4 • The Southwest Portland Post
FEATURES
September 2012
OHSU Farmers Market serves community, not just medical students
By Jillian Daley
The Southwest Portland Post
The Portland metro area boasts
almost 40 farmers markets, but
there’s one in the Southwest that
stands out.
The Oregon Health & Science
University Farmers Market crops
up every Tuesday during the sunny
season (this year it’s June 5 through
October 30) in front of Mackenzie
Hall, a shady lawn next to the
Alumni Fountain and amid a small
city of university buildings.
Most markets are found in neigh-
borhood parks and parking lots,
and there usually aren’t crowds of
doctors in white coats and nurses
in scrubs perusing produce stands.
The market usually boasts about
30 vendors selling wares such as
heirloom tomatoes, Katota black-
berries, butter lettuce, potted herbs,
cut flowers, goat cheese, salsa, beef,
lamb, handspun wool yarn, choco-
late and Indian-spiced popcorn.
Market manager Eecole Copen
said she has worked hard to ensure
that there’s more than produce for
market goers to enjoy.
There is a massage therapist on
hand and live music flavors the air.
Attendees can pick up breakfast,
lunch or a snack at the stands, which
offer French baked goods, ice cream,
freshly squeezed juice, coffee, Japa-
nese cuisine, sandwiches, pizza,
Middle Eastern cuisine and more.
Copen chooses her vendors care-
fully, taking pride that all produce
sold at the market is grown without
synthetic pesticides and herbicides,
no meat has added antibiotics or
hormones and beverages do not
contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Dishes are compostable. Once
diners are done eating, they deposit
complimentary metal utensils in
receptacles spread throughout the
market.
Copen has arranged a month-long
craft fair this October, showcasing
10 local vendors’ handmade prod-
ucts. She said it offers a great chance
for early holiday shopping.
The market ran from mid-May to
early October for the last five years.
This year the schedule changed to
early June to the end of October to
feature late summer harvest crops
such as corn, winter squash and
pumpkins, Copen said.
The market provides the com-
munity a wealth of resources, and
it also helps “grow farms,” she said.
Colleen Sanders said the market is
crucial to her employer, The Good
Food Farm in Silverton, which is
small and doesn’t do wholesale.
“We wouldn’t be able to stay in
business if it weren’t for markets
like these,” Sanders said. The mar-
ket brings customers directly to
farmers.
Medical students Dani Babbel,
John Williams and Natalie Wilson
have become regular customers
at the market this summer while
school is out.
“We have nothing to do but eat
fruit and sit in the sun,” Babbel said.
“I also love to come and eat the fresh
samples of chocolate.”
Williams likes the community feel:
“It’s a good gathering place.”
Wilson said she likes having a
neighborhood place to buy grocer-
ies and fresh cut flowers.
“It’s convenient – you don’t have
to go out of your way to eat good
food.”
The market also affords low-
income people access to good, fresh
John got in the game
with a wide range of
sports, movies and
more & saved up
to $850!
Nicole went back to
basics and saved $312!
Packages start at just
Everyday price $24.99/mo
PREMIUM MOVIE CHANNELS
SAME DAY
INSTALLATION
IN UP TO 6 ROOMS
Colleen Sanders (left) of The Good Food Farm in Silverton helped medical
students Dani Babbel, Natalie Wilson and John Williams at the OHSU Farmers
Market on August 14. (Post photo by Jillian Daley)
food. They can use Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) cards, exchanging a sum of
money for tokens to buy produce,
plants and seeds.
New Seasons Market awarded
OHSU a $2,000 grant for the sec-
ond year in a row to help fund
the Nutrition Incentive Program.
The program allows the market to
match every dollar up to $5 per day
per SNAP card.
Produce stands accept Farm Di-
rect Nutrition Program checks and
Oregon Women, Infants & Children
Fruit & Veggie vouchers. Vendors
also take regular checks, and some
can even run a credit card.
People can exchange a sum of
with qualifying packages. Offer based on the
discounted $5 price for the Blockbuster @Home.
One disc at a time, $10/mo. value.
For 3 months.
CALL TODAY -
INSTALLED TODAY!
Join Nicole and John and start saving now on TV!
1-888-699-7545
Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm EST Promo Code: MB0712
Blockbuster @Home (1 disc at a time): Only available with new qualifying DISH service. For the first 3 months of your subscription, you will receive Blockbuster @Home free (regularly $10/mo). After 3 months,
then-current regular price applies Requires online DISH account for discs by mail; broadband Internet to stream content; HD DVR to stream to TV. Exchange online rentals for free in-store movie rentals at participating
Blockbuster stores. Offer not available in Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands. Streaming to TV and some channels not available with select packages. Digital Home Advantage plan requires 24-month agreement and credit
qualification. Cancellation fee of $17.50/month remaining applies if service is terminated before end of agreement. Online Bonus credit requires online redemption no later than 45 days from service activation. After
applicable promotional period, then-current price will apply. $10/mo HD add-on fee waived for life of current account; requires 24-month agreement, continuous enrollment in AutoPay with Paperless Billing. 3-month
premium movie offer value is up to $132; after 3 months then-current price applies unless you downgrade. Free Standard Professional Installation only. All equipment is leased and must be returned to DISH upon
cancellation or unreturned equipment fees apply. Upfront fee, monthly fees, and limits on number and type of receivers will apply. You must initially enable PrimeTime Anytime feature; requires local channels broadcast
in HD (not available in all markets). HD programming requires HD television. All prices, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject to change without notice. Offer available for new and qualified
former customers, and subject to terms of applicable Promotional and Residential Customer agreements. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer ends 1/31/13. HBO®, Cinemax® and related channels and service marks
are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. SHOWTIME is a registered trademark of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company. STARZ and related channels and service marks are property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. Netflix
is a registered trademark of Netflix. Inc. Redbox is a registered trademark of Redbox Automated Retail, LLC. All new customers are subject to a one-time, non-refundable processing fee.
(Continued on Page 5)
Create a Stable and
Predictable Financial Future
Find out how you can supplement Social Security and
other pension plans; protect your savings against market
downturns and guard against outliving your assets. Call
now for your FREE INFORMATION GUIDE to learn how you
can lock in a steady monthly check guaranteed for life.
6%
interest,
compounded
annually
■
6% tax-deferred interest will double your principal in 12 years.
■
5% bonus added to your principal immediately.
■
Fixed monthly income payments – no matter what the market does.
Where available.
INCLUDED FOR 3 MONTHS
money on their debit card for to-
kens to use at the market.
“Interacting with food producers
is priceless,” said Mickelberry Gar-
dens employee Kate Malone.
Malone said it’s a great way for
people to learn about “the many
wonderful agricultural products we
have here in Oregon.”
Copen said there is a lot of interest
in those products with almost 2,700
attendees on Aug. 14. The public’s
desire to buy fresh and local is what
inspired the market.
OHSU Food and Nutrition Ser-
vices hosted a harvest festival in
October 2006 to gauge interest in a
farmers market, and it was a big hit,
■
■
Backing by the fi nancial strength of ING USA Annuity and Insurance
Company – an A+ rated company.
Issue age up to 80 years old. Minimum $25,000 investment required.
“Warren Elkin very patiently guided me through some investment strategies
that allow me to live in comfort with no worries about running out of money.”
— E. Heineman
Call
1-888-460-8049
for your FREE Information Guide. No obligation.
Represented by Norhill Wealth Strategies — Warren Elkin, Financial Advisor
Agent License #0633742