The Dalles Farmers' Market

The Dalles Farmers Market

PO Box 105

The Dalles, OR 97058

thedallesfarmersmarket@gmail.com

Phone: 541-993-9974  

Market Location: 5th and Union St

The History of The Dalles Farmers' Market

We began June 2, 2004 at the Civic Auditorium on 4th Street in their theater lobby.  Crystal Davis-Ross and Barbara Pashek started the market.  Crystal was the manager of the Civic Auditorium and came up with the idea of using the Civic as a way to get people into the building and see some of the renovations that were being done.
The theater lobby had large double doors that opened onto the sidewalk.  The atmosphere reminded some of Pike Street Market years ago.  We were able to spill out on the sidewalk, parking was okay, water and rest rooms were available and office workers could walk over on their breaks and see what was being offered on Wednesdays.
The vendor fees, 10% of gross up to $100.00, then $10 straight across the board, went to the Civic Auditorium as a fundraiser.
The market always had a community or co-op table.
2005 started with 8 vendors.  We did our first grilling in July with a gass BBQ roasting veggies for customers. That same day Friends of the Library had a bake sale.
In 2006, we had  assistance to apply for a grant from Mid-Columbia Economic Development District for signs, canopies and advertising for the market.  We received the grant and purchased 3 canopies, 3 sandwich board signs, and did some serious advertising.  Our key principles for the grant were to increase business/commercial space because we had moved to The Dalles Chamber of Commerce parking area.  The Chamber is on a very busy street and visibility for the market was excellent.  The Chamber gave us in-kind help.  
Other key principals were coordinated; marketing of the gorge region, focus on existing, emerging and home-based business and to emphasize value-added agriculture products and processing.  
We still maintained the core of 8 or so vendors..sometimes up to 12 depending on what was in season.  In June, the Master Gardeners had their garden tour and sold plants at one of the gardens.  They brought their leftover plants to the market for us to sell.  
We continued to have a few non-profits hold bake sales at the market.  On Sept 6, 2006 we held a "Too many Tomatoes Salsa Contest".  We had nine entries and 3 judges..the newspaper photographer was there  (he even entered his salsa).  The winners were 3 young women from our "Mercy House" a rehab center for recovering drug and alcohol users.  They were thrilled..the Mercy House received $50 for first prize.  
In October the market had enough money to have the electric company install outdoor plug ins..using the Chambers electricity  and also buying insurance for the year 2007.  
In 2007, an advisory board was formed and a new manager selected.  A vendor meeting was held in April and another meeting was held at the end of the market season in September.  
In 2008, Barbara was back as manager of the market.  A poster contest was held in April for all fourth graders in the public and private schools in the area.  We had 42 entries with three winners receiving nice prizes.  From the winning poster, one of our vendors had a beautiful poster made for the market.  
The first week of June, students from one of the elementary schools came down at noon to sell their marigold, zinnias and sunflowers.  For August and September, we printed up a one-page news sheet for the vendors.  In September, our market participated in a Central Oregon Farmers Market Managers meeting in Redmond.  

We have also, over the past years joined the Oregon Farmers Market Association.  
Our 2008 market began in May.  Our vendors numbered 8 or so again.  New additions came in during the month of June.  We had a Methodist church group raising money for playground equipment, another vendor with a peddler's licence selling some of her items plus items from a new produce vendor from Dallesport.  With the economy going down, we had a great deal of interest.  
The Chronicle put the market in "What's Happening" every week.  KODL radio advertised it heavily as did the other 2 stations in town.  We welcomed the Master Preservers to the market in July testing pressure cookers and selling a cookbook.  We started grilling items toward the end of the market season with great success.  We were lucky to have  a cut flower vendor from Portland come to our market.  What a great addition. 

Come to The Dalles Farmers Market in 2012 and see what has happened since then......