Coast River Business Journal
BUSINESS NEWS
May 2021 • 9
Farmers markets open
Vendors, managers optimistic for this season
Story by Emily Lindblom
Coast River Business Journal
elindblom@crbizjournal.com
Vendors and market managers are gearing
up for this year’s farmers market season with
the hope that it will bring the community back
together, while retaining measures meant to stem
the spread of the coronavirus.
Angi Wildt, manager of the Seaside Farmers
Market, said she’s looking forward to this season.
“We’re super excited and should have a great
year,” Wildt said. “I’d imagine more people will
feel more comfortable this year.”
Wildt said customers were great at following
guidelines last year.
“People liked shopping outside rather than
inside,” Wildt said. “The report I got from every-
one who attended was they felt safe there, which
was great because we wanted people to come get
fruits and vegetables and not feel worried.”
Jenna Austin, president of the Ilwaco Mer-
chants Association, said the Ilwaco Saturday Mar-
ket is the reason she and her husband, Don Nisbet,
decided to move their business to the area.
The couple, originally from Battleground,
Washington, were vendors at the market and did
so well there that they decided to open a perma-
nent business by the Port of Ilwaco, the Don Nis-
bet Art Gallery.
“The Ilwaco Saturday Market is a great place
for the community to support local small busi-
nesses, artisans and farmers,” Austin said. “Our
produce vendor has been at our market since
it started about 20 years ago and is a market
favorite.”
Though the Ilwaco market started late last year
due to the virus, the market opened on time this
year on May 1. It’s expected to be open on Satur-
days through September.
“It was a really big deal last year to have it
open and we were excited to open on time this
year,” Austin said.
Shelby Meyers, the new market and promo-
tions manager for the Astoria Sunday Market, said
she prepared for the market’s opening by calling
all the vendors to get to know them.
The market, now run by the Astoria Downtown
Historic District Association, is running on Sun-
days from May 9 to October 10.
“The past couple months I’ve been working
with COVID regulations and trying to simultane-
ously make sure it’s as safe as can be while get-
ting as many vendors selling as possible,” Mey-
ers said. “The Sunday market has such a strong
community that I’m getting to come into and get
to know.”
Some vendors have been selling at the Astoria
market for its entire 21 years.
PHOTOS BY HAILEY HOFFMAN/THE ASTORIAN
Vegetables sit in baskets at the Blackberry
Bog table at the Seaside Farmers Market.
“That culture of people who’ve known each
other for decades is unique and the relationship
to downtown Astoria is special,” Meyers said.
“The fresh river breeze and views are special and
the brick-and-mortar business community adds a
great foundation for the market to thrive in.”
The Oregon Farmers Market Association has
been acting as a resource during the virus, pro-
viding information on updates of guidelines and
advocating for the markets. All stands were 10
feet apart, arrows were set up to mark the flow
of foot traffic, hand sanitizing stations were avail-
able and masks were required. These guidelines
are expected to remain in place this season too.
In addition to the restrictions, vendors have
also been navigating a lack of supplies. Jars were
hard to come by because of the popularity of home
canning, flour for baked products was scarce
because of the bread-making trend and elastic
material to make masks was running out as well.
Austin said the Don Nisbet Art Gallery usually
makes and sells T-shirts, but certain sizes haven’t
been available. She said her husband adapted to
the changes.
“My husband started painting more originals
on upcycled wood,” Austin said.
At the Seaside market in 2020, restrictions
called for all food vendors to serve to-go food
only, and there couldn’t be any music.
But this year, depending on the county’s risk
category at the time, food booths may be allowed
to open and music can return to the Seaside mar-
Vasilisa Egoroff packages blueberries, raspberries and blackberries at the Seaside Farmers
Market.
ket while eaters and listeners spread out and keep
their distance.
“It’s nice to have music at the market and
for musicians to be able to play again, it’s more
lively,” Wildt said.
Austin said she expects to have music at the
Ilwaco Saturday Market this year too, as long as
guidelines allow it.
The Seaside Farmers Market, scheduled for
Wednesdays from June 16 to Sept. 29, is plan-
ning to have a Oregon Trail Card SNAP pro-
gram matching up to $10 as well as a Double Up
Food Bucks program that provides an extra $10 in
tokens for food.
“It will help stretch the dollars for people
who would like to buy fresh produce, and all that
money is going to local farmers and artisans who
make food,” Wildt said.
Meyers said she hopes to have the Oregon
Trail Card SNAP program available later in the
summer at the Astoria market too. After a scaled-
down year of 2020, the Astoria market is expand-
ing back into its usual footprint while spacing
out the stands. Meyers said the food court will be
open, but no live music is scheduled yet.
Meyers said she’s seen the community prior-
itize shopping locally and supporting small busi-
nesses through the pandemic.
“Adaptability and engagement with neighbors
is something I hope we continue,” Meyers said.
“We’ve learned the value of taking care of each
other.”