Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011
Every Saturday from April through mid November, the four corners of the 8th and Oak intersection draw hundreds of shoppers with a combination of a farmers market, a local crafts market, live music and an international food court. On this sunny day, the mood of the crowd was particularly cheerful. Blue skies and warm weather in mid-September are well worth celebrating in this town, which is foggy and rainy for much of the year.
Nearly 160 growers and producers are members of the association that operates the market. As the group’s web site declares, “Our basic rule is that you must grow and produce anything you bring to the market, yourself.”
Location:
8th Ave, between Oak and Park
Eugene, Oregon / map
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April through mid-November
rain or shine
(541) 431-4923
Signs were posted on various vendors’ tables announcing the last of their summer crops, urging buyers to take advantage of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers — before it is too late. The poblano peppers, roasted on site, along with numerous other varieties of peppers, were one of my best buys of the day. I bought some to use right away and others to freeze for later use, during winter days to come when fresh peppers are long gone from the farmers market.
– Amanda Thompson
slide show
What I Bought
Tongue of Fire shelling beans
Price: $3.49/lb.
roasted poblano peppers
Price: $5
blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
Price: $3/pint basket of blueberries and raspberries
$3.75 for strawberries
wheatberries
The wheatberries are locally grown by a third generation family farm and processed at the family-run Camas Country Mill. As the company’s web site declares, “By bringing back stone milling, locally grown and milled products are once again available after an 80 year absence in the south Willamette valley.” Eating Well has a varied selection of eight wheatberry recipes.
yellow doll watermelon
Price: $.75/lb.