By Michael Bales

Fresh organic produce and other foods may be available as early as May at a new Sunday farmers market planned for Northeast’s King neighborhood.  The Portland Farmers Market would operate the King Farmers Market in partnership with the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. A formal agreement is near completion.

The Portland Farmers Market operates four of the city’s 14 markets, including the largest at Portland State University. The only other Sunday market is in Hillsdale.

Ann Forsthoefel, Portland Farmers Market executive director, said a primary site is under consideration but declined to disclose it, pending zoning review. The King Neighborhood Association has been told that a possibility is at or near King Elementary School at Northeast Seventh Avenue south of Alberta Street.

Forsthoefel said the project would complement Mayor Sam Adams’ plans for economic development along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and emphasis on sustainability.  The project has moved quickly since the fall, when Paige Coleman, the neighborhood coalition’s transition executive director, mentioned the idea at a Sabin Community Association meeting. Coincidentally, farmers market board member Rosemarie Cordello was in the audience and offered help. About the same time, Forsthoefel received e-mails from two people in Northeast also interested in the idea.

“This is resulting from the synchronicity of neighbors themselves wanting a market.”

What might distinguish the market from others will be decided by people in the neighborhoods, she said.  “The successful markets that come to life are driven by neighborhoods or the community. We want every market to take on the flavor of its neighborhood.”

Coleman said the area’s 12 inner North and Northeast neighborhood associations have endorsed the project. An advisory council of 12 to 14 people will be assembled representing the area’s interests.  The council, she said, will help guide the market’s development in keeping “with community values and needs.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 4:39 pm and is filed under Gardening, Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.