By Jan Jackson
The cooking-fresh season has started and to prove it, shoppers carried empty produce bags and baskets into the Silverton Farmers’ Market Saturday, June 14, and left with them full. While returning shoppers made straight for their favorite vendors, new shoppers took more time looking to see who and what was there.
New market manager Courtney Basile, a long time farmers’ market shopper, was there to greet them.
“This is my first year as manager for the market but I’ve been a passionate customer for the last five years,” Basile said. “It used to be the joy of my week hanging out around the fresh fruits and vegetables and this summer I’m looking forward to working it.”
Bill Schiedler, owner of Gardenripe in Silverton, was selling a variety of 100 percent locally grown greens, cucumbers, zucchinis, kale, garlic scapes, beets, carrots and a few fava beans.
“The season is slow and the produce we have here today we grew in the greenhouses, Scheidler said of his surprisingly well-stocked booth. “The month of July we will pretty much have these same vegetables and then we will add new ones as the season progresses. Whatever I have, it will be fresh and locally grown.”
While health and nutrition experts continue to recommend we add more fruits and vegetables to a healthy daily diet and news of food-borne illnesses associated with fresh fruits and vegetables purchased in the grocery store increases, local farmers’ markets have become more attractive to shoppers.
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
through mid-October
Town Square Park, Main at Fiske
503-816-5046
Below are some safety tips for handling fresh fruits and vegetables:
• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Clean all surfaces and utensils with hot water and soap, including cutting boards, counter tops, peelers and knives that will touch fresh fruits or vegetables before and after food preparation.
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
• Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water.
• Dry fruits and vegetables with a clean cloth towel or paper towel.
• Never use detergent or bleach to wash fresh fruits o vegetables. These products are not intended for consumption.
• Keep fresh fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry or seafood in your refrigerator.
• Do not use the same cutting board that you used with meat, poultry or seafood without cleaning with hot water and soap before and after preparing fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Refrigerate all cut, peeled or cooked fresh fruits and vegetables within two hours.
“We started something new to help Silverton Area Community Aid at the market this year.,” Basile said. “We have a bin and a money jar where people donate money, canned or fresh produce for the food bank. Between now through October, we all need to be eating fresh and local.”
