Five Oregon-based markets make The Daily Meal’s list of 101 best in America.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Five Oregon-based offerings made The Daily Meal’s list of 101 Best farmers markets in America.
The markets that cracked the list:
- No. 2: Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University
- No. 41: Gresham Farmers’ Market
- No. 57: Milwaukie Sunday Farmers Market
- No. 70: Oregon City Farmers Market
- No. 89: Newport Farmers Market
(SOURCE: The Daily Meal)
The DM’s description of the farmers market at PSU:
Portland State University Farmers Market is the flagship market of the Portland Farmers Market. With 200 rotating vendors, the market features local, seasonal produce with music to match every Saturday year-round. The market managers really have taken every detail into consideration, even offering a “veggie valet” service to hold on to your heavy produce while you shop.
And the Gresham Farmers’ Market:
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, marionberries, and more are what you’ll find at the Gresham Farmers Market. Rooted in agriculture and known for its bounty of berries grown by local farms, Gresham opened its market in 1986 and still offers a wide selection of locally grown berries. The Gresham market is open each Saturday from Mother’s Day until the last weekend in October.
The group explained its methodology:
There are plenty of qualities that we value in a good farmers market. Some important ones to consider are the quality and variety of products sold, how affordable products are, and what kind of public endorsement and recognition each particular farmers market receives. We also value the atmosphere we experience at the market, how friendly and helpful the vendors are, and what kind of information is made available to us about the market and its vendors.
This year, we tweaked the criteria for the ranking a bit, taking into account the markets’ own standards for vendors. We think it is important that farmers markets make the most of what their region has to offer and support local farmers instead of shipping in items from larger producers. Some markets even require vendors selling prepared food to only use ingredients they grew themselves, and their devotion to sustainability was taken into account when we made this list.
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