Reunion at Buckman Farmers' Market gives those of us who like to wait till the very last moment a shot at the freshest food, drink and trimmings. SE 20th and Salmon between Belmont and Hawthorne.

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Walk into any Portland Grand Central Bakery and Cafe this holiday season and you'll be bowled over by the colorful artwork from the women of the Zimbabwe Artists Project (ZAP) in Weya, Zimbabwe. Started as a cooperative effort by Lewis & Clark College sociology professor Dick Adams and the women of the village, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork goes to help the women afford food, clothing, school fees, medicine, seeds and fertilizer for their crops. Think of how good you'll feel each time you see it at your own home or one of your friend's (hint hint), knowing that it touched the life of someone halfway around the world. Isn't that what the holidays are all about?

Details: Benefit Show and Sale of artwork of the women of the Zimbabwe Artists Project at Grand Central Bakery and Cafes. Sale continues Nov.-Dec. Locations here.

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And don't forget to celebrate World Toilet Day on Friday (Nov. 19). What sounds like the opening line of some gross poop joke is actually an opportunity to understand the importance of sanitation and raise awareness for the 2.6 billion people (nearly half of the world's population) who don't have access to toilets and proper sanitation. The statistics are shocking: diarrheal disease kills five times more children in the developing world than HIV/AIDS or malaria; it stunts growth and forces millions of adults and children to take weeks away from school and work, affecting their education and income, which hits both a country's economy and its citizens' chances of a better future. And that's no joke.

Details: World Toilet Day, sponsored by the World Toilet Organization. Friday, Nov. 19. Donate here.

Market Roundup: Wednesday in the OC & Beaverton

It was meant to be. Oregon City Farmers' Market manager Jackie Hammond-Williams felt it was time to expand the Saturday market schedule to add a mid-week farmers' market. The city council agreed, providing start-up funding and a location smack in the middle of downtown. Then someone found a newspaper clipping describing a "producers market" in the same exact location in 1924. Talk about destiny! Look for the smiling faces at Full of Life Farm's booth, where you can not only buy pastured poultry and eggs, grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured heritage pork and free-ranging goat, but you'll support a sustainable farm with a mission to care for the animals, the land and the people in equal measure. Quite a goal. And don't miss Diana's Delights, the retirement project of Diana Robson (above left), who will happily dish, in a charming English accent, about the foibles of Hollywood's glitterati from her former life as an actress, dancer, singer, chef and personal assistant. She currently offers jams, chutneys and lemon curd made from the fruit she purchases from market vendors and eggs from her daughter's flock. Secret treat: Pick up a bag of her flaky, fruit-filled rugelach for the ride home.

Details: Oregon City Downtown Wednesday Market. 3-7 pm on 8th and Main Sts. in downtown Oregon City at the base of the falls.

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The first time I went to the Beaverton Farmers' Market (an advertiser on GoodStuffNW), I was bowled over. In the days before farmers' markets were a ubiquitous presence in nearly every Portland neighborhood, the sheer size and scope of it was mind-boggling. Unimaginably gorgeous produce spilled from farmers' stands and tantalizing aromas from food booths wafted down the aisles. Some people still find it overwhelming, and for them there is its quieter, gentler sibling, a child of the afternoon and early evening, a place to stop and stroll and chat. Where the Saturday market is bustling and boisterous, the Wednesday market, with many fewer vendors but offering the same great produce, flowers and prepared foods, ambles at a much mellower pace. Three-year-old Bella Organics (photo, above) grows its berries, fruits and vegetables on an organically certified farm on Sauvie Island, and Alex Hashem said that once the weather warms up they'll be offering more greens, squash and summer produce for customers' tables. Captured by Porches Brewing Company was enjoying the sunny skies, and the friendly guy behind the taps said they're hoping that Beaverton market-goers get as excited about their St. Helens-produced beers as Portland's have. And new vendor Verde Cocina looked like shoppers were taking to their huevos rancheros, a white bean and garbanzo mash spread on corn tortillas and topped with a free-range fried egg, a little cheese, fresh salsa ranchera and a fresh market bean salad.

Details: Beaverton Wednesday Farmers' Market. 3-6 pm on SW Hall Blvd. between 3rd and 5th Sts.

Oddities: Doggy Etiquette

I never take my dogs to the farmers' market. Rosey would just as soon stay on her polka dot pillow at home and snooze as be tripped over by shoppers oblivious to everything but that perfect bunch of mizuna across the aisle. And forget about Walker. He would wrap himself around me in a flash trying to rip out the throat of any Doberman that glanced his way.

So this sign came as a welcome development in market etiquette, though I had no idea that dogs might have a sudden urge to light up in the middle of the mustard greens. But considering the mess that the spent butts and burnt-out matches would make, I guess it had to come to this.