Pull into Safeway’s parking lot on a Saturday to see the space transformed—gone are the cars, replaced by tented outdoor shops and a vibrant, bustling community.
Esping had been inspired by the Hollywood Farmers’ Market and envisioned her Cedar Mill market as a place where locals could mingle and build support for Oregon farmers.
“Through word of mouth and fliers posted in nearby businesses, farmers and artisans who hand crafted items that related to the home and food applied to launch the first market,” Leilani Larsen recalls.
The library would have temporary buildings in the parking lot, and it became impossible for the market’s future seasons to continue there.
It was a discouraging, slow process—Ron Roden, a current Board Member, recounts location being the most difficult issue in the market’s early days—but they persisted.
Finding it hard to cope with the workload, Dina Gross approached THPRD for assistance and presented the concept of a park-sponsored market in her appeal.
“We were losing vendors and customers, as well as the reputation we had for being family and community friendly.” Those who remained watched as the Cedar Mill Farmers’ Market struggled to stay afloat and their dream of a community hub dissipated.
The late 2010s proved to be the most turbulent time in the market’s existence, but even so, the market remained true to its roots.
They established a formal market Board of Directors in the fall of 2015, making efforts to bring back their customer base and bring positive attention to the market’s offerings.
The management was tasked with adapting and executing solutions before the 2016 market season, a process that was often frustrating.
“We met every week in the beginning…we had to recover passwords, reset emails, formulate vendor rules, and a multitude of other things in order to have a market open in 2016,” writes Malinowski, recalling the demands of the restoration period.
Carroll outlines the market’s two objectives as “ an independent entity again.” Under THPRD leadership, the market was bound to THPRD’s direction, and to implement a vendor-run business model, the Board felt that independence was key.
An abundance of vendors applies to the market each year, and over the past seasons, the market has attracted record numbers of customers.
Sponsors, such as the Sunset Athletic Club, The Olive Branch, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, the Farmers’ Market Fund, and others have allowed the market to cater to recent demographics.
Masks, sanitation, and social distancing requirements are in place; customers browse the market in a counterclockwise direction, moving through booths in a conveyor-like motion.
“Olive Lady” and Board Member Deborah Politi reminds us that volunteers are always needed to make the Market work.
Carroll remembers her most memorable experience at the market: “I think one of the sweetest things actually happened last year—a child who comes to the market every week with her family made hero ‘badges’ for several of her favorite vendors and myself to thank us for being there.
Malinowski says the market has had an interesting impact on her life.
It is a flurry of phone calls, Zoom meetings, and final checks—but on the first day of May, the market’s stalls shine once again with its characteristic, vibrant joy.
Families, with children and pets, flood in to join the festivities, packing their bags with Oregon foods, locally sourced produce, and art and craft items. They will admire each booth’s wares, make friends with the owners, and in the years to come, their children, too, will cultivate their own market recollections.