Market Finds
FARMERS’ MARKET FINDS
Every Saturday throughout the year, Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market offers easy access to a bounty of food and products from local farms and vendors.
Story by Jennifer Grafiada-Furbush, Photos by Tristin Godsey
It was a picture-perfect day for a stroll through the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market. Sunny, 70-degree weather and peak harvest season all meant the stands were stocked full of fresh produce and handmade delights.
Soaps, honey, eggs, garlic braids and sunset-colored dahlias shared space with freshly baked bread and canned albacore from the Oregon coast. Add cold-brewed coffee, tamales, microgreens and other products and the offerings can seem limitless.
Established in 1994, the farmers’ market has made its Saturday home in various locations. Through most of the fall, home was the parking lot of First United Methodist Church on West Harvard Avenue in Roseburg, but vendors move indoors for the winter.
Amanda Pastoria, who took over as market manager last April, often chats with vendors and shoppers she counts as friends. “The most rewarding thing about the market is the people,” she says. “Over time, you begin to develop relationships and friendships. You get to watch families grow and constantly meet new people. You know the farmers and foodies who feed you, and the artisans who provide you with unique, high-quality goods.”
To stay current on market happenings, follow the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market on Facebook. Or simply, get down there with your basket or reusable bag and check it out. The whole family is welcome. We share some market highlights on the following pages.
UMPQUA VALLEY FARMERS’ MARKET
VENDOR SPOTLIGHTS
LOCAL FIXE, LLC
WHAT THEY OFFER
Made-from-scratch, hand-cut to order
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market
WHERE ELSE TO WATCH
Chris plans to expand into sauces, marinades, spice blends and condiments; to provide a mid-week pick-up option; and to provide his products wholesale to local restaurants and retailers
CONNECT
“My desire to make pasta draws directly from my love of making things from scratch,” says Chris van Dyke, who offers freshly made, cut-to-order pastas weekly at the market. “We work with raw ingredients that are seasonal, minimally prepared and sourced locally.”
His options include whole wheat, traditional and gluten-free, as well as options like tomato basil, spinach, butternut squash and beet greens (sourced when in season from local farms). His pastas are popular and frequently sell out by the end of the market day. To avoid being out of luck, message him on Facebook to reserve yours.
GROWING MIRACLES LAVENDER GARDEN
WHAT THEY OFFER
• Fresh and dried bunches
• Lotion, body wash, sprays, hand soap, bath bombs, bath salts, eye pillows, diffuser bracelets, culinary lavender and lavender essential oil
• Lavender classes and U-pick lavender
• Hazelnuts, raw and roasted (seasonally)
WHERE TO FIND HER
• Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market
• Coos Bay Farmers’ Market
• Bandon Farmers’ Market
• By appointment at the farm, 508 Lower Garden Valley Road, Roseburg.
WHERE ELSE TO WATCH
Keep an eye on the Facebook page for future classes and events
Garden club tours welcome
2018 Lavender Festival (second weekend in July)
CONNECT
GrowingMiraclesLavenderGarden.com
541-817-6111
keri@growingmiracleslavendergarden.com
After more than three decades in the corporate world, Keri Roid decided to fulfill a longtime dream to own a lavender farm. She moved from California back to her hometown of Roseburg and began leasing a few acres from an old friend who lived down the street from her as a child. The first plant went into the ground in June 2016; soon, she will be expanding her farm to a total of 3,000 lavender plants including Grosso, Maillette, Provence and Folgate.
“Each variety has a unique look and fragrance,” Roid explains. “Grosso is great for dried buds and oil production. Provence and Folgate are perfect for culinary use.”
It’s obvious Roid loves them all: “Have you ever stood in a large field of lavender? All of the senses are engaged. The sight of many hues of purple waving in a breeze; the relaxing aroma released when you brush against it with your legs or when you reach down and gently run your hands across the plants. I am intrigued by its many uses, its healing properties, its seemingly miraculous ability to aid with sleep and anxiety.”
OMGROWN FAMILY FARM
“Omgrown was born out of my dream to become a wildcrafter and tea maker,” says Aimee White, who originally hails from the outer banks of North Carolina. She began her business in a motor home, wildcrafting herbs from the forested mountains surrounding her home in Winston.
“I was passionate about preserving food cultures and began to explore tea-making, fermentation and culture related to food,” she says. “I started doing the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market to share my teas and meet new people. This has expanded to a wonderful community and family for my son and me.”
White’s delicious kombuchas were a huge hit at the market and can be found at various retail establishments around town. She also offers fermented foods such as hot sauce and krauts, unfiltered vinegars, tisanes (healing herbal teas) and tinctures from wildcrafted herbs. “All of my products are of high quality, local, naturally grown ingredients. All are gluten-free, vegan, sustainable and small craft,” says White. “Fire cider is considered a health tonic and will be available in mid-November. Usnea is a natural antibiotic and bronchial stimulator and my most favorite all-purpose tincture.”
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market
Kombucha is available at a variety of local businesses, including Harvest Store in Winston and Two Shy Brewing, Draper Draft House, Oran Mor Mead and Cascadian Coffee in Roseburg.
HOW TO CONNECT
CABA AUTHENTIC ARGENTINE EMPANADAS
WHAT THEY OFFER
• Empanadas
• Chimichurri
• Alfajores
• Catering & Events
WHERE TO FIND THEM
• Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market
• Canyonville Farmers’ Market
• Forty Five Coffee, Jacksonville
CONNECT
info@cabaempanadas.com
541-631-9260
WHERE ELSE TO WATCH
They hope to sell their products wholesale to local businesses and ask that any interested restaurants or retailers please contact them.
“Empanadas are an icon in our culture,” says Gerardo De Fusco, who with his wife, Laura, started CABA Authentic Argentine Empanadas in April 2017. Gerardo worked in restaurants for more than 15 years in his native Argentina before moving to Southern Oregon in 2014.
“Empanadas are a popular food in Argentina that are enjoyed at birthday parties, business meetings and get-togethers with friends,” Laura says. “The empanada recipe varies depending on which region of Argentina you are in. We carefully choose our ingredients that guarantee the quality of our product and the health of our customers. Whenever possible we buy organic, locally sourced ingredients and non-GMO. Our empanadas are baked, not fried, which is a much healthier option.”
