Farmers Market Opens May 10
by Dina Gross, Market Manager
 We all know summer is not far off and Mother’s Day is upon us when the Cedar Mill Farmers Market, sponsored by Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, opens for its six-month run just west of Murray on NW Cornell Road. Rain or shine, the market is open 8 - 1 every Saturday through September and 9 -2 on October Saturdays. Opening every year the day before Mother’s Day gives the Cedar Mill community a chance to pick up something wonderful for Mom, such as a lovely bouquet from Vanessa’s Farm, a hanging basket from S & K Nursery or Martinez Family Farm, baked cookies, cakes, pastries and macarons from Decadent Creations and RhoJo’s, and so much more. Look for beautiful locally made arts and crafts including R & J Glassworks’ fused glass pieces, along with pottery, jewelry, woodcrafts, batik pieces, baskets, skincare products and lots more from both new and returning vendors.
Market lunch fave La Popular Tradiciones returns with their incredible tamales and take-home sauces, and the Retrolicious food cart will be with us every other week all season. It’s been a long off-season without their delicious breakfast & lunches! Won’t it be great to get back in the swing? So many things to re-stock, including your supply of local honey, right? Just stop in at Dairy Creek Farm’s booth for all manner of honey/bee products as well as fresh eggs and a great many sustainably-grown vegetables and herbs. If mom is a gardener, she’ll love the vegetable and herb starts available from new vendor Lily & Jasmine’s Garden, and the fabulous perennials and annuals available from our old friends at Tanasacres Nursery.
Several other new vendors join us this year to complement returning vendors. Look for Atlas Cider Company with sales of tasty hard cider, while Wild Roots Vodka returns with their locally made spirits for sampling. Treehouse Chocolates, made locally in small batches from premium organic sustainably sourced cacao, offers new-to-our-market chocolate goodness, while Truffles R Us joins us for another season of those fabulous truffles and fudges we know and love.
Look for a variety of incredible candles, bath & body products, jewelry, scarves and lots more from Sublime Designers, and you’ll thank yourself for finding new vendor Dolcezza’s handmade sculptures of local flora, and natural lavender pressed ceramic wares. But don’t worry, our longtime vendors like Susie’s Jewelry, and P & L Creations, promise our familiar favorite artistic goods, along with Herb’s Daughter and Midnite Oils, back this season with the scents and products you love. Longtime favorite vendor, Lunarcat Studios, promises all her beautiful handmade origami ornaments, while new vendor Love that Letter offers really cool, unique alphabet art. Aunt Tammy’s Treats are new tasty goodies for our doggie friends and our fun vendor “i want a dog” will be back with all her colorful handmade collars, leashes, and more. Many, many more vendors from the past few years promise to be back in 2014, so come by to see all the familiar faces. Even Mark & René Bennett are returning with their freshly roasted coffee beans, coffee beverage, and beautiful jams & jellies.
Of course there will be lots of wonderful fresh, local vegetables, as well as fruits as the warm weather continues. Look for strawberries by the second or third market dates, and cherries as we go into June. Early markets will feature asparagus, radishes, cilantro, spinach, and more from Martinez Family Farm and Dinihanian’s Farm. A fabulous new farmer from the Adelante Mujeres/ Esperanza Farm Program—N & N Amaro Produce—promises a host of great vegetables, including heirloom varieties. Look for eggs, as well, at all these farm booths. At the second market (and every other Saturday through the season), you’ll also be able to pick up fresh eggs at Malinowski Farm, while choosing some cuts of that incredible local organic beef. Duyck’s Peachy Pig Farm joins us sometime later in May with eggs, berries, nuts, honey and more. ELA, with all their great organic berries, other organic produce, and eggs, plan to be at the market by late May, and the no-spray sustainably-grown veggies and fruits of Galin-Flory Farms will be available at the market by late-June.
Thanks to local musician Nathan Botsford, the sounds on Opening Day will be as wonderful as the sights. Join us after 9:30 to hear Nate’s much-loved, much-requested guitar & vocals. Hooray for a new farmers market season with new and old friends and vendors, great music and fun, and all the other goodness the market brings to Cedar Mill every Saturday! Hope to see you soon! |
