VISIT LOCAL FARM NEWS

September 2023

Farmlandia Farm Loop

Marion Farm Loop

South Clackamas Farm Loop

Yamhill Farm Loop

It's "Salad" season on the Oregon Farm Loop!

As Summer gives way to Autumn, September is the time to think about colorful leaves, apples, pears, and salads! Yes, the tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and so much more will fill your salad bowl with all of the tasty goodness fresh produce the Oregon Farm Loop farms, gardens, and farmers markets can offer.

Oops, sorry!

Melcher Family Farm, home of Ken & June's Hazelnuts on our Marion Farm Loop, is offering peaches, too! We missed them in our August newsletter. Check with them to see if they have peaches available before you visit—they have been selling out.

September 1 update: THEY STILL HAVE PEACHES! But don't wait too long! Check with them to see if the peaches are still available.

Opening This Month

True North Orchards (Marion Farm Loop) is open as of Saturday, September 2nd. Dianne and Paul McGill, your hosts say, "We have fresh apple cider by the cup or half gallons to go. Plums are ready for u pick and grapes are coming soon." Check out their Honeycrisp Apples and red and yellow Bartlett Pears, too!

Additionally, they have a brand-new experience to offer. "We have just opened our commercial kitchen, which has been certified by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. It is available to rent for domestic or commercial purposes and pickers at TNO can make an appointment to have a picking and cider making party here. FUN!"

Time for a few apples and veggies for your "OFL Salad" on the Oregon Farm Loop

Yamhill Farm Loop

• Check with Bernards Farm often to see what's available for u-pick for your salad bowl. They have green beans, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, Crookneck and Patty Pan summer squash, slicing and pickling cucumbers, and maybe some pumpkins before September is through.
• The Wallace Farm may still have some blueberries for your salad at least in early September. Check with them at 503.472.4933.

Photo: Bernards Farm

Sunset Farm Loop (growing)

• Adelante Farmers Markets at Forest Grove (Wednesdays 4-8p) and Cornelius (Fridays 4-8p through September 29th) will have just about everything you need to make a beautiful September salad—and support a good cause. Adelante means "forward"--as in advance. Adelante Mujeres sponsors these two farmers markets to support their mission "to build a more just society by empowering Latine Women to lead."

Photo: Beaverton Farmers Market

• Beaverton Farmers Market is open from 8:30a-1:30p on Saturdays. Enjoy the atmosphere and the hunt to fill your salad bowl with farm-fresh produce and artisan items.
• Bell's Orchard has Honeycrisp apples available pre-picked ($2.50/lb) and U-pick ($2.00/lb). They will be open on Labor Day (9/4) from 9A-2P. Their regular open days are Tuesday - Saturday.
• Goat cheese will give your salad a creamy tang. Fraga Farmstead Creamery offers goat cheese, treats, and goat gelato at their farmstand 10a-6p every day except Mondays.
• Helvetia Farm Market & Marion Acres This farm market features a little bit of locally-grown everything, including apples and what you need to make your "OFL Salad."

Marion Farm Loop

• Bauman's Farm and Garden is offering Gravensteins, which are good for applesauce. And pies. Bauman's Bakery offers fresh-baked apple pies made with Bauman-grown Gravenstein apples for $17.99. Stop by Monday through Saturday!
• Beilke Family Farm has Gala and Gravenstein apples—and watermelon—ready for picking. "The Gala are the perfect apple for all of those back to school lunches. They are just the right size for kiddos and are perfectly sweet and crunchy. They are also great for applesauce and pies. Watermelon are ripe and wonderful! We have our classic seedless variety again this year for u-pick, and will also have a couple varieties of our seeded pollinators pre-picked at the stand. Tomatoes are plentiful! The vines are full! We also have a large amount of we-pick ready at the stand in case it is too warm to u-pick or if you happen to be short on time. We have small buckets full as well as larger boxes full and ready!" Regular season hours are Mon-Sat 8am-6pm and Sunday 11am-6pm.
• E.Z. Orchards Farm Market has fresh and local apples and other in-season produce for your salad bowl. And don't forget the DONUTS! Visit Monday-Friday 9a-6p and Saturday 9a-5p.
• Flying Bee Ranch has the honey you need for your homemade honey mustard salad dressing. Honey is the only known unprocessed food that never spoils when kept properly. Shop Tuesday-Saturday 9a-5p. Enjoy a FREE honey tasting while you're there.
• Fordyce Farm Inc. has U-pick available for William's Pride apples, Akane apples, and Chehalis apples...and they have fresh Hermiston watermelon and pickling cucumbers available now.
• Ken & June's Hazelnuts at Melcher Family Farm is the place to get the hazelnuts you need for your Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts recipe. Congratulations: you found this month's recipe!
• Koch Family Farm offers tomatoes, sweet corn, beans, pickling cucumbers, peppers and more! Contact them to see what you'll find there today! Open daily from 9a-6p.
• Minto Island Growers' farm stand "currently has fresh organic produce available which varies each week based on what is harvested from our fields." Don't you love a mystery? September hours are Wednesday 4-7p, and Thursday-Sunday 9a-5p. Food cart hours are Saturday & Sunday 11a-3p for lunch service, and Wednesdays & Fridays 4p-7p for dinner service.
• Check out Nottinghamshire Farms' online shopping pages to see what lovely organic produce they are offering currently. They also have hats and reusable bags to help keep you warm and carry your produce whenever you visit. They're open Monday-Saturday 9a-4:30p.
• Schlechter Farms has fresh corn, peppers, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini. Are those sunflowers on their web page??
• Sublime Organics, LLC has zucchini, tomatoes, and Italian large leaf basil, amongst other fresh, fantastic salad ingredients. Their duck eggs are now AWA Certified. Tomatoes and basil are a match made in flavor heaven, you know.

hoto: Ken & June's - Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts

South Clackamas Farm Loop

• Clarkes General Store & Eatery has salads on their menu if you get too hungry while foraging for farm fresh ingredients for your September salad.
• Lady Lane Farm has the fresh cheese and eggs, and the obvious base for a creamy dressing. The farmstand is open daily from 10a-6p.
• Morning Shade Farm has u-pick and farmstand apples, pears, and tomatoes, as well as super sweet corn (yes, corn goes in a salad!) and summer squash. U-pick is open 9a-3p Saturdays and Sundays. Call 503.651.2622 to make an appointment any day for already picked orders and pickup.
• Willamette Valley Melon Company offers much more than just melons! They offer zucchini, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, several varieties of cucumber, peppers, tomatoes...and more than you just need to see for yourself. Look out for early pumpkins and gourds later this month!

Photo: Morning Shade Farm

Farmlandia Farm Loop

• Fiala Farms currently offers Apples (Honey Crisp), Beets (Gold & Red), Blackberries, Cabbage, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, Eggplants, Garlic, Green Beans, Lemon Cucumbers, Onions, Peaches (Zee Lady), Pears, Seedless Table Grapes, Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, Yellow Squash, & Zucchini. Available jams, jellies, and honey include Apple Pie Butter, Apricot Jam, Blackberry Jam, Cherry Jam, Local Honey, Nectarine Jam, Pear Butter, Raspberry Jam, & Strawberry Jam. (Call ahead to see if peaches are still available, they go quickly!)
• Hartnell Farms offers apples and many other in-season produce items for your Oregon Farm Loop Salad. Photo: Hartnell Farms
• Milwaukie Farmers Market offers apples and fresh produce for your salad bowl every Sunday. Visit Sundays from 9:30A - 2P at the intersection of Main & Harrison in Downtown Milwaukie.

Check our Event calendars for fun, educational, unique experiences on the Farm Loops!

Upcoming events include:

• Swan Island Dahlia Festival at Swan Island Dahlias through September (South Clackamas)
• Portland Taiko Farm Festival at Triskelee Farms 9/9 3-6p (Farmlandia)
• Durant at Dusk featuring the Jazz Cats at Durant Vineyards Tasting Room 9/15 (Yamhill)
• Sunflower Festival at French Prairie Gardens Fridays-Sundays 9/15-10/1 (Marion)
• Fall Festival 2023 at Plumper Pumpkin Patch & Tree Farm 9/16-10/29 (Sunset)
• Lee Farms 2023 Fall Harvest 9/23-10/29 (Farmlandia & Sunset)
• Watermelon Festival at Willamette Valley Melon Company 9/23 (South Clackamas)

Photo: French Prairie Gardens

And much more!

Click a Farm Loop logo below to visit its calendar, or click the Oregon Farm Loop logo to see some or all of the events and the Sunset Farm Loop and U-pick events. We add them as we learn about them.