Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

As fall arrives Oregon explodes with Roadside Farm Stands and Farmers Markets. Recently on a trip to Portland from Yachats and back my girlfriend and I and were struck by how many farm stands and markets we saw. I got to wondering just how many there are in Oregon and specifically how many in Lincoln and Lane counties. According to the 2008 Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program there are twenty four in Lane County with two being in Florence and eight in Lincoln County with two being in Yachats. In addition to terrific selections of beautiful produce, vegetables, flowers and other goodies some of the markets and farms have great names. Names like Sweet Things by Ariene, Peerless Produce, LLC, Ruby & Amber’s Organic Oasis, Thistledown Farms, Barking Dog Farms and Seeds of Oregon-Kauffman Farms.

There is something about these markets and farms in October and the orange of the pumpkins the proliferate most of them. The sense of nature’s bounty comes to the forefront when it’s out in the open as opposed to the confines of a store or supermarket. That’s not to say that markets and supermarkets don’t have good fruit, produce, flowers and vegetables but it’s not the same as wandering around amidst the stacks and crates of fresh stuff. It can turn back the time, back to the day when that was what people did; go to the farmers market. Just the smell and colors of the vendors’ goods call out to be noticed and it seemed to me visiting several of these markets that everybody there had at least one item they were purchasing.

In Yachats the Yachats Farmers’ Market is held on Sundays from 9:00 to 2:00 from late May to Mid October. It’s held at the Yachats Commons and besides being a great place to shop it is a bit of a social gathering. Most of the vendors are local and know each other and since the market has been going on for years it’s a fun spot to run into people who you only see once in awhile. Each week brings new items and new conversations. Leo one of the vendors also runs a roadside Farmers Stand in Waldport on Wednesdays in front of The Hill Top Market and has customers who buy from him at both locations. In fact many of the folks that visit the market are from Waldport and Seal Rock and it nice to see them in Yachats. In this day of stressing sustainability and greenness’ these Markets are welcome and appear to be having favorable impacts where ever they are held. I know as a resident of Yachats I appreciate the Market and enjoy perusing it on Sundays, especially the sunny ones!!

Support your Farmers Markets and local Farms whenever you can, it’s good for everyone.

To reach Rick Schultze email:yarick@pioneer.net