Whenever we’re travelling, we make it a point to visit the city’s markets – they are not only great places to shop for memorable souvenirs (edible or otherwise), but it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about the range of produce that can be grown, and the unique artisans and artists that call that city home. Things were no different when we vacationed in Portland.
Farmers’ Market @ Portland State University
I had been looking forward to visiting the Portland Farmers’ Market located at Portland State University since we arrived. It was easily among the first things to go on our itinerary, and with over 200 food vendors, we knew we would need a bit of time to explore the grounds.
Portland Farmers’ Market
Tempting
It was a beautiful location to start with, the paths lined with mature trees. Vehicle access was limited (as it is on our own campus), so it made the shopping experience even more pleasant.
I loved the trees
Mack enjoyed the didgeridoo
Peppers being roasted on site
We started our visit off with breakfast at Pine State Biscuits, an institution in Portland (I remember Filistix’s first What the Truck?! menu featured a Pine State-inspired dish). They had quite the set-up for a food vendor, complete with a griddle and an oven (they had to keep those biscuits warm somehow!).
Pine State Biscuits
Each oversized biscuit was a buttery indulgence, flaky and perfectly soft on the inside. The additional cheese and bacon was probably overkill at that point, but I can’t say we didn’t enjoy every calorie.
Bacon and cheese biscuit sandwich
Satiated, we joined the throngs in exploring aisle after aisle of harvest goodness. Mack got a little sick of me fawning over all of the produce, but it seemed around every corner, there was another gorgeous display of heirloom tomatoes, greens, or fruit.
Fresh collard greens!
Gorgeous squash
Artichokes
Many varieties of apples I’ve never encountered before (including a sweet red-fleshed one)
Ginger
I heart heirloom tomatoes
Given the vast majority of vendors seemed to offer fresh produce (instead of prepared food), aesthetics were even more important, as a means to lure customers in and away from the competition. As a result, vendors used quantities and colours to their advantage, and I have to say, it was even harder for me to look and not buy everything around me!
More greens than we could handle
Tomatoes
So much colour
More tomatoes
In addition to the vendors, the Farmers’ Market had organized cooking demos, spread throughout the day, and had a “veggie valet” as an option (something that has been employed by the City Market for the last few years).
Chef in the market
If you’re visiting Portland, the PSU market is a must!
Portland Saturday Market
The farmers’ market at PSU did not feature any non-food vendors, so for our arts and crafts fix, we headed over to the Portland Saturday Market immediately after.
Portland Saturday Market
Located under the Burnside Bridge in Old Town, the market looked like tourist central, with attention-grabbing buskers and summer fair food stands vying for our attention in and amongst the great variety of jewellery, paintings and other handicrafts available for sale.
Busy place
It was certainly a festive atmosphere, and a great place to browse. I ended up with a beautiful acid-etched necklace from Heartstrings Studio.
Portland Farmers’ Market @ Pioneer Courthouse Square
Unlike Edmonton’s farmers’ markets, which are all individually-run, the Portland Farmers’ Market runs six different markets that take place in the urban core (not all of the area’s markets, but a significant number). We had the chance to visit a smaller collection of vendors run by the Portland Farmers’ Market at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Mondays from June to September.
Monday farmers’ market
The hours of 10am-2pm seemed a bit unusual to us, as only those who worked in the immediate area would be able to partake, but perhaps that was their target demographic after all.
Vendors
It was a modest market to be sure, but with several produce and meat vendors on hand, staples were well covered. We were also happy to see Olympic Provisions on hand again – we would never turn down an opportunity to sample their salumi!
“Meat Here”
There were also quite a few hot food vendors, so later that day, we were certain the business crowd would be descending to take advantage of the al fresco lunch possibility.
The markets all provided a peek into Portland’s agricultural and creative wealth. Make sure to check them out if you have a chance!
Only Here for the Food 