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Six-year old market gets new leadership, a new focus and new home
LINDA CARGILL
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
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| The nonprofit Parkrose Farmers' Market moves to the parking lot of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ at 12505 N.E. Halsey St. next season. Mid-county Memo photo/Tim Curran |
The nonprofit market is moving to the parking lot of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ at 12505 N.E. Halsey St., next door to the busy Bi-Mart store. For the past six years, the market has been located in the east parking lot of Parkrose High School, where dwindling attendance almost shut it down for good.
So far, its future looks bright. The old board of directors has resigned and a new one formed, composed mainly of members of the church congregation and one at-large member who served on the former board.
“Bi-Mart is thrilled to have us there,” said Ron Glanville, new president of the market's board. “It adds to that whole intersection.”
Since there are no Whole Foods or New Seasons stores in the Parkrose area, the farmer's market will be a way to bring fresh produce, high quality food products, and local bakery goods to the area, he said.
Elected president Nov. 6, Glanville said the new seven-member board officially begins operating the market January 1.
The 62-year-old former executive chef said the focus of the market “will be on farmers and food,” with fewer crafts being sold. The church also operates a community garden on its property and partners with Human Solutions, a social service nonprofit, in running the Family Winter Shelter. The shelter offers a safe haven for families with children from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, November through April. Members of the congregation cook meals two nights a week for families so they'll have a hot meal before entering the shelter.
“Our focus at the church is about feeding people,” Glanville said. “Our whole philosophy is about food and growing things.”
The new operators of the market hope to make it sustainable, gathering produce from farmers within 100 miles of the site. They hope to attract many kinds of food producers, including makers of cheeses and sausages, growers of fresh vegetables and fruits, and people involved with animal husbandry. They'll also be selling produce from their community garden, using that money to support their shelter dinners.
“We're trying to create a year-round sustainable cycle and feed the homeless in the winter,” Glanville said.
Sale of food at the market will also help organizations at Parkrose High School and local charities.
Workers at the market will all be volunteers.
Glanville, a gardener and farmer, has always enjoyed feeding people.
“I want really good organic foods, not processed food,” he said. “That's partially my goal. I like farmer's markets. It's a total love affair.”
When Glanville and a gardening friend, both members of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ heard the market was on the verge of closing, they decided to try to save it. Rallying support from within their congregation, they met with the old board members, and then ran for their offices after they resigned.
“I think it's a vital thing for our neighborhood,” Glanville said.
Steve Voorhees, founder of the market six years ago, and board president and market master, abruptly quit last April. The market opens May 1 every year.
“The big question was, do we want to save the market or do we want it to die,” said MaryLu Baetkey, former volunteer coordinator and board member. “We decided we wanted to keep it going.”
Baetkey and others put out feelers and the church showed interest.
“The former board will be more than happy to assist in any way we can,” she said.
Stan Griffith, who took over after Voorhees quit, resigned in November.
“We'd been struggling with getting vendors and people in the area to step up and be board members,” Griffith said.
Planning to continue selling at the market as a vendor, Griffith specializes in caramel corn, based on an 80-year-old recipe from Morrow's Nut House, and garlic pretzels.
The only nearby large farmer's markets are in Hollywood and Gresham.
“There's nothing in the Northeast corridor between 105th and 122nd,” Griffith said.
“They're really excited about taking it over,” he said of the church. “It should be a good fit. They're going to have great exposure.”
Baetkey agreed that in the past finding vendors was difficult, along with attracting enough shoppers. The former board asked the Parkrose School Board to reduce the rent they were paying for the high school parking lot. Their request was granted on the condition the money raised be used for advertising. That led to advertising on the radio and on billboards; volunteers and vendors handed out coupons.
“Some Saturdays it would be packed,” Baetkey recalled. “But some days there would be a maximum of a hundred people and that would be it. You never knew what to expect. Where it was located was not the most visual place.”
Baetkey said she would continue to shop at the market at its new location.
“I love the fresh produce,” she said. “My grandmother and uncle were farmers and the watermelon that Jim (Hill) brought was closer to what I grew up with than I've had in years,” she said. “The produce is truly farm fresh.”
For more information contact www.parkrosefarmersmarket.org.
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