This Week at
the Market |
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Walk - Bike - or Bus to the Market Day
René's Old-Time Music Friends and More
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Song Garden Preschool
Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers
Crista the Face Painter
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Tip of the Week
Peeling Fruits with Thin Skins
If you are saucing tomatoes or freezing peaches you might find yourself wishing for an easy way to get the skins off. To do so, drop the fruit briefly into boiling water - for tomatoes until the skins split, for peaches just for a few moments. Immediately after, hold the fruit under cold running water to keep them from continuing to cook. The skins will come right off with the slightest coaxing!
-- Lorraine Ferron, HFM Community Volunteer Coordinator
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| Featured Produce
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Part
of the beauty of farmers' markets is that our produce changes with the
seasons. Stay current with weekly produce highlights here!
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Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes
(THINK Unique Gardens)
Ambition Shallots
(Persephone Farm)
Thai Chili Peppers
(Blooming Goodies)
Amber Cup Squash
(Thompson Farms)
Honeycrisp Apples
(Kiyokawa Orchards)
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This Saturday will be sunny so make sure to come by as it is the last market this season for Hot Lips Soda and Sol Pops. Stock up on soda made from local fruit and berries and get in one last popsicle before fall really sets in.
This Saturday is also the Walk-Bike-Bus to the Market Day with Albina Community Bank. Read below for more information and make sure to lace up your sneakers, grab your bicycle helmet, or hop on the bus to get to the market this weekend!
The Hollywood Farmers' Market's Oasis Project - a mobile mar ket designed to address the fresh produce needs of the nearby Cully neighborhood - steps up to its final day in the 2009 season this Saturday. The project provides an
especially great opportunity for EBT customers, as there is a
dollar-to-dollar match up to five dollars for SNAP (formerly known as
food stamp) recipients. For more information or to get
involved please send an email to the Oasis Project. |
Special Event: Walk - Bike - Or Bus to the Market Day
By Albina Community Bank
A breath of fresh air, a little exercise, some fresh fruits and vegetables, and what do you have? A healthier you, a healthier neighborhood, and an opportunity to win a $250 Certificate of Deposit from Albina Community Bank, and other great prizes!
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, Albina Community  Bank and the Hollywood Farmers' Market will combine
two things that Portlanders love - bicycling and farmers' markets - to
encourage customers in the Hollywood District to "Walk - Bike - Or Bus to the Market." And
just think, no more circling the blocks searching for parking, since six
to 20 bikes can be parked in one car parking space in a paved lot.
There are numerous health and environmental benefits to biking, and Portland makes this easy for us! Dubbed "Bike City USA," by the New York Times earlier this year, Portland boasts over 270 miles of bike paths and lanes. On an average day, it's been estimated that up to 16% of Portlanders bike to work, contributing to the clean air we love. Motor
vehicle emissions represent 31% of total carbon dioxide, 81% of carbon
monoxide, and 49% of nitrogen oxides released in the U.S., according to The Green Commuter, a publication of the Clean Air Council. The Worldwatch Institute also claims that a short, four-mile trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
Recreational
bike riding is a safe, low-impact, aerobic activity for Americans of
all ages. Bike commuting is an ideal solution to the need for moderate
physical activity; a 130-lb cyclist burns 402 calories while pedaling
14 miles in an hour; a 180-lb cyclist burns 540 calories in the same
time.
Also, did you know that our existing system of food transportation and distribution requires enormous amounts of energy and resources? Before reaching your table, the average food item in the U.S. will travel 1,300 miles! Supporting local growers and enjoying seasonal foods helps curb pollution and carbon emissions associated with food transportation.
In addition to supporting our local farmers and neighborhoods at the Hollywood Farmers' Market - and getting your daily exercise - let's see how many pounds of pollutants we can keep out of our Portland air on Saturday, September 26, 2009!
Sponsored by Albina Community Bank
Since
our start in 1995, Albina Community Bank
has always existed for the
right reasons -
To invest in individuals, families, businesses and our
own neighborhoods here in Portland.
What does your bank believe in? |
Farm Visits, Day Two: Gilson Marine Farm
By Sarah Broderick, HFM Market Manager
Continued from parts one and two.
With visions of aging rooms and tuna viscera still in our heads, Madhu and I set out from Chinook, Washington, on a Monday morning to check out oyster beds in Netarts, Oregon, and artichoke fields in Tillamook. The drive from Chinook to Netarts takes just under two hours in good traffic. It took us closer to two and a half hours (with coffee) but it was another beautiful sunny day on the coast, and we couldn't complain. 
We made it to the boat ramp in Netarts Bay with a couple hours of low-tide remaining and I pulled on my knee-high rubber boots, ready for action.
James Gilson, of Gilson Marine Farms, explained that the plats he and his family lease are technically on public land. The Gilsons have a long-term lease for the rights to grow oysters but they don't have the right to keep people off the beds. How can they be sure people aren't sneaking out there and stealing oysters? Well, he explained, they can't. It's an honor system. But, trust me - if you don't already know how to maneuver a boat through the narrow channels leading out the the plats, the last thing you are going to be thinking about is stealing oysters.
We set off on the outboard, passing by crab pots and hopeful tourists on the way, and after 10-15 minutes at a higher speed than I was  expecting we arrived at the Gilsons' plats. Amazed by James' ability to navigate the seascape so deftly, I admit I was somewhat surprised by what we found when we arrived. Basically, oysters grow on mudflats. Of course, I knew this before even setting out but for some reason I was expecting to be wowed. While the oyster beds themselves weren't terribly impressive, the scenery out on the water was. And so was the information James soon imparted.
While I won't trouble you with all the details, I will say that oyster farming is far more complex than I had imagined. The Gilsons grow two types of oysters, the larger Pacific oyster and the smaller Kumamoto. The Pacifics the Gilsons grow are what's called a triploid oyster and the Kumamotos are diploids. Huh? Basically, it comes down to c hromosomes. The Pacific oysters have an extra chromosome added at the hatchery, rendering them unable to reproduce. This allows the Gilsons to continue to farm oysters throughout the summer months, when diploid oysters are spawning and unpalatable. Which is where the saying, "Never eat an oyster in a month without an 'r' in it," came from. With the advent of triploid oysters, that convention no longer applies.
The Gilsons sell three sizes of oysters at the Hollywood Farmers' Market - small, medium, and large. James will start bringing Kumamoto oysters this month as the diploids have finished spawning. Pacifics remain available all season long.
After a couple of hours out on the oyster beds, it was time to head back to shore. After all, we still had to get to DeNoble Inc. to check out the artichoke fields (and grab a quick cup of clam chowder at the nearby Schooner Restaurant). We thanked James and made plans to meet up with him later to find out how he cleans the oysters before bringing them to market. For such a complex business as oyster farming, cleaning oysters turns out to be quite a simple process - a high-pressure hose is all it takes and the oysters are ready for market.
To Be Continued, Next Week: DeNoble Inc.
Special thanks to James Gilson and Gilson Marine Farms.
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Featured Vendor: Laurel Ridge Winery
By Ben Jacqmotte, Board Member
Market-goers, take (tasting) note! You may not be aware that wines produced under the Twin Forks label and sold at the Laurel Ridge Winery booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market are specifically made with  you in mind. Susan Teppola, owner of Laurel Ridge Winery, intends the Twin Forks wines, which are made in small batches, to be more dynamic, interesting and accessible for curious customers and wine tasters at farmers' markets.
For twenty-three years, Laurel Ridge Winery has been making wines from grapes grown on the Teppola property site in Carlton, Oregon. Starting in 2000, after the completion of a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, Laurel Ridge wines have been produced on-site in the Chehalem Valley. Susan is expanding on the tradition started by her late husband, David, who bought the property in 1974 and started making wine in 1986 at the David Hills Estate in Forest Grove from grapes grown at the Laurel Ridge site. Laurel Ridge is Susan's second full-time job after her work as an Oregon administrative law judge.
Along with hosting weddings, corporate retreats, car shows and other events, Laurel Ridge has a winemaking operation that is capable of producing 20,000 cases annually. Production that is not taken by Laurel Ridge under its two current labels is rented out to other winemakers in the region, and Laurel Ridge is one of the few Oregon facilities that is capable of producing sparkling wines.
Like other Willamette Valley producers, Laurel Ridge's vines have recently been afflicted with phylloxera. Because of this parasitic infestation, all of Laurel Ridge's vines will be replanted with new, resistant rootstock onto which new vines have been grafted, all at vast expense of time and money. Until then, Susan is sourcing grapes from other locations for wines made by Chris Berg, winemaker since 2006, under both the Twin Forks and Laurel Ridge labels.
With Willakenzie loam soil, the Laurel Ridge site is warm for the Willamette Valley, and Susan plans to produce Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay after the replanting. She estimates that the north-facing slopes on her property will also permit her to grow varieties on the property that are often associated with Alsace, France, including Silvaner, Gewurztraminer and Riesling. She also plans to launch a high-end label, Finn Hill, which will showcase the best grapes and winemaking techniques Laurel Ridge has to offer. In the meantime, be sure to stop by the Laurel Ridge booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market to try Twin Forks and Laurel Ridge wines, or pay a visit to Susan and her staff at the Laurel Ridge site in Carlton, Oregon.
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Community Booths
Learn more about the organizations tabling at the market each week in our community booth column.
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) is a nonprofit
educational institution dedicated to advancing health care and the art
of healing. Founded in 1983 in Portland, Oregon, OCOM was one of the
first Oriental medicine colleges in the United States to provide
master's-level instruction. In 2005, OCOM became the first college in
the nation to graduate doctors of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
OCOM will be at the Hollywood Farmers' Market this Saturday
performing demonstration acupuncture treatments. The public is welcome
to participate so please stop by!
Song Garden Preschool
Song Garden School is a new
Waldorf-inspired early childhood program in the
inner southeast Portland. It is a non-profit that aims to offer a learning
environment that supports the growth of the whole child.
To
nurture the balance and well-being of the child, rhythm underlies the
mornings together. This includes storytelling, puppetry, music making,
art projects, preparing organic snacks, rest time and free play. Within
daily "circle-time" the teachers share finger-plays and songs with
themes that connect the child to their natural environment, allowing
the children to fully enter activities with their imagination.
At the Hollywood market this Saturday, teachers will be
directing craft activities with the children including modeling beeswax, butterflies and clothespin dolls.
Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers
Since
1982, Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers (FSSW) has assisted
independent organizations of seasonal, farm and service workers in
pursuing their goals of eliminating unjust and substandard living and
working conditions. FSSW is a free and voluntary association joining
together students, professionals, clergy, business owners and other
concerned community residents to bring material support to organizing
drives of the working poor.
Check out their booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market this Saturday to learn more!
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The Hollywood Farmers' Market is open Saturdays, May through October from 8am - 1pm and November 7, 14, and 21 from 9am - 1pm. We are located on NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd).
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers' Market
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