If you’ve ever found yourself loading your market basket with fresh produce from Zenger Farm’s booth and thinking about how you should go check out some of their great classes or farm tours, then this Saturday may be just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Zenger Farm’s Harvest Festival is Saturday, September 10th from 1:00 – 7:00 pm. There will be activities for everyone, including beekeeping talks, interactive displays, and kids activities. Tag along on a farm tour and find out where those veggies you just bought come from. You can even bring a picnic or pick up some market goods for dinner and enjoy an afternoon on the farm.
You can find Zenger Farms at 11741 SE Foster Road (A few blocks west of 122nd and Foster).
Each year, the Portland Mercury asks its readers to cast a vote for their favorite nightclubs, eateries, retail, and yes, farmers markets, and then compiles its PDX Approved: The Readers’ Choice Guide to Everything Awesome in Portland. We were super jazzed to learn that our shoppers love us so much that we made #2 on this year’s list! Thanks to all of you who enjoy our market enough that you took the time to scribble down ‘Montavilla’ under the category “My Favorite Farmers Market”. Our market wouldn’t be what it is without all of you. We promise to keep doing what we do to bring you the market that you love, and to keep making it better!
You may have seen Emily Merker or Jason Martinez helping out at the info booth or taking your plate in the Durable Dish station. For the past month, the Montavilla Farmers Market has been lucky enough to have the help of these energetic young volunteers from Portland YouthBuilders.
For the past several years, MFM has partnered with Portland YouthBuilders to provide volunteer opportunities to young men and women who are committed to becoming contributing members of the workforce and their community.
These PYB volunteers, and all of the volunteers, are crucial to the Market. Volunteers such as Emily and Jason help to run programs such as Durable Dish (which allows us provide re-usable dishes at our read-to-eat food vendors) and the SNAP Matching Program (which grants matching funds for customers swiping their SNAP/EBT cards). Emily, Jason, and the many other volunteers at the Montavilla Farmers Market help to keep the market running, and also make it a lot more fun!
So if you see Emily or Jason in the info booth or running Durable Dish, take a minute to introduce yourself and say thanks for all they do! They keep our market running!
Sunday, August 7th we say a big “thank you” to the businesses and organizations that do so much for our market. Some of our sponsors donate directly to the market, enabling us to bring the best market we can to our neighbors. Other sponsors lend us their expertise making websites or cooking a feast for our Harvest Dinner. We’re also lucky to receive many donations of materials, such as the reusable bags that have made our loaner bag program more sustainable. All of these contributions are vital to our ability to run a top notch farmers market.
To let our sponsors know how much we value their support, we have deemed this Sunday ‘Sponsor Appreciation Day’. We’ll have a table filled with information on our sponsors, and will give them our thanks during the chef demo at noon. So stop by the market to learn more about our generous sponsors and show them your support in return.
Montavilla Farmers Market will be celebrating National Night Out on Tuesday August 2 (6 – 8:30 pm) at a neighborhood block party at Portland Adventist Academy. There will be music, food, and fun activities, as well as information on how to keep your neighborhood safe. We’ll be grilling up some tasty corn provided by Maryhill, so be sure to stop by and say hello! The Academy will be collecting non-perishable packaged food for the local food pantry, so bring a can or two to drop off on your way in. Any leftover corn will also be donated.
Communities across America celebrate National Night Out on the first Tuesday of August every year. It’s a unique opportunity promote crime and drug prevention by getting to know the people in your neighborhood, while having some fun!
Portland Adventist Academy is located at 1500 SE 96th Avenue. We hope to see you there.
Photo courtesy of Paul Kluvers
The annual Harvest Dinner is fast approaching and we could not be more excited. On Saturday September 17th, the market’s gravel lot will transform into a setting for an elegant summer evening filled with gastronomic delights, music, and the company of good friends. We are honored to have an award-winning line-up of local culinary talent creating a six-course meal, including:
- Adam Sappington – owner, the Country Cat and 2011 Portland Iron Chef (three consecutive years)
- Piper Dixon – owner, Kitchen Dances and 2011 Vegan Iron Chef
- Steve Jones – owner, Cheese Bar – winner of the 2011 Cheesemonger Invitational
Chef Sappington will prepare market inspired meals for the omnivores, while Chef Dixon lends his vegan prowess for the vegetable-set by offering parallel vegan courses. This year, we are adding a sixth course to the dinner: a cheese course (along with another wine pairing) prepared by Steve Jones of Cheese Bar. The Harvest Dinner menu will also feature savories, sweets, and libations from Montavilla favorites, The Observatory, Pastrygirl, and The Bipartisan Café, plus Bar Avignon.
In keeping with the mission of the market, the menu will showcase seasonal, local and farm-direct producers. Each course will be accompanied by a wine or cocktail pairing, all of which is included in the $65 price of the ticket. Music for the evening will be provided by Halcyon Strings, featuring members of the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theatre orchestra.
A silent auction will complete the events of the evening with a portion of the proceeds going to support the local business association, the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association. The Harvest Dinner is the only fundraising event held by the market. The proceeds will partially fund the market’s Everybody Eats program, helping to make the market more accessible to families experiencing food insecurity. The proceeds also support the ongoing operating expenses of the market.
Tickets go on sale this Sunday, July 31st. You can purchase yours at our Info Booth or online. We can’t wait to share this evening with you.
