South Wasco Farmers Market Launches Successful Opening
On June 18, 2022, the South Wasco Farmers Market opened with a successful first day for its first ever season in Tygh Valley. With 9 vendors selling a wide variety of products and over 100 visitors stopping to shop, Tygh Valley Community Center (TSCC) was an inspiring space to be and offered just a sneak peak of the market’s potential to grow in the future.
Every week the market will be offering a diverse range of options, from bee products such as honey, candles, hand salves, and honey cakes sold by Quinn’s Freedom Apiary, to delicious handmade salts by BerkSalt, a locally owned business run by Erika Berk. The market also features homemade crafts such as wind chimes and bird houses from Leggypynns Originals, and gnomes and other home decor handmade by Lorri Feldhacker. Locally grown produce is also available through the South Wasco Specialty Farmers and Gate Creek Provisions, and if you’re in need of a sweet treat or new apparel Chastain’s All American has got you covered offering items from baking mixes to a unique selection of earrings.
Peak produce season is almost upon us, so be sure to stop by the market to buy your fruits and vegetables from our local farmers!
Investing your dollars locally won’t just buy you delicious, fresh produce, but it will also help support the community as a whole and bolster the local economy in the long run. American Express estimates that for every $1 spent at a locally owned business, such as those you’ll find at the South Wasco Farmers Market, $0.67 remains in the local economy. When you buy your products from local businesses, your money is going to people that live in the community and who are invested in the welfare and future of the local area. Buying from your own community members also means you know where your products are coming from, or in the case of food products, how they’re being grown. Buying products at your local farmers market means you can chat directly with the farmer that grew the produce, or directly with the artist that created the carefully crafted item that will decorate your home.
Stimulating our local economy by supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs will also create more local jobs and support the families in our community. Small, local businesses are the largest employers nationally, so more businesses here means more jobs close to home. You’re also investing your money into building a community that you can enjoy. Keeping the local economy alive means creating space for unique, original businesses to open and thrive, building a distinctive community identity.
In buying local, you’re also investing in creating space for new growth. A local market creates an easily accessible space for locals to start selling their product, try experimenting with new products, and test out new business ideas. With low barriers to entry and minimal risk, a farmers market can encourage startups and foster new entrepreneurs, while helping them build a local customer base that could support larger business endeavors down the road.
The vendor booths featured at the South Wasco Farmers Market exemplify some of the business talent present in our community, and the market itself offers just a glimpse of the supportive business foundation working to be built in South Wasco County. For anyone looking to learn more about starting a business or looking for information that could help their current business plan, the Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center offers free support and resources to business owners and entrepreneurs no matter what point you might be at on your journey.
The entry way into the South Wasco Farmers Market. Pictured vendors (left to right): Chastain’s All American, Quinn’s Freedom Apiary, the South Wasco Specialty Farmers, Gate Creek Provisions, Market information booth and Community Table (front right).
Support local businesses by stopping by to see the vendors at the South Wasco Farmers Market! Each offers their own special experience that you can only find here in South Wasco County, and there’s even more to come.
On July 9th, the Market will be hosting the Wasco County Master Gardeners to answer all your questions on plants, seeds, soil, and more! The Master Gardeners will be showcasing soil experiments and handing out seed packets, as well as offering information on toxic plants. They also will be open as a clinic where you can bring your struggling plant for a diagnosis. Just bring a picture or sample along with you (remember to keep samples in a sealed container or bag) and the master gardeners will do their best to save your shrub!
The South Wasco Farmers Market will be open all summer through the end of September, 9am-1pm, at the Tygh School Community Center in Tygh Valley, so be sure to stop by!
Thank you to our partners and sponsors at Northern Wasco County PUD, Tenneson Engineering, Avangrid Renewables, and Tygh School Community Center for making this farmers market a possibility.
Thank you also to our local volunteers and Farmers Market Advisory Committee members for dedicating their time and energy to starting the farmers market to support our local growers, makers, and producers!
