At The Farmers Market
Q&A with Kymber Lattin
By Jen Jackson
Kymber Lattin, a frequent customer of the Eugene Saturday markets, is a senior at the University of Oregon. Originally from Eastern Oregon, she has lived in Eugene for two years in which she has come to appreciate the valley’s abundance of fresh foods.
How often do you come to the farmer’s market here in Eugene?
“Probably 2-3 times a month. When I’m less busy I try to go every week to purchase my fruits and vegetables for the week.”
What do you like about the Farmer’s market?
“I like the atmosphere of the Farmer’s market. Everyone is happy and willing to share with you what they’re purchasing or what they’ve grown. There a real sense of community, sometimes that you definitely don’t find in the grocery store and something that is only found once in a while.”
How often do you try to eat local food?
“As a college student I honestly eat what’s the cheapest. Usually, the food from the market is the cheapest and the best quality. During the summer months, I try to eat only local produce.”
And why is that?
“I eat it because it supports local farmers. Plus it is fresher and lasts longer.”
What kind of produce or food do you buy most often from the farmer’s market?
“I usually buy lettuce, squash, and fruit from the market. It’s almost always produce. I never really buy eggs or meat from the market.”
Do you think it is important to buy local? Why or why not?
“Buying local is definitely important. It helps keep the economy around our community healthy. Local foods are good for the consumer as well because they are all fresh and healthy. They last for much longer so it’s easier to eat them all while wasting less.”
Do you think Eugene is a good environment for local/organic foods?
“Eugene is a good environment for experimenting with things like dietary choices. There is a lot of options. So, if you’re someone who is new to local food or someone who just tries to eat local foods because it’s healthier, Eugene will have a lot of different options with how to achieve that goal.”
Owner of Sweet Home Farms Meats
Q&A with Daniel O’Malley of Sweet Home Farms Meats
By Jen Jackson
Daniel O’Malley established Sweet Home Meats in 2013, after spending summers working on his dad’s farm while attending the University of Oregon.
What do you sell here at Sweet Home Meats?
“I sell grass-fed and pasture-raised beef, lamb and goat, and pasture-raised pork and chicken. It’s different than most people’s products out there because all of those animals are raised in a holistic program. So I’m going a lot further and deeper than just feeding a cow grass or putting a bird in a field and calling it pasture raised. [I’m] looking at the soil composition and the grasses and the plants and how it all works together.”
As a holistic farmer, what does a typical day look like for you?
“A typical day is a lot of different things. Monday is different than Tuesday, and Tuesday is different than Wednesday. What I did last month is probably not what I’m going to do this month. A year from now I’m probably still going to be doing something different. Part of a holistic program is not having necessarily a rigid set schedule where you’re really reacting to what is going on around you, to stay flexible, and do what you need to do where it needs to be done.”
Why did you choose to take a holistic approach to farming?
“You know, I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I see a lot of people who have cows in a pasture, and they’re there for six months on the same grass, eating it over and over and over. It’s grass-fed beef but that grass pasture is dying. If you’re really paying attention to the plant life, and the bugs, and the animals, a holistic approach is the only one can conclude is the right one. It’s the only one that’s adaptable… There’s no one right way to raise a chicken or a pig, but I think there are a lot of wrong ways.”
Q&A with Ranae Maloney
By Elliot Langenhuysen
Ranae Maloney is a University of Oregon student who enjoys cooking her own food using fresh produce from the farmers market.
Can you tell me your name and what you do?
“My name is Ranae Maloney, I am a sophomore at the University of Oregon, and I am studying public relations.”
Do you shop at the farmers market?
“I do, I usually like to go like once or twice a month, just to go check out the local art and food and produce and stuff.”
What kind of things do you usually buy at the farmers market?
“I like to buy fresh produce and the fruit at the farmers market because I like buying local and organic produce. It’s always really good and fresh.”
Do you like to make a lot of your own food?
“Yeah, I like to cook a lot of my own food, so its really convenient to be able to buy all my fruits and vegetables at the farmers market. It’s also really close to where I live, so that makes it easier too.”
Would you say that the food tastes better, or are you a fan of supporting your local community, what’s the draw to the farmers market?
“I like supporting the local community, I also think its just more fresh because it doesn’t go through a store, I feel like its not handled by as many people when its at the farmers market.”
Do you feel like those that are contributing to the farmers markets are doing good for the community?
“Yeah I think the people that shop at the farmers market are doing for the Eugene community because they’re putting their money towards people in our community and helping them survive and make a living, while in turn, people are getting their fruits and vegetables.”
Do you wish the farmers market was open more often? Would you be able to go more often if it was open more than two days a week?
“Yeah, my weekends tend to be very busy with homework and stuff, so its kind of difficult to get over there on Saturday, so it would be nice if it was open more than just the two days a week, so people could go and get food.”
Does taking classes during the week stop you from attending the farmers market?
“Yeah, my weekday schedule is pretty busu with classes, so going to the farmers market during the week is pretty difficult for me, so maybe if they were open Saturday and Sunday it would be a better option than a week day.”
Q&A with Lynn Schutte
By Elliot Langenhuysen
Lynn Schutte, Local farmer, who sells a variety of things at the farmers market.
Could you state your name and what you sell at the farmers market?
“My name is Lynn Schutte and I’m with Northern lights Christmas tree farm, my husband and I own the farm, and his name is Bob. I am selling grass-finished beef, pasture milk fed veal, pastured chickens, and eggs. Chicken eggs as well as duck eggs.”
Did you guys just decide to start a farm? What did you do before?
“Well sort of, we started farming in ’86, and basically our farm was a christmas tree farm, that was the genesis of our farming, and when we realized that some fields were too good, the soil was too good for Christmas trees then we started to diversify, so we got into cattle, started raising beef, and then from there we went into chickens, and we started with just a small family flock and how we have about fifty hens, and I have a few ducks for duck eggs, and then we do turkeys for the holidays, and then I also do meat chickens.”
Do you feel like you are helping out the community by selling at the farmers market?
“Absolutely, because more and more people are knowing where their food comes from, they want to buy locally, and so I’m a conduit for that.”
Would you say that your are an advocate for grass grown beef and other food options like that?
“It suits our purposes just fine, we used to finish off our beef with brewers grain, we get it from the brewers and we grain them for the last six to eight weeks of their lives, but the more we read about healthy cows, the more we realized that cows really just need to be fed grass. That how they were made. And so a lot of studies started talking about the benefits of grass finished beef and studies have been done about how much more beneficial it is to you, and so we decided to go straight grass, and that’s what we do. We finish off our cows with alfalfa, and so that provides a little protein and gives them a little more fat to the meat, but it’s still a very lean product, very yummy.”
Do you guys find yourselves eating a lot of your own food and food from the farmers market?
“Oh yeah, I pride myself at meal time pointing out where everything came from, from my family, sometimes I get the ole’ eyeball roll, but I tell ya’ I consider it a challenge. And I look at my own buying habits; I mean I simply do not buy fruits and vegetables if I notice on the label that it comes from another country, all though I do make exceptions for avocados. So it’s become quite important for me to buy local, and if not at a farmers market at least local.”
Q&A: with Madison Harrington
By Jamie Edleman
Rain Forest Mushrooms
How did you become a vendor?
“My boyfriend works on the farm so I help him out. That’s how I became a vendor at the farmers market.”
How long have you been a part of the farmers market?
“I started just this year, so I’ve been working for about 2 months now.”
When did their business start?
“Their business has been around since the 1970’s.”
How long have they been doing the farmers market?
“They have been doing the farmers market for a long time.”
What role does the market play in your own life?
“It’s fun for me to get out and I live all the way in Toledo, OR near Newport. I also just moved here from California, so everything is new to me. It’s nice to get away from the small town and come to a bigger city. I’m also a huge health nut so it’s nice to be around this type of environment.”
When were these mushrooms picked, and how fresh are they?
“Just last night they were picked. Sometimes we will do it in the morning, but to save time we picked them last night. We make sure they are as fresh as possible.”
Where is the produce grown and raised?
“The produce is grown and raised in Eddyville, OR.”
What is the best way to store this type of produce?
“Just in a brown bag in the refrigerator. They are good up until about two weeks.”
Is this company organic?
“Yes, Rain Forest Mushrooms is certified organic.”
What are your own views on organic farming vs. non-organic farming?
“I would say organic farming is better because it is more natural and you don’t have the GMO’s or preservatives and all of that type of stuff in your food. It’s just a lot healthier for you.”
Besides the products, what else do the customers gain from coming to the farmers market?
“I think customers are able to receive a wide range of nutritious food and see different people. They are able to come in to a place where they can socialize and enjoy their time being at the market.”
What is a favorite experience you’ve had while being a vendor at the farmers market?
“My favorite experience that I’ve had at the farmers market is just being able to meet all different types of new people.”
Q&A with Fanny Berg
By Jamie Edelman
Co-Owner of Berg’s Berries
What motivated you in order to sell at the farmers market?
“I enjoy selling good food that is organic. Berg’s Berries is a certified organic farm and I enjoy it because a lot of people are here at the market. It is nice to sell to people that are interested in coming to the farmers market.”
How did you get started as a business?
“The father of my husband was the first person here to start the business. He has been doing it for many years and is the one in charge of Berg’s Berries. My husband is the person who does mostly everything for the farm. The business has been around since the 1980’s. It is one of the oldest fruit farms in the valley.”
What did you have to do in order to build your business and become successful?
“We needed to take care of the food and become organic, to make good prices, and to take care of the people and give the customers what they want. It is important that we are selling healthy, natural, and fresh produce.”
How important is organic food and how does it compare to conventional?
“Organic is the best because it is the best for your health. It doesn’t contain chemicals, poisons, and it is better for your body.”
Who do you sell to? Are you only at the Saturday market, or do you sell other places as well?
“We only sell at the farmers market.”
Do you see a bigger trend in people buying organic food?
“A lot of people buy organic food. You can see there are a lot of people here at the farmers market choosing to buy local organic food. Most of the time we sell all of the food that we bring here. It is pretty good business for us. We are reaching out to people that are concerned with their health.”
Where is your farm located?
“Our farm is located in Alvadore, OR. We are about 25 minutes from the farmers market.”
What are all the different types of produce that you sell at Berg’s Berries?
“We sell strawberries, blueberries, marionberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, pears, and nectarines. We sell different things during the different seasons.Not everything is ripe at the same time. Right now we have strawberries and blueberries.”