May News 

Market News

This month, we have a new producer in the market! Creek House Patisserie is a company that has been dedicated to bringing high quality artisan chocolates and delicious pastries since 2005. Louise, who owns and manages Creek House Patisserie, operates her business here on the northern Oregon coast and makes all of her products with fine ingredients that are naturally flavored and free of preservatives and rbst (in dairy products). 🐄

Additionally, these chocolates are made in small batches to ensure quality and are sourced from a 5th generation American chocolate company that is Fair Trade USA and Non-GMO certified. Their vegan chocolates are also made with organic, plant-based ingredients. 🌱

Louise received training from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago in 1997, which is a Le Cordon Bleu school. Her astounding background in culinary arts and previous experience as a sous chef at Bistro 4343 in Chicago and as a pastry chef at the W Hotel Chicago City Center are only a few of many reasons that make Creek House Patisserie a certified local gem! 💫

Would you like to support NCFW programs? By signing up to be a monthly donor of $10/month, you will receive a free insulated NCFW bag! ✨ These bags will keep refrigerated and frozen items cool for longer on the inside, while also keeping you looking cool on the outside, so you can impress all of your friends whenever you’re out shopping. 

Interested in Volunteering?

💪 We are always accepting help from the community on market days. Ask a market team member about how to become a volunteer today! Email us at market@northcoastfoodweb.org

Kitchen

May saw another great class on food preservation from Terri Emrich of Rainer Family Gardens and the local OSU Master Food Preservers team. This time we focused on pickling and fermenting! Students were treated to a comprehensive presentation followed by some hands-on kitchen time, and everybody brought home a jar of pickled onions and a batch of sauerkraut. 🥒 See the calendar of upcoming classes here! Next month: tomatoes! 🍅

As we get into market season, some of our favorite producers are using the kitchen to produce and package their product for market sales, as well as prep their amazing food cart treats! Just a couple blocks from the action, the NCFW kitchen offers a convenient and inexpensive foothold for tapping into the market. 

Next time you’re strolling through the Astoria Sunday Market, be sure to stop by some of the vendors who share the NCFW kitchen: The Columbia Bar (natural energy bars), Ellie’s Jellies (jams and jellies), Nord Nosh (the best plate of “noshos” you’ll ever taste), and Civil (fantastic empanadas).

Producer Resources

FoFF brought together a coalition of farmers, food hub operators, and farmers market managers to pass the most comprehensive update to the Farm Direct Marketing Law’s Producer Processed Exemption in over a decade. They were able to craft a proposal that modernizes sales channels, brings new product opportunities to producers and raises the sales limit for value added products sold directly from farms. 

Oregon’s Farm Direct Marketing Law allows farmers to turn what they grow into low-risk, value-added products like jams and pickles, and to sell them directly to consumers without being licensed food processors. That sentence — like the law itself — has a lot of detail packed into it. This short updated guide unpacks those details for farmers and farmers market managers. 

Farm Direct Guide

Ginger Edwards, former North Fork 53 owner, has created a FREE marketing resource specifically for farmers market vendors. Ginger compiled the best sales strategies, which helped North Fork 53 become such a successful farm and vendor, into a 30-minute video. 📹 Ginger shares, “I spent lots of $$ to learn this style of marketing myself and it was a game changer for increasing my profits year round.” Check out the 30 minute course at the following link! 

Community News

Are you a farmer who is passionate about systems change and our policy work? As a (paid) committee member, you'll help shape the future of this program, guide its direction, and contribute to its success. Committee members provide feedback and discussion on FoFF’s policy actions, priorities and strategies to engage more communities and perspectives in our advocacy program. This position is eligible for a stipend of $1000 per year.

Fill out the interest form!

Together, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) updated their Stronger Together guide in English and Spanish. The guide was developed to support rural communities build strategies to boost local economic development.The agencies sent out a Stakeholder Announcement last week. The guide is now updated in Spanish! This unique joint resource guide offers programs and services that can be used for economic development and advance job creation. Contacts at each agency are available in the guides:

USDA - EDA Joint Resource Guide (English)

USDA - EDA Joint Resource Guide (Spanish)

Are you a farmer or rancher who wishes to access land, or a landholder who wants to sell or lease your agricultural land or business? Join Rogue Farm Corps and OSU Small Farms for an afternoon of education on communication and elevator-pitch writing, as well as facilitated networking for effective and meaningful connection.

Full scholarships are available for BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Veterans, and Low-Income participants. Enter Promo Code CHANGINGHANDS24 at checkout.

Questions? Please email geoffrey@roguefarmcorps.org. Snacks, refreshments, and dinner will be provided.

Changing Hands Land Connections Workshop

Sunday, June 2nd, SOREC, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point, OR 97502

Learn more and register.

Get Involved!

Our work to cultivate a resilient and equitable food system on the North Coast wouldn't be possible without our community of volunteers, our wonderful Board of Directors, and the donors that fund our programs!

1152 Marine Drive

Astoria, OR 97103

Office: 503-468-0921

Market: 971-326-0598

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