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Helen M. Davis Sixteen years ago, Marie Pickett had a dream. How nice it would be if there was a place where those who call the Fern Ridge area home could come to experience the fruits and vegetables produced in the region and the crafts created by talented artisans. Thus was the genesis of the Veneta’s Farmer’s Market in 2007. The farmer’s market started out small with its first inception in the parking lot at Veneta Elementary School. After that, it was held in the parking lot next to Our Daily Bread before moving to Luther Lane and then down Broadway to set up for business on a parcel of land next to “the attic building” where the food trucks are currently leasing. This location worked well, and the market grew. Eventually, Heather Blake began to volunteer with the market, performing set-up and running a consignment booth. It wasn’t long before she was asked to manage the market and she agreed, though she had to take a step back when her other job required her to work on Saturdays and now serves as the market’s Board Secretary which sees her managing the market’s website and Facebook page among other various duties. When the attic building and the city became enmeshed in negotiations for the land the market was on, the market moved across the street to another empty parcel where it remained until St. Vincent de Paul began to talk of breaking ground on a new retail store next to the Service Center. All possibilities for a new site were looked at and discussed, and it was decided that the market would return to its old locale on Luther Lane. While at the St. Vincent de Paul site, Blake, who worked with the Veneta Chamber of Commerce, began managing a pop-up retail district under her business Fern Ridge Events, that combined with the farmer’s market to showcase new businesses, the first three being Grateful Graphics, Aida’s Food Company and Bella’s Luv Bar Butter. Seven businesses operated out of small sheds the following year, but things came to a screeching halt with the arrival of COVID. This year has seen a number of new farmers join the market to sell their goods with an average, according to Blake, of 19 vendors a week and 350 shoppers. Late in 2018, the market became a program of the Fern Ridge Community Action Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. This was done in order to not only increase community programming in the Fern Ridge area, but also to enable the market to increase its nutrition assistance programs, do more to aid in the economic development of the market’s vendors, and develop a sustainable future so the market can be a vital part of the community for many more years. To help those in need, the Veneta Farmer’s Market works with SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – by allowing people to present their card and obtain a matching food box for up to $20. The card can also be used to purchase bread, meat, eggs, honey, and drinks such as lemonade and iced tea after the card is used to purchase tokens. The Veneta Farmer’s Market has also been doing a program for kids. Those 12 and under can get a token worth $5 to spend on fruits and vegetables for themselves and feel a sense of pride in doing their own shopping. Previously, the age limit was 15, but this was lowered because the market was spending more money than it was making. Blake says the market has a number of new people on the board this year and it is hoped that the market can grow. She would love to have a place on site or near the site for storage and dreams of finding a location where the market can be indoors and operate year-round. While in the past the market operated simultaneously with the Harvest Festival, this year it was decided that since they had just moved back to Luther Lane, it would be best not to join the festival and create confusion. Blake also has several other irons in the proverbial fire including Music in the Park, which performs at the amphitheater at the park on Broadway from June through October on the second Thursday of the month. Blake says there have been a variety of genres performed such as Bluegrass, a youth group performing 50’s-60’s music replete with a lead singer who sounded like Elvis, and a trio who performed on guitar, mandolin, piano and violin. Only 45 people attended the first Music in the Park, says Blake, but one of the last concerts saw 74 people enjoying themselves listening to the music on a warm summer evening. If she can, Blake would like to bring this indoors, too. From the time of its inception, the Veneta Farmer’s Market has been a vital part of the community for farmers and shoppers alike. It has given those who do not have a garden a chance to enjoy consuming fresh fruits and vegetables and take part in the from farm to table movement. It has also given children the opportunity to see where food comes from, that it doesn’t just appear on the shelves of a grocery store, and it has brought like-minded people together to share in a bounty that has been cultivated through hard work and dedication. With any luck and with a lot of perseverance, the market will be around for a very long time and another reason the Fern Ridge area can be proud to call this place home.
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