Camas Farmer's Market

In the Market on June 2nd

2010-06-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Opening Week was such a success and despite the rain the community came out in droves to get fresh produce and deliciously prepared foods, listen to some live music, and learn about seeds with the family. Our new Healthy Living Booth, featured a presentation from a WSU Master Gardener on planting and caring for tomato plants (especially useful during this crazy spring weather!) and some healthy eating and cooking tips from the newly established Camas Food-Coop group. You can find featured recipes on our website at www.camasfarmersmarket.org.

This week the Market will be in full swing and just to spite the rain, we plan to make more exciting than ever!

Camas Farmers Market: Wednesdays 3-7:30pm (new later time!)

NE 4th Ave between Everett & Franklin

Healthy Living Booth:

Cooking Demonstration at 4pm

Why buy local & organic w/ Camas Food Coop

Healthy Living for the Hispanic Community

Produce Highlights of the week: Radish, Asparagus, Mushrooms

• Learn Nutritional Facts

• Get some easy & delicious recipes

Kids' Connection: Farm Sensory Day!

Music: Brian Ayotte at 5pm

Beautiful flowers, local produce, cheese & meats, delicious dinner options & more!!

See you tomorrow!

Urban Food Production Panel and Discussion

2009-10-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Planning Commission presents

URBAN FOOD PRODUCTION

November 3, 2009 * 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
City Hall Council Chambers, 210 E. 13 th Street

Like air, water, and shelter, food is essential for life. Food plays a central role in our health, communities, customs, heritage, and culture. Come join local experts in sharing their knowledge, experience, ad success stories in an array of urban food production topics. Presenters will discuss urban gardening, harvesting and marketing, access to healthy food, and the need to plan for urban food systems. We'll share how current programs work and discuss a vision for the future.

Event sponsored by the Vancouver Planning Commission. Intended only for informational purposes. No policy decisions will be made. Open to the Public.

Please RSVP Terry Lenhart @ 360-487-7955 * terry.lenhart@ci.vancouver.wa.us

It's a Wrap!

2009-10-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

The 2009 season of the Camas Farmer's Market has come to a close. The season brought us many new wonderful vendors with heirloom tomatoes, exquisite eggplants, delicious homemade toffees, artisan breads, local honey, fabulous flowers, and so much more. Having a new location - in front of the public library and city hall - was a very welcome change. Then new day - Wednesday - brought more people and the new time - 3pm-7pm - allowed families to gather for shopping and dinner.

Our annual fundraiser, the Farm to Table Gala, at Farside Farms, was a great success. Beautiful weather, gorgeous setting, great community, and of course delicious food and wine made for a perfect evening. Music by Ruby Hill entertained all, and a raffle with lots of great items for local merchants rounded out the fun. Thank you to all who attended and donated to this event.

We look forward to the 2010 season beginning in May!

September 16th Market Day

2009-09-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes, beans, squash, eggplants and chard continue to be in abundance at the market. We are looking forward to nice mild temperatures this Wednesday - a perfect day to shop for your veggies, fruits, bread, honey, flowers and treats. Gumbo Goddess will be back this week. If you have been going through Jumbalaya withdrawls, as I have, come on down for dinner! Only three market days left...

Tickets are selling quickly for the Farm to Table Gala on the 26th of September, less than two weeks away. It will be a fabulous evening with fresh, local food and live music. To buy your tickets online use this link, to buy your tickets at the market, come see us at the information booth. We appreciate your support at our once a year fundraising event!

Next week we are looking forward to having Camas Roots - our local community and school garden - selling tomatoes, potatoes, squash, peppers, and basil at the market.

Market Events for September 16th

Music - 5pm-7pm, Alicia Fay http://www.myspace.com/aliciafaynewsom
Kid's Activity - 3pm-7pm, Sensory Table: Dirt & Worms and the Bug Scene
Chef Connection - 4pm, Watch the chef demo and learn some new tips
WSU Master Gardeners - will be at the market information booth with plenty of literature and knowledge to answer your gardening and composting questions

Farmers and Vendors

For last minute changes to our vendor list, please visit our interactive map

Autumn Moon - Chiles, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, herbs, peppers, corn, green beans
Brun's Bakery - French white loaf, French rye baguette, apple cake, chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate cookies, hot lips soda
Draper Girls' Country Farm - peaches, apples, pears, lamb, pork, dried apples
Forge Creek Farm - chard, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more!
The Garlic Lady - hand stuffed olives, pickled vegetables and garlic, drink mixes and gourmet natural cooking and beverage sauces
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist - gumbo, jumbalaya, fried catfish, offering vegetarian and flourless options
Half Moon Farm - comb honey, lavender honey, regular honey, plants and produce, fresh lavender
Heather's Toffees - will be back in 2010
Heavenly Bounty - beets, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, green beans
Hill Tree Farms - flowers, Asian vegetables
Kilauea Shave Ice - shaved ice with homemade syrups
Mac's Garden - peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, Swiss chard, spinach, berries, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, potted plants
Nature's Choice/Dee Creek Farm -huckleberries, mushrooms (fresh premium wild porcini & morels, organic shiitake & maitake), cheeses, wild huckleberry jam & syrup, raw unfiltered honey, spring peas, pure mushroom seasonings, pure, dried ground wild elderberry powder
Nutz-R-Us - candied nuts, iced tea
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beans, iced and hot coffee
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and Greek gyros
Russell's Breads - garlic parmesan, kalamata olive, challah, brioche, scones, cookies, sweet breads and biscuits
Svitoch European Bakery - baked goods, bread, cookies, pastries
Truly Scrumptious - tarts (sweet and savory), moon pies, cupcakes, cookies
Xiong Farms - tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowers
Zabor Mexican Grill - tamales, quesadillas, tacos, burritos and strawberry water

August 5th: Veggie Derby

2009-08-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

August 5th - The 1st Annual Veggie Derby

This Wednesday the market is having the first annual Veggie Derby to celebrate National Farmer's Market week. Come register your vehicle made from veggies from 3pm-4pm in the Kid's booth in front of City Hall. You can make it home or build one from the veggies provided. Races will begin at 4pm and continue throughout the market. Read more...

Also on August 5th, Bills Baines will be at the market to sharpen your kitchen knives, food processor blades, gardening tools and lawn mower blades (please remove from mower) at very reasonable prices.

The market is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Farm to Table Gala on September 26th. We need lots of help to put this fabulous evening of farm fresh food and music in the beautiful setting of Farside Farms. Please email us at volunteer@camasfarmersmarket.org to get involved in the fun!

Market Events

Kid's Activity - 3pm-7pm, Veggie Derby - build a car and race for prizes!
Chef Connection - 4pm, Watch the chef demo and learn some new tips
Music - 5pm-7pm, Richie Bean www.myspace.com/RichieBeanSolo
WSU Master Gardeners - will be at the market information booth with plenty of literature and knowledge to answer your gardening and composting questions

Farmers and Vendors

Around the Table - turkey sandwiches, baked goods from Truly Scrumptious
Berry Fresh - marionberries
Boones Ferry Berry Farms - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
Brun's Bakery - French white loaf, French rye baguette, apple cake, chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate cookies, hot lips soda
Draper Girls' Country Farm - apricots, cherries, lamb, pork, dried apples, apples, pears, cider
Duyck's Peachy-Pig Farm - cherries, berries, hazelnuts, walnuts, prunes, berries, honey
The Garlic Lady - hand stuffed olives, pickled vegetables and garlic, drink mixes and gourmet natural cooking and beverage sauces
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist - gumbo, jumbalaya, fried catfish, offering vegetarian and flourless options
Heather's Toffees - eight flavors of gourmet, hand-made toffee made with organic ingredients
Hill Tree Farms - flowers, green beans
Iko Farms - watermelon, cantaloupe, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, green beans
Lacamas Lavender - lavender plants and items, eggs and honey
Mac's Garden - black caps, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, berries, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, potted plants
Meadowglenn Farms - blueberries
Nature's Choice/Dee Creek Farm - cheese, mushrooms (fresh premium wild porcini & morels, organic shiitake & maitake), wild huckleberry jam & syrup, raw unfiltered honey, spring peas, pure mushroom seasonings, pure, dried ground wild elderberry powder
Nutz-R-Us - candied nuts, iced teas
Orphan Press - gardening books and plants
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beans, iced and hot coffee
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and Greek gyros
Rosemattel's - cucumbers, summer squash, kale, blueberries, onions, peppers, eggplant, broccoli shoots, fennel bulbs, fresh harvested herbs
Russell's Breads - garlic parmesan, kalamata olive, challah, brioche, scones, cookies, sweet breads and biscuits
Svitoch European Bakery - baked goods, bread, cookies, pastries
Xiong Farms - tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowers
Zabor Mexican Grill -tamales, quesadillas, tacos, burritos and strawberry water.

Market Closed July 29th Due to Heat

2009-07-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

*** The Market is Closed, Wednesday, July 29th, Due to Excessive Heat ***

For the safety of our friends, farmers and volunteers, the Camas Farmer's Market will be closed Wednesday, July 29th. The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures into the 100s and recommends that people avoid the sun and stay cool.

Looking forward to next week, August 5th, we our celebrating National Farmer's Market week with our first annual Veggie Derby!! -- please see all the details on the website.

Also on the 5th: Bill Baines, with Edge Master Mobile Sharpening, sharpens not only kitchen knives, but all types of blades. Bring your knives, gardening tools, food processor blades, kitchen shears, and lawn mower blades (remove them from the mower!) to be sharpened onsite at very reasonable prices.

And, last but not least, we are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Farm to Table Gala is going to be on September 26th at Farside Farms - the same fabulous location of last year's Gala. Tickets will be on sale soon at the Camas Farmer's Market Information Booth and on the website. We are looking for volunteers to help us with this fun filled evening. Please email us at volunteer@camasfarmersmarket.org to become a part of this spectacular evening of farm fresh food, live music, and wonderful community!

What to Expect on June 10th

2009-06-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

The market had another fabulous day last week, but boy was it hot. This week we should have perfect temperatures around 73 degrees, so come on down! We have a special event this week, a Cookbook and Gardening swap, read more...

We'll have lots of the sweetest strawberries you can find. Our cooking demo, starting at 4pm at NE Franklin and NE 4th will give you all sorts of ideas to use fresh, local, sweet strawberries. We may have cherries as early as next week.

This Wednesday we are excited to have goat cheese from Dee Creek Farm. You will be able sample the cheeses from Dee Creek and the jams from Nature's Choice (they can be found at the same booth at the Northwest corner of the market).

Don't forget to stop by the info booth to purchase your market tokens, with your credit and debit cards. Use them at the market (the vendors give change) or give them as gifts for Dads, Grads or Teachers.

A couple vendors are offering vegetarian dishes and gluten free cookies and cakes.

The market is every Wednesday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, in front of the Camas Public Library, on Fourth Avenue between NE Everett and NE Franklin until September 30th.

Schedule and Products for June 10th:
Kid's Activity - 3pm-7pm, Book mark creations and book readings in conjuction with the Cookbook and Gardening Book Swap.
Chef Connection - at 4pm, Come find out what you can do with a flat of strawberries.
Music - from 5pm-7pm, Richie Bean www.myspace.com/RichieBeanSolo
WSU Master Gardeners - will be at the market information booth with plenty of literature and knowledge to answer your gardening and composting questions.

A quick run down of some of the farmers and vendors:
Camas Roots - compost tea
Boones Ferry Berry Farms - strawberries
Twin Brooks Herb Farm - heirloom tomato plants, vegetable starts, herb plants, camas lilies
Iko Farms - onions, asparagus, potatoes, beets
Xiong Farms- tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowers
Rosemattel's - lettuce, kale, plant starts
Nature's Choice/Dee Creek Farm - cheese, mushrooms (fresh premium wild porcini & morels, organic shiitake & maitake), wild huckleberry jam & syrup, raw unfiltered honey.
Hill Tree Farms - flowers
Draper Girls' Country Farm - lamb, pork, dried apples, apples, pears
Brun's Bakery - French white loaf, French rye baguette, apple cake, chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate cookies, gluten free apple cake
Russell's Breads - garlic parmesan, kalamata olive, challah, brioche, whole wheat pumpkin scones, cookies, pumpkin bread
Nutz-R-Us - Candied nuts
The Garlic Lady - hand stuffed olives, pickled vegetables and garlic, drink mixes and gourmet natural cooking and beverage sauces
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beans
Zabor Mexican Grill - homemade tamales, tacos, burritos, quesadillas
Sweet Al's Cookin - BBQ chicken, beans, salad
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist - offering vegetarian and flourless options
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and Greek gyros
Half Moon Farm - honey, plants, eggs

What to expect on June 3rd

2009-06-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

Be sure to take advantage of our convenient new token system. Purchase tokens, in $5 denominations, at the market info booth (at NE Everett and NE Fourth Avenue), with your debit or credit card. The tokens are just like cash. When your purchase products from the vendors they will give you change. They make great gifts too - use them as you would gift cards!

Market Day for June 3rd

Kid's Activity - 3pm-7pm, Farm Sensory Day: Find the animals in the sensory tubs, farm stickers, farm tools coloring.
Chef Connection - at 4pm, come learn a new tip or trick to use in your kitchen.
Music - from 5pm-7pm Brian Ayotte, http://www.myspace.com/brianayottemusic. If you are a James Taylor fan, be sure to come down and listen to Brian!
WSU Master Gardeners - will be at the market information booth with plenty of literature and knowledge to answer your gardening and composting questions.

A quick run down of some of the farmers and vendors:
Draper Girls' Country Farm - lamb, pork, dried apples, apples, pears
Lacamas Lavender - honey, rhubarb, lavender, herbs, veggie starts, eggs
Greenville Farms - hazelnuts, prunes, eggs
Boones Ferry Berry Farms - strawberries
Twin Brooks Herb Farm - heirloom tomato plants, vegetable starts, herb plants, camas lilies
Xiong Farms- tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowers
Rosemattel's - lettuce, kale, plant starts
Nature's Choice - mushrooms (fresh premium wild porcini & morels, organic shiitake & maitake), wild huckleberry jam & syrup, raw unfiltered honey.
Hill Tree Farms - flowers
Russell's Breads - garlic parmesan, kalamata olive, challah, brioche, whole wheat pumpkin scones, cookies, pumpkin bread
Brun's Baked Goods - French white loaf, French rye baguette, apple cake, chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate cookies, gluten free apple cake
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beans
Zabor Mexican Grill - homemade tamales, tacos, burritos, quesadillas
Wurst Sausage Company - variety of homemade sausages
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and Greek gyros
Half Moon Farm - honey, plants, eggs
Iko Farms - onions, asparagus, potatoes

-- and --
Bill Baines, with Edge Master Mobile Sharpening. Bring your knives, gardening tools, food processor blades, kitchen shears, and lawn mower blades (remove them from the mower!) to be sharpened onsite at very reasonable prices.

Opening Day May 27th

2009-05-26T11:44:00.002-07:00

It is here! Opening day of the Camas Farmer's Market is tomorrow - Wednesday, May 27th, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, in front of the Camas Public Library, on Fourth Avenue between NE Everett and NE Franklin.

Beautiful weather, a street filled with farmers/vendors, live music, kid's activities and our chef connection starting at 4:00pm await you. The first week of market will bring plenty of starts and herbs for your garden. Produce may be light this week, but as the season continues the abundance of fruits and vegetables will grow. Come early, at 3:00pm, so you don't miss out on the strawberries, rhubarb, eggs, lamb, hazelnuts and breads!

Kid's Activity - Your kids will plant some seeds in an egg carton to take home and transplant in the garden. Urban Farm School will be available to answer your gardening questions!

Chef Connection - It is sure to delight!

Music - Al Maier, http://www.tastethedrums.com/, will play most of the market, taking a break during the Chef Connection.

A quick run down of some of the farmers and vendors for May 27th:
Draper Girls' Country Farm - lamb, pork, dried apples, apples, pears
Lacamas Lavender - honey, rhubarb, lavender, herbs, veggie starts, eggs Greenville Farms - hazelnuts, prunes, eggs
Boones Ferry Berry Farms - strawberriesCamas Roots - starts, hopefully compost tea
Twin Brooks Herb Farm - heirloom tomato plants, vegetable starts, herb plants, camas lilies
Xiong Farms - tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowersNature's Choice - mushrooms, jams, eggs, cheese
Hill Tree Farms - flowers
Brun's Baked Goods - french style rye bread, pain ordinaire, apple cake, chocolate cookies
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beansZabor Mexican Grill - homemade tamales, tacos, burritos, quesadillas
Wurst Sausage Company - variety of homemade sausages
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and greek gyros

and
Bill Baines, with Edge Master Mobile Sharpening, will have his van parked on NE Everett just south of NE 4th Avenue - bring your knives and gardening tools to be sharpened onsite at a reasonable price!

You will not want to miss out on a fabulous opening day!

Do's and Don'ts of Shopping at the Camas Farmer's Market

2009-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Do find the market on NE Fourth Avenue between NE Everett and NE Franklin. The Camas Farmer's Market is located between City Hall and the Public Library in beautiful Downtown Camas. The market starts on May 27th and will end September 30th. Join us each Wednesday from 3-7pm. Vendors will line the street with a variety of produce and prepared foods, increasing in number and diversity as the growing season progresses.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. There is so much to learn at the Market! Vendors and farmers love to share their knowledge. Getting to know the people who grow and produce your food is part of the fun. You can discuss preparation, recipes and storage ideas, or gain some knowledge about a vegetable you’ve never tried, or even seen. The conversation could lead to sustainable or bio-dynamic farming methods! Another wonderful learning opportunity awaiting you at the market is cooking tips from the Chef demonstrations.

Do bring your own bags and baskets. Re-using plastics grocery bags for the produce can help reduce the 1 million plastic bags used globally per minute. Bringing a cloth shopping bag with shoulder straps will help keep your hands free for shopping. As you buy new items, make sure you protect your produce by putting the heaviest items in the bottom of your bag.

Don’t rush through. Take your time to browse, taste and compare the various products. Each week there will be new offerings as crops ripen. Browsing first allows you to plan your shopping to get the most out of your buying dollars.

Do take advantage of our new token system. We are excited to offer market tokens that can be purchased using visa, mastercard, discover, debit or cash. These tokens can then be used to purchase any items at the market and change will be given. Give the kids a token. They can choose and purchase some fruits and veggies on their own. They may be more inclined to eat the healthy items they picked out and purchased.

Don’t bring a list. You can never be too sure of what you may find, so shop without a list incorporating your treasures into your salads, snacks and meals.

Do shop early to get the best selections. There's nothing better than strolling through a fragrant and colorful farmer's market early in the morning. Alternatively, shopping late just before closing time can bring you some of the best deals, because vendors don't want to take their wares back home. But this can be risky as the selection will be limited and some vendors may be sold out.

Don’t expect blueberries in May and cherries in September. The farmers at the market are all within 75 miles, giving you fresh, local and seasonal produce. To see what produce should be available each month, check out www.heartofwashington.com/consumer/getitfresh.html. Remember, our weather has been unusually cold this year so please be patient with the initial availability. The best plan of action is coming to the market each and every week to see what new crops are available to savor.

Do plan to visit with friends and develop new relationships. Taking the time to cherish your community benefits everyone. Fostering relationships with local farmers not only helps our local economy but potentially increases the farmer’s profits by cutting out the middleman.

Don’t expect only produce and flowers. Even though the focus of the market is agriculture producers, the market will include bakery items, teas, pastured meats and almonds.

Do enjoy the benefits of nutrient dense produce. Buying local, seasonal and organic products will not only benefit your health, but our planet’s health as well. Eating fruits and vegetables that have one, or just a few days between harvest and consumption gives your body a higher intake of vitamins and minerals. Not only will your body thank you, but your taste buds will be thrilled with the amazing flavors of freshly picked produce.

Farmers’ markets have doubled from 1994 to 2006 in the United States. And for good reason. They celebrate community and our region’s bounty. Farmers’ markets simply are a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. We may go to the market for food, fun and community but we end up benefiting our health, the earth and the economy. Your purchases at the market support organic farming and improve your nutrition. Your food traveled an average of 35 to reach you rather than 1,500, reducing pollution and global warming with decreased emissions. Your food dollars spent at the market support your local economy and increases demand for a more sustainable food system.
As the market starts the second season you have the opportunity to participate, keeping the vitality of downtown Camas growing and thriving. Make your Market your weekly stop for fun, food and friends!

Interactive Market Map

2009-05-12T20:01:00.001-07:00

We are very excited to have an interactive map of the Camas Farmer's Market up on our site. When you click on a stall on the interactive map, on the bottom left of the screen, you will see the vendor who will occupy that booth for the week you have selected (upper right corner of screen) and a list of the products that vendor carries (not all products will be there each and every week, depending on seasonal availability).

If you click on the product tab in the upper left hand corner of the screen, you can search for the product you are interested in, and the stall of the vendor that typically carries that product will be highlighted. Pretty cool, huh? Please leave your comments and suggestions for our interactive map!

2nd Annual Vendor Lunch

2009-03-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Market hosted the 2nd Annual Vendor Lunch. 13 farmers and producers were welcomed to a delicious lunch at Around the Table, taken on a walk (in a break from the rain)to our new location in front of the Camas Public Library and shown a presentation on how Manage My Market will benefit their exposure and sales. It was a wonderful afternoon with much anticipation for the season to begin!

New Market Location!

2009-03-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

The Market is thrilled to announce our new location. We will convene each Wednesday from 3pm-7pm from May 27th to September 30th in front of the Camas Public Library. Please join us on NE Fourth Avenue between NE Everett and NE Franklin each week. You will enjoy a variety of vendors, kid's activities, live music and tantilizing chef demos!

2009-02-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Camas Farmer's Market blog! We are gearing up for a great 2nd season in 2009. Farmers are getting ready to plant the seeds, board members are recruiting volunteers, attending conferences and working hard to bring access to local and fresh food to our community.

The Market season starts on Wednesday May 27th at 3:00pm. Yes a new day and time has been decided on. Our new location will be revealed as soon as we have our final stamp of approval from the city. At 4:00pm on each market day you will be treated to a chef demo. These demos are free and fabulous. Watching a chef at work is not only fun, but you'll learn many tips and tricks that you can use at home. At 5:00pm live music will start until the closing of the market at 7:00pm. Our Kid's Connection booth is back again this year, with activities for kids of all ages. We look forward to seeing you soon.

The Market will wrap up the season on September 30th. Be sure to check out our site for special events, especially the Farm to Table Gala on September 24th. This event was a hit last year, something you will not want to miss!