by Sayde Walker
Tillamook Farmers Market Manager
We are just at the halfway point of the Tillamook Farmers Market season. If you haven’t been to visit yet, I encourage you to do so! We are almost back to pre-pandemic glory.
Last week we brought back the kids activity table and will keep that running for the rest of the season. Kids can come down and participate in fun, hands-on activities like rock painting, seed planting, decorating pumpkins and other fun (albeit messy) projects.
While they are there, be sure to stop by the Farmers Market HQ and get Kids Bucks. A big shout out to TLC, a Division of Fibre Federal Credit Union for being our Founding Sponsor and supporting Kids Bucks program. These $2 vouchers can be used to get $2 off things like berries, honey, vegetables or other delicious fruits. You can spend them that day or collect them to purchase something bigger later in the season. Kids Bucks are good through the end of September.
We also brought back live music this season, and so far have enjoyed tunes from Scott Casey, Eric Sappington, Rhythm Method and several others. The music plays each market day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is sponsored in part by the Tillamook Creamery. We are so thrilled to have such incredible musical talent available locally and hope you’ll stop by and enjoy it with us.
There is a great variety of vendors this season as well; both returning favorites and brand new faces. Some of our new additions include Bamford Bakery out of Forest Grove. You have to try their jumbo cookies! Oceania Galleria is also brand new this year, selling gorgeous, hand-painted cutting boards, dishes and original artwork all resembling the stunning colors and movement of the ocean. The Hummus Stop is another new vendor this year, and you’ll find them each week with home-made pita chips and several flavors of hummus. We are also excited to have Josi Farms with us this year selling their fresh produce and dramatically large onions.
If you are a SNAP customer and have tried to spend your SNAP dollars at the market and have been turned away, I am pleased to share that we have a brand new processor and are up and running again! Thank you for your patience while we worked through technical difficulties for the first half of the season. You can now bring your SNAP/EBT card to the Farmers Market HQ and we will charge your card in exchange for SNAP dollars that can be spent on eligible food items at the market. The first $10 you spend each day will be matched with an additional $10 in Double Up Food Bucks — good for vegetables, fruit, nuts, mushrooms and plants starts. Double Up Food Bucks is made possible in part by the Farmers Market Fund.
I hope you’ll come down and say hi to me and Brooke, enjoy the live music, play a friendly round of cornhole and do some shopping to support local businesses, farmers and producers. The Tillamook Farmer’s Market runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through September at the corner of Laurel Avenue and Second Street