Steve Knox of Winter Green Farm measures the weight of several fruits and vegetables a customer is purchasing. (Nate Barrett/Emerald)
Each Saturday this winter, local farmers from Noti, Coos Bay and other nearby areas flock to the Eugene’s largest winter market to put their crops on display, setting up shop on the corner of East 8th Avenue and Oak Street. These are the ones who have swapped out their berries and vine crops for greens and root vegetables to make the Lane County Winter Farmer’s Market possible.
A sparse crowd of Eugeneans clad in drenched raincoats mingle with the farmers and pack reusable shopping bags full of the week’s vegetables. Several booths offer the standard winter crops — cabbage, arugula, potatoes, turnips and assorted greens — while a few push traditional winter market boundaries. Biancalana Pork Growers sells hormone-free, pasture-raised, antibiotic-free, USDA-inspected pork, while Red Wagon Creamery offers locally made ice cream in outrageous flavors, including one made with locally brewed beer and another with locally owned Wandering Goat Coffee.
Steve Knox (left)and co-owner Chris Overbaugh (right) work the Winter Green Farm booth at the Lane County Winter Farmer’s Market. Winter Green Farm, based out of Noti, Oregon, was founded in 1980 and specializes in organically grown vegetables, fruits and herbs. (Nate Barrett/Emerald)
It is no secret that heavy rain and cold weather make the wintertime difficult for Pacific Northwest farmers. Jack Richardson from McKenzie River Farm admits his business is not too lucrative this time of year.
“We make just enough to get fuel in the tank to go home,” he said with a laugh.
“We wouldn’t miss it, though,” his partner, Nick Hackney, added. “This is our social outing for the week.”
In fact, many farmers leave their stands unattended to huddle under a neighbor’s canopy.
“We love to just BS with the other farmers,” Richardson said, nodding towards his peers. “They’re the best people on Earth.”
The Lane County Winter Market offers farmers a pleasant escape from isolation and shoppers a fresh alternative to supermarket produce. Just because the Eugene sun has set for the winter doesn’t mean everyone is holding out until spring. As one shopper declared, “I don’t care what the sky is doing; this place has the best people and vegetables around.”