Clockwise: garlic spears, strawberries and tomatoes, spring veggies, cherries
The Beaverton Farmers Market is clearly one of the largest in the area, on most days the largest. Only during a festival does the Portland Farmers Market challenge Beaverton’s on size. And it’s still a very good market. While the percentage of produce vendors may be lower than some markets, there are no craft booths like in Vancouver, Gresham or Eugene. It’s truly a farmer’s market.
I rushed out on Saturday about a month ago before heading to judge a BBQ competition in Aloha. I was hoping to taste bagels from a fellow PortlandFood.org member, “Krunchky”, but he was at a wedding. It was drizzly which made for fewer market-goers, easier photos, and an opportunity to talk with a few of the vendors.
Photo Album
Beaverton Farmers Market Website
May’s Produce strawberries
In early June, strawberries are at the peak of their season. Hoods have name recognition and can sell out quickly. But several varieties are just as tasty. Most important is biting into a sample and seeing that it’s red to the center. May’s Produce, a small Asian vendor that also sells flowers and a small selection of herbs and vegetables, had some of the most perfect strawberries. Good strawberries could also be found at The Berry Patch, Denison Farms, French Prairie Gardens, Gathering Together Farm, Greens Bridge Farms, Laube Farms, Liepold Farms, Stephens Farm, Unger Farms, Viridian Farms, and Winters Farms. I didn’t see any raspberries or blueberries, yet.
I was surprised to see early cherries from the gorge. I’m always watchful on my weekly trips to The Dalles and grocery stores there were stilling selling California cherries and the Mosier Grange hadn’t put their sign up yet. Ales Farm was selling Chelans (plus some sad looking apricots, but nice asparagus) as was Baird Family Orchards. Packer Orchards had tiecons. I’m sure there’s some difference between these two and bings, but without tasting them side by side, I could only tell you they’re all tasty. Gala Springs was the only vendor I saw with Raniers.
Fava beans from Creative Growers
The Beaverton Farmers market has several large produce vendors and even more smaller ones. Some of the big ones should be familiar from other farmers markets, including: Deep Roots, Denison, Gathering Together, Lone Elder, Spring Hill, and Winters Farms. These anchor the markets with variety and quality. Denison was one of only two vendors to have tomatoes, yet, along with Salmon Creek, which seems to be producing some heirloom varieties this year. I imagine both are growing in greenhouses.
But it’s the smaller vendors that give each market its character. A smaller one that I’m enjoying that is still at a few markets is Creative Growers. Perhaps it’s because I grew up outside of Noti, Oregon, where they’re from. They’ve had some great favas and some nice looking, interesting greens, such as florenschus romaine.
I always check the Asian flower and produce vendors’ tables. They usually have interesting greens, choys, garlic spears, pea tendrils, and Asian herbs, often at much better prices than the larger growers. Unfortunately, they don’t always have the best signage so I can’t tell you all their names. But look for them.
Award for best name should go to Duycks Peachy Pig Farm, which had an ecelectic selection of goods, including walnuts, filberts, strawberries, prunes, and eggs. West Union Garden had some enormous garlic spears, along with rhubarb, spring peas, and potatoes. Rain Forest Mushrooms was selling maitake, shiitake, and lions mane mushrooms.
Gloria’s Secret papusa
The market has a good variety of prepared foods. For sweet tooths there is Alotto Gelato, Zoe Ann’s Cheesecake, and two baklava vendors: Tastefully Done and Caspian Blossom. I got to meet the vivacious owner of Zoe Ann’s. She’s a passionate person and her cheesecakes are decent.
Fetzer’s, with their freshly grilled sausages, always has the longest line followed closely by Canby Asparagus/Tamales, selling their deep fried veggies, nice tamales, tasty salsas, and tacos on freshly made tortillas. Now that Gloria’s Secret is making their papusas to order, rather than re-heating them, they’re much better. They’re giant, oversized cheese-stuffed patties served with tangy pickled veggies and salsa.
Two vendors I hadn’t noticed before were The Frybread Man and Smokin Rose Barbecue. Frybread Man makes “Indian tacos” with ground beef or buffalo. They also sell a buffalo burger and a wild salmon burger. Smokin Rose has all the usual BBQ options, but sells ribs by the bone and “sliders” as a sandwich option, making it easy to get a cheap taste.
MARKET HOURS
SATURDAYS
May 12 – October 27
8am – 1:30pm
WEDNESDAYS
June 13 – August 29
10am – 2pm
Beaverton Farmers Market is on SW Hall Boulevard, between Third and Fifth Streets, just south of Farmington Road. Google Web map.
