Published 1:45 pm Monday, September 25, 2023
SALEM — Oregon’s farmers markets are recovering from a pandemic-caused drop in booths, attendees and sales.
An end-of-season survey, funded by a USDA grant, will show whether 2023 returned to form, said Ashley Hess, Oregon Farmers Market Association executive director.
Oregon’s 140 farmers markets generated $54.5 million in revenue in 2022, down from $63 million in 2019, Hess said.
Health concerns and mandates in 2020 caused most market figures to plummet.
Megan Foucht, market manager for the Baker City Farmers Market, which has about 15 vendors, said attendance there was halved from 2019 to 2020.
“The market is slowly rebuilding,” Foucht said. “People want to shop locally. They want to buy their produce from local growers. They want to buy their meat from local ranchers.”
That mindset has helped Oregon market locations grow by 10% since 2019.
While farmers markets appear back on track, they face continuing challenges from climate change, Hess said.
Heat waves, heavy smoke from wildfires and wintry road conditions canceled 51 market days throughout Oregon in 2022, causing a loss of $900,000, she added.
“Some markets have partnered with schools or community spaces where they can go indoors,” Hess said.
Rebecca Landis, Corvallis-Albany Farmers Market director, said that often isn’t feasible on short notice.
It can even be difficult to find suitable sites during cooler months, and winter markets are a growing trend that help businesses continue sales.
The Florence Farmers Market — a food-only market with about 15 vendors — sidestepped finding a winter space by offering an online marketplace instead.
People order online and pick up produce at a church, said Mary Shaw, president of the market board.
The innovation started because of pandemic precautions, but demand remained high during the winter.
The service is available year-round, but most residents prefer to go to market in-person during the summer.
“It’s fun. There’s live music and we offer classes related to growing. People see their friends,” Shaw said.
Besides farm stands, most of Oregon’s farmers markets offer baked goods, food carts, arts and crafts and flowers.
Hess said farmers markets essentially function as business incubators with low booth costs and the chance to engage directly with consumers.
With traditional grocery sales, farmers make 15 cents of every dollar spent. “With farmers markets, 90% of the money goes to the farmer, who is usually spending that money within the community,” Hess said.
Half of vendors are entrepreneurs with fewer than three years of experience.
Davis Family Ranch near Dallas, Ore., has operated three years, and this is its first year at the Salem Saturday Market, which averages 130 vendors.
Roughly 90% of the ranch’s sales come from the event, said Natalie Jackson, who owns the business with her husband. They offer traditional and exotic meats and eggs.
Audrey Warburton of Beyerle Farm, which has 67 acres near Dallas, Ore., said the Salem Saturday Market is her business’ main income source.
Business was brisk on Sept. 23, and her grandson, Andrew Warburton, a sixth-generation farmer, helped customers.
Some farms have booths at multiple spots, including Rising Sun Dairy, which was at the Salem and Corvallis markets on Sept. 23, said Hennie Van Dam. Her son created the business five years ago.
The dairy sells A2A2 milk that’s easier to digest — including pumpkin spice flavored.
Most Oregon farmers markets accept USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and at many locations, low-income residents can double up on SNAP dollars.
The Lane County Farmers Market in Eugene, Ore., which has 80 vendors, has distributed nearly $170,000 in double-up SNAP bucks this year, said Alexis Molinari, market manager.
“That’s a lot of extra money going into farmer sales,” Molinari added.
SNAP sales at Oregon farmers markets totaled an estimated $2.1 million in 2022.
Revenue
2022 — $54.5 million
2021 — $61 million
2020 — $33 million
2019 — $63 million
Market Locations
2022 — 140
2021 — 136
2020 — 123
2019 — 127
Vendors
2022 — 6,400
2021 — 5,900
2020 — 4,700
2019 — 6,700
Visits
2022 — 3.5 million
2021 — 3.4 million
2020 — 2.2 million
2019 — 4.2 million
