Inside our Farmers Markets: Entrepreneurs creating flavor, art, local prosperity

Essay and photos by Aaron Girdham

The Dalles, Ore., July 21, 2026 — Farmers markets have always been part of my life.

My mother and grandma started a small business in the Gorge twenty years ago and have successfully continued it to this day.

At the age of seven, my older sister sold flower seeds from the front corner of their booth and helped at the markets growing up. She recently began her own small business and joined the market community last year as an artisan, following in my mother’s footsteps. Markets have kept my family going; they have united us as well.

These markets are the hidden gems of the local business trade. Before strip malls and chain stores, they were the only access to varied shopping throughout a significant portion of world history. Globally, farmers markets today are still dominant centers of shopping and promote healthy economies throughout rural and urban areas. Farmers markets provide opportunities for direct sales from farm to table, investing back into the community economy—by an estimated 60%. Here are a few reasons why we should think about bypassing online ordering and bulk buying to keep these significant centers alive.

Pricing

People sometimes approach farmers markets with skepticism toward the prices, but the market managers of Hood River, The Dalles, and Goldendale all said the vendors generally set their prices equivalent to those of organic foods found in grocery stores. In the setting of a market, the vendor has the liberty to bring their prices lower than shelf prices because they do not have to pay consignment fees or sell at wholesale. "To compare prices of organic products at markets to prices of commercially produced food on store shelves is comparing apples to oranges, of course. But I have noticed the prices of our food products to come out even or under those of foods advertised as organic in grocery stores," said Hannah Ladwig, market manager of the Hood River Farmers Market. Most vendors will offer exclusive inventory and exclusive prices at farmers markets.

Health Benefits

The food quality of the products offered at farmers markets has also been noted to exceed organic standards, as much of the produce offered has been picked within the last forty-eight hours. The farm-to-table tradition of markets also ensures a longer shelf life and guarantees fresh products. Handcrafted fabric and skincare products that are advertised as organic are suggested for people who have sensitive skin and for dermatological health. Bakers sell fresh-baked goods that have no preservatives.

Benefits directly to vendors

Roslyn Girdham offers hand-printed linocut cards and prints inspired by the beauty and nature of the Columbia River Gorge. The unique prints and cards are beautiful cards and or keepsakes.

Farmers markets are a great place for artisans and farmers to sell their work and make the most sustainable amount of money from their products because they sell directly to their customers. When an artisan sells through a store, they pay, on average, 25-40% of their revenue to the store. The market gives the artisan and farmer the freedom to essentially have their own store. In a storefront, the artisan and farmer usually have to charge more for their products to be able to pay the rent and make a living income.

Gorge Markets

Hood River Farmer’s Market in full bloom.

Hood River

The Hood River Farmers Market has sixty-five vendors each week, selling home goods, art, produce, meats, pastries, knife-sharpening services, fruit, coffee, ready-made food, and value-added foods. Local musicians provide music each week. It is open every Saturday, May through November, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is located in a large and sunny lot at 501 Columbia St. The prices of produce vary from $3 to $13 per pound or bushel. Fruit is $2 to $6 in pints and $8 to $13 in quarts. Meats vary from $9 to $75 by cut and animal. This market partners with SNAP from all states and grants; they offer a food price tripling program for SNAP users. The Hood River Farmers Market is a very busy market in the center of downtown Hood River. It is a popular social center for the area and is perfect to plan into a tour of the Fruit Loop.

"I really love the economic and community impact the market has toward farmers. You know the people who are producing your food, and if you don't know them you can get to know them. Also, the impact the market has on the community as a sociological third space for people to interact is wonderful," said market manager Hannah Ladwig.

The Dalles Farmers Market Manager Eileen White, Ast. Market Mgr. Ivy Carpe and Market Associate Walter Johnson at City Park in The Dalles.

The Dalles

The Dalles Farmers Market has more than forty vendors each Saturday, offering honey, meat products, pastries, baked goods, fruits, produce, soaps, value-added foods, art, home goods, and ready-made food. This market has live music as well. It is located in the shady, calm setting of The Dalles City Park. It is open every Saturday, June through October, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Meat products range from $10.95 to $15. Berries are $4 to $5 per basket. Produce is 75 cents to $5 per pound.

“Shopping at a farmers market is the ultimate way to shop locally,” said Eileen White, Market Manager of The Dalles Farmers Market. “Every purchase supports small farmers, makers, and entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our local economy. Fresh, locally harvested food not only tastes better but it lasts longer with far less packaging. Beyond the food, the farmers market is a community gathering place where neighbors and friends connect. In a town like The Dalles, there's no other place to shop with nearly 40 local businesses in one location—it's a shopping experience that's better than any mall. But perhaps the best reason of all is that a tomato from a farmers market tastes like a tomato should.”

Shoppers peruse the items at the Goldendale Farmers Market

Goldendale

The Goldendale Farmers Market is usually located on the Chamber of Commerce lawn at 84 Shiloh Way, near the second highway exit into town. It is open each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through September. It also opens for holiday bazaars in October and December. The market has nearly fifteen vendors each Saturday selling fresh produce, fruits, flower bouquets, art, value-added food, ready-made food, alpaca products, custom furniture, and home goods. Everything is guaranteed to be "absolutely local" by market manager Travis Herseim. The Goldendale Farmers Market is a very peaceful and low-key market offering an abundance of variety despite its size. It is an excellent location for a day trip.

"People who don't see each other all week will reunite here at the market. It is such a beautiful social center for our small town," said Travis Herseim.

Hannah Ladwig of the Hood River Farmers Market, Eileen White of The Dalles Farmers Market, and Travis Herseim of the Goldendale Farmers Market all said that these markets have been experiencing a steady increase in shoppers.

Meet Some of The Vendors

Mother-and-daughter team Katrin and Anastasia Mitsky run their business, The Gorge Bakery, selling European-style bread and pastries. Katrin said that she bakes all of her products the morning of the market and will usually bring different pastries each week. They sell baked goods of French, German, Uzbekistani, and Croatian influence. Katrin bakes the food from scratch with all-organic ingredients and local fruit. Katrin is originally from Croatia, where her parents owned a restaurant. She said she grew up baking. "I love to bake, and I love baking for our community."

Sakura Ridge Farm and Lodge has a stand at the Hood River Farmers Market selling non-alcoholic pear cider. Sakura Ridge Farm and Lodge is a five-star bed-and-breakfast at a pear orchard. Owners Jim and Cheryl have been specializing in the craft of making non-alcoholic pear cider for fifteen years, using four different kinds of pears. Jim distills the cider and actively farms the orchard. Their products are organic and Salmon-Safe, coming from Sakura and Nashi orchards in the Pacific Northwest. Sakura Ridge self-distributes.

"Hood River Farmers Market is our main channel of sales. It has been a great experience. It really feels like an extension of our tasting room, and being able to see people's faces and talk to people is so much more fun and familial than if we sold our products in a grocery store,” said Sakura Ridge Director of Operations Michael Jobling. “This has been our second year selling at the market and our first year sampling. The market has done wonders for our business,.”

Currently, Sakura Ridge only sells its products at this market and online through its website. Veronika Maryan, market vendor for Sakura Ridge, said, "I am originally from Vancouver, Washington, but Hood River is more of my home. This market has given me such a great opportunity to meet more people from this community."

Mother-and-daughter team Marcia Spooner and Anne Barstow own the family business Rag-a-Muffin. They have been sewing together for over thirty years.

Anne and Marcia

"My earliest memories are being with my mom while she was sewing," says Anne. "She made everything from wedding dresses to—well, everything you can imagine. The list is so long! When I was 13 she taught me to sew, and I started selling my creations that same year. I was very fortunate to go on to work in the costume shop at Arizona State University while in college and then to work for local activewear companies Kerrits and Melika in Hood River, where I learned about production. Working with fabric and selling my designs just came naturally. Not that it hasn't been work—we have been designing and making reversible aprons and purses for 20 years, and we are in production 12 months out of the year—but at the end of the day I feel really blessed with my work. Farmers markets are a huge part of our business. They connect us to the community and also the world. In the last week our products have left our booth in Hood River and gone to West Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, Hawaii, Canada, England, France, and Australia—it's really exciting to send our creations out into the world from our community here in the Gorge!"

You can find Rag-a-Muffin products at the Hood River Farmers Market and Vancouver Farmers Market.

Brandi Burns

Brandi Burns owns the business Wild Sky Farm and Floral and sells flower bouquets at the Goldendale Farmers Market. She has owned Wild Sky for five years and grows a wide variety of flowers she uses for her bouquets. "I've been selling things my whole life, and when I started growing flowers I decided to sell those too. I originally started out selling candles."

Alvarez Family Farm is based out of Sunnyside, Washington. They bring a large selection of produce each weekend to the Goldendale Farmers Market. They usually have tomatoes, lettuce, squash, onions, peanuts, peaches, nectarines, plums, peppers, and watermelon, although there is a different variety each week. They have been attending the Goldendale Farmers Market for 15 years.