Collection of featured articles from the weekly market newsletter, known as the Grapevine. Subscribe today and never miss a thing!
Filtering by Category: Market Life
This time of year, one of the most common questions at the information booth is, "when does the market end?" It's a question we love to joyously answer, because the response is: "we do not end!"
Read MoreA common rallying phrase for small businesses and farmers’ markets alike is the call to “shop local.” We’ve all heard it, but have you ever stopped to wonder why it might be important? In celebration of this Sunday’s Vendor Appreciation Day at Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, we are going to look briefly at just a few of the benefits of spending your money in your own community.
Read MoreOne of my favorite internet memes reads, “The four seasons are depression, allergies, tomatoes, and spooky.” If you have been to our market recently, you will know that we are well and truly into tomato season. This weekend we will celebrate that juicy bounty by bringing back a beloved Hillsdale event: Tomatomania!
Read MoreThe season of summer bounty is upon us, and there’s no better time to celebrate your local market and the people who make it happen. National Farmers Market Week is August 6 - 12, 2023!
Read MoreHave you wondered about how the big decisions get made at the market? Do you love to linger by the info booth, chatting about your garden and this week’s market haul? Do you want to get more involved in your community’s connection to local and seasonal food? Now might be the time! Read below to learn about our volunteer program and our open board positions.
Read MoreSummer in the pacific northwest is the season of so many beloved elements of our region: outdoor theater, outdoor meals, days by the river, nights in the mountains, home gardens, and big, bountiful farmers’ markets. After a full year of attending every farmers' market, I have a few pointers for making this summer your summer at Hillsdale.
Read MoreWhen buying flats and flats of berries, your shopping can get a little out of hand - sometimes literally. Luckily, we have a resource to the rescuce! They're green, they're sturdy, and they've got big tires for negotatiating curbs and speedbumps. Today we're talking a bit about some of the hardest working farmers' market equipment around: our community wagons.
Read MoreKeeping track of which seasonal produce is available when can be hard to do, even for the pros! You may ask a farmers when their cherries are coming and often they can give you an idea, but not a solid answer. Farming can be both an art and a science.
Read MoreRemembering Glenn Bridger, a great friend of the Hillsdale Farmers Market
Read MoreThe last few years have been tumultuous for all of us. For customers participating in food benefit programs, the recent road has gotten even bumpier.
Read MoreWhen raising children, you’ll often hear that “it takes a village.” The adage refers to two separate things as one: your children need more lessons than you alone can teach them, and you will need community that you can rely on. Today we are looking at how a local farmers market can be a part of that community for parents AND children, supplying lessons and connection, and becoming an important part of a family’s village.
Read MoreWhen it comes to bringing a farmers' market together, there are a lot of moving pieces. The market managers tend to be a visible element but there are so many more people involved, often behind the scenes.
Read MoreWe are one of the few local farmers' markets that run year-round. While we remain a very "farmer forward" market focusing on farmers, ranchers, fisheries, bakers and other local food producers, we also welcome artisan craft vendors for the holidays as some of our seasonal produce vendors leave the market for the colder months.
Read MoreStock Your Shelves is all about preparing for winter. This event gives the Hillsdale community a chance to buy in bulk and save, all while preparing for the leaner months ahead.
Read MoreIf you are a farmers’ market regular, you’ve likely heard the term “CSA” before. Today we will be delving into what a CSA is, and how it benefits both shoppers and farmers alike.
Read MoreSalsa is both ubiquitous and versatile. It can be fresh or canned, red or green, sweet or spicy. But maybe you didn’t know that salsa is also ancient.
Read MoreIn Oregon, late September and early October are our golden days of fall, and nowhere is that clearer than at the farmers’ market. The sun is still shinning, though the heat has dropped. The mornings are crisp, the evenings coming on sooner and sooner. At the farmers’ market, it is easy to see the way summer and fall blend into one another.
Read MoreReflecting back on my years at the market, there are many funny moments. You need a good sense of humor to run a farmers’ market and the opportunity to laugh presents itself nearly every week.
Read MoreA common question we get at the info booth is, “why should I get tokens to shop the market? Don’t the vendors take cash and card?” Today we’re diving into tokens – when they’re needed, why you might consider using them, and how they are used.
Read MoreIf you shop at Hillsdale Farmers’ Market with any kind of regularity, you’ve likely crossed paths with Eamon Molloy. Eamon is our market’s longtime manager, who first took on the role in 2004. He’s friendly, helpful, and seems to somehow know everything there is to know about produce. For many, his name is synonymous with the market. As the season’s change, so do we. Eamon will be retiring as market manager at the end of September 2022.
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