 Fresh berries and corn and tomatoes,
oh my!
Cedar Mill-Sunset Farmers’ Market begins its fifth year
Every Saturday morning during the summer and into early fall, shoppers
can buy the wonderful fresh produce that we’re blessed with here in the
Northwest directly from local farmers in the Sunset Mall parking lot near
Safeway, at Murray and Cornell.
The Cedar Mill Farmers’ Market was started in 1998 by Leilani Esping.
She was a Cedar Mill resident who wanted to foster more community spirit
among the rapidly growing neighborhoods in the area. She established the
Market as a Saturday summertime community destination, operating first — with
the gracious support of Bales Thriftway and the Findley families — in the
parking lot between the Cedar Mill Community Library and HiSchool Pharmacy.
 When construction for the library expansion and the subsequent need
for more parking made it necessary for the Market to move, closing
down was not considered as an option. Esping and a handful of volunteers
worked
to build the market and keep it going even as it looked for a new
home. In 2000 they opened at the Sunset Mall parking lot near Safeway,
at Murray
and Cornell. Pan Pacific Properties, the Mall’s operator, and Safeway’s
management have supported the effort.
The Market has just begun its third season at this location, and this
year they’re adding “Sunset” to the name to help people remember that they’re
across from Sunset High School, near the Sunset Highway, and in the Sunset
Mall. When Esping moved to McMinnville a couple of years ago, Market management
was turned over to two “faithful” volunteers, Rhonnda Edmiston and Dina
Gross. “We’re hoping to stay, but permission is granted year by year,” says
Gross.
Volunteers have always been crucial to the Market’s operation. There’s
an ongoing need for people who want to get involved in something worthwhile,
have fun, meet their neighbors and get the jump on any exciting produce!
Volunteer activities include some behind-the-scenes work, including advertising
and marketing to help get the word out and scheduling for vendors
and musicians. If you’re an early riser, they always need help setting
up at 6 AM, and then folks are needed for the takedown from 1-2 PM.
Throughout the morning
volunteers help shoppers find what they’re looking for, they help customers
carrying purchases, and just generally, well, help! If you think you
might like to get involved, sign up at the Market or call or email
Dina Gross
(dina@thegnar.org,
503-617-1719).
 The CMSFM is one of a number of farmers’ markets around Oregon who belong
to the Oregon Farmers’ Markets Association. “In 2002, 52 communities within
the state enjoyed the benefits of a farmers’ market. Recent estimates indicate
that more than 1000 Oregon farmers participate in farmers’ markets each
year and that farmers’ markets attract more than 90,000 people each week
during the peak summer months,” states the group on their website. Visit www.oregonfarmersmarkets.org./cust/producetable.html for
information on what’s available when. (NOTE: This information is general
and may not apply to what’s at CMSFM on any given Saturday.)
In
addition to produce, vendors offer live plants including ornamentals, natives,
and vegetables, specialty gourmet food items (did you know that’s
one of Oregon’s biggest exports?) and a variety of locally produced artisan
items. Last year these included everything from quilts to lawn ornaments
and furniture. The Master Gardener program has experts onsite each week to answer gardening
questions. There’s food available to eat at the tables down the center
of the market aisle, and live music most days. Activities are also scheduled
for kids, including face painting and balloon animals. It’s a great place
to meet up with friends from around the area.
If you love bargains like I do, take a chance and arrive near the end
of the day when many of the produce vendors would rather make a deal than
carry home produce that’s been in the sun all morning. Last year I picked
up a huge box of Bing cherries for under $10. I canned them, dried them,
made chutney, and of course we all ate fresh cherries until they came out
our ears, but I only lost a few dozen and felt very satisfied with my thriftiness!
This only works if you’re willing to take whatever’s available. Many of
the vendors run out of some items before the Market closes, so if you really
want something in particular, get there early.
 To get a booth at the Market, prospective vendors fill out an application
and submit it to the Market’s board, which determines their acceptance.
Gross says, “The vendors pretty much take care of themselves, we just organize
a place for them to do their thing, and then juggle the schedule of who
can make it when and where we’ll put them.” A 10’ x 10’ space is $25, and
non-profits may participate for free.
Visit the Market’s website for updated
schedule information at www.cmfmarket.org
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