Spring has most definitely sprung, and if your allergies are in bloom just like the flowering plants and trees of Portland, then some local bee pollen from Nature's Wild Harvest may be just what your over active histamines need to slow them down. Drink it with tea, blend it into smoothies, or eat it with yogurt or apple sauce.

Starting tomorrow the Hollywood Farmers Market is back every Saturday from 8am-1pm, and we look forward to another season of vibrant and thriving Saturdays shared with our community of farmers, food makers, neighbors, customers, volunteers, musicians, and anyone that finds themselves enjoying and shopping the market.

Meet Our Vendors: Naked Acres Farm

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Did you know that there are over 30,000 farmers in Oregon, but only about 300 are owned and operated by women? Located on 75 acres in Beavercreek, Oregon, Naked Acres Farm is one of these rare farms.

Growing up on opposite sides of the country, Augustus (Gus) and Margo met in June 2011 through a love of the land, farming, and horticulture. Gus grew up east of the Cascades in a small farming community. A hands-on kind of gal, Gus grew up driving tractors, learned to weld in the Navy, and studied veterinary medicine. Margo grew up in Maryland, with her love of horticulture taking her to Syracuse, New York to study Environmental Biology. Upon graduation, she came to Oregon and worked for the Forest Service in addition to doing landscaping, where she met Gus.

Shortly after they met, Margo and Gus knew that farming together was their future. "Why farming?", I asked. Besides being self-supporting, there is always something that needs attention: expansion and maintenance projects, livestock, farmers markets, and the constant education they get from the land, the weather, the animals, and the other farmers. It soon became a partnership of kindred spirits, in love with the land and farming. But it wasn't all glamour. :-)

Their first farm was on three and a half acres in SE Portland. There they started in 2012 with goats, chickens, lettuce, vegetable starts, and the unique purple calabash tomatoes. Getting the farm cultivated was physically demanding - brutal might be a better description. Using only a broadfork to turn and prepare the soil, three and a half acres seemed like a hundred.

Determined to make a go of it, they headed to their first farmers markets in May 2012. They were so excited to make a couple of hundred bucks and literally see the fruits of their labor, that the Naked Acres Farm booth soon became a regular stop for many customers at the Hollywood Farmers Market.

As part of a five-year expansion plan, in 2017 Gus and Margo moved Naked Acres to a 75-acre farm in Beavercreek, Oregon. The wide open fields were perfect for the type of farming they wanted to do. But the move was not smooth sailing.

The first year on the new farm was just as challenging as the first one. They were starting from scratch, the plantable acreage was small, the main house was occupied by farm animals and rodents and trash, and it was going to take time to cultivate and plant the first crops. Endless days ran into endless nights, with Gus and Margo working just to have a place to live. Produce was limited in that first year, but the chickens and goats helped to sustain the farm and ongoing investment. In spite of all the challenges, they brought to market tomatoes, carrots, kale, trademark striped Roma and purple calabash tomatoes, Pak Choi, kale, and hot and mild peppers. They also continued their line of preserves, including zesty dill pickles, homemade salsas, and tasty tomato juice (makes great base for gazpacho), as well as free-range heritage meat birds, hand-washed eggs, and their fabulously, creamy, hand-made goat's milk soaps.

Not only is farming an act of love, getting to market requires tenacity as well. The process of preparing for market runs from sunup to sundown. Fridays start early in preparation for the next day. Harvesting, gathering, sorting, and collecting produce; hand washing dozens of eggs; and packing everything is an all-day activity. On market days, rain or shine, Gus and Margo pack up their Ford truck and head for the Hollywood or Hillsdale Farmers Markets. The day is consumed with loading the produce and other products, traveling to market, setting up shop, taking it all down, and maybe some sleep after everything is done.

Continue reading...

See you Saturday at the market!

Entertainment and Events

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Music

James Clem

Community Booths

Old McDonald's Farm

Mount Tabor Preschool

Vendors at Market on April 7th

Looking for a farmers market to pick up some midweek groceries?