For some, going to the farmers market has been a constant in our lives for many months. We quickly got into the habit of remembering our reusable bags on open market days. We recognize the friendly smiles of the farmers and ranchers that sold us delicious local produce. Our weeks almost relied on that warm pastry treat we snacked on while perusing the bountiful market stalls. And now we’re left with this nagging feeling of “I should be somewhere right now” during what would have been the day we went to the Farmers Market. We’re left to wonder “so, now what?”. Where can we stock up for the winter months ahead? How can we continue to support our local farmers without a weekly market? Where can we find local produce, and what even is in season now?
The answers to these questions are in this Central Oregon Produce Guide for the Fall and Winter Season. Read on for ways to find local foods in Central Oregon, learn about Fill Your Pantry, find farm-stands and marketplaces to frequent, and #GetATasteOfThisPlace in the fall!
Fill Your Pantry
Fill Your Pantry is back for its seventh year on November 12th from 11AM to 3PM. Fill Your Pantry is a community bulk buying farmers market was created so YOU can fill up your pantry, freezer, and root cellar full of great local products for the winter.
Say “bye-bye” to busy holiday lines and produce that has traveled farther than you during holiday vacations, and say “hello” to a cupboard full of local meat, grains, vegetables, ferments, and more.
The Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry will allows you to stock up on items like potatoes, onions, leeks, beets, winter squash, garlic, honey, a variety of flours, apples, pears, dried beans, krauts, baked goods, HDFFA merchandise, and more.
This is a bulk-focused farmers market, so bring your muscles and wheels to tote large quantities of items. For example, 20lb bags of onions, 50lb bags of potatoes, 25lb ground beef boxes, etc. This is a great opportunity for vendors to move product before the harsh Central Oregon winter and a great opportunity for YOU to save money and eat well all winter long.
Not sure what to do with large quantities of produce like this? Fill Your Pantry specializes in storable goods with a focus on vegetables that won’t spoil quickly. Some shoppers like to share it with friends, families, and neighbors. Some like to preserve and store it for the months to come. If you’d like to learn more about preserving (it makes for a great hobby), check out our article “Put It Up – Then Eat It Up” by Mary Lowe, an OSU Master Preserver.
Farm Stands to Frequent
Farm stands are another great option for getting your groceries including: The Stand at Mahonia Gardens, Well Rooted Farms,The Broken Plow, DD Ranch, Paradise Produce, Rainshadow Organics, Tumalo Farmstand, and more. These farm stands are open for however long the season allows. It’s best to check their webpages or social media for days and times of operation and what’s in stock before you go.
Also, you can get a share of a farmers bounty or produce by reserving a Winter CSAs (that’s right, CSAs are not just in the summers). Check out this list of local farms that offer CSAs!
The markets that source and produce local products are an integral part of the Central Oregon food economy. These markets allow for both our farmers to have a consistent stream of revenue and for consumers to have a consistent place to purchase. Central Oregon Locavore, Schoolhouse Produce, Schilling’s Garden Market, Newport Avenue and Market of Choice pride themselves on stocking their shelves with local products. Some of these farm stands, and grocery stores take EBT/SNAP, WIC, FDNP, and participate in the Double Up Food Bucks Program. Oh, and a lot of these places also have coupons to help spread your food bucks further!
Get A Taste of This Place
Need honey for that warm cup of tea? Protein for those hearty holiday meals – here’s a link to Meat/Poultry. Find a farm stand near you with our convenient Map option. We even have a Central Oregon Seasonality Poster.
We know finding fresh produce can be difficult especially in the winter months in Central Oregon. That’s why we at the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance have created a print and digital Food & Farm Directory. We believe everyone deserves good food and know that finding good food may be hard.. Get A Taste of This Place (Get A Taste, for short) features hundreds of businesses in Central Oregon that can be your source of good food. There are farms, ranches, food processors, restaurants, and more that all support our thriving food system. One of the best features of Get A Taste is the option to narrow down your search by filters and keywords.
Use Get A Taste this season to search all your needs. Available on IOS and Google Play store.
When seasons change, our habits have to change too. When we go out, we remember to bring a jacket. We prune our gardens for harsh frost. We begin to look for food differently. These resources are here for you year round but can be a game changer especially when shopping for fresh produce can be so difficult. A lot of integral parts of our food system are mentioned above – Farmers Markets, CSAs, farm stands, markets/restaurants that purchase locally, and most importantly YOU! You get the choice to shop local, support farmers, eat sustainably, and vote with your money to keep our food network thriving. So get out there and #GetATasteOfThisPlace!
