Portland Farmers Market has announced that this May will be their first-ever Bike Month at the Market.
Throughout the month, the Saturday PSU Market will host a bike booth featuring bike displays, bike inspections and biking experts to provide market-goers with the information and inspiration to tote their produce and artisan foods home on two wheels instead of four.
According to a survey conducted at the market, 60% of shoppers arrive by car. And a visit on any Saturday morning finds a serious parking deficit and slow-circling cars hunting for a spot near the booths. Market organizers say they hope that Bike Month will help solve the parking problem as well as encouraging the community to make the connection between local food and sustainable transportation.
Besides information, maps, and friendly advice on topics from routes to cargo carrying to adjusting your brakes, the bike booth is hosting a raffle. Each $5 ticket earns you a chance to win one of three exciting prizes: a Townie Xtracycle with a child seat from Clever Cycles; a conversion by Joe Bike of your road or mountain bike to a commuting, cargo-carrying machine; and a LifeCycling urban everyday riding skills clinic from BIKEmpowered.
The month will also feature weekly clinics, beginning this Saturday, May 9th with a Bike Bucket construction workshop at 10am and a Crash Free Forever skills workshop at 11am. Other weeks will feature different clinics and displays of “market ready” bikes. See their website for a full schedule.
The month’s bike activities culminate on the final Saturday, May 30th. Group rides starting from points around the city will converge at the market at 11am for free snacks, kids’ activities, and the raffle prize drawing. (Stay tuned for details — or contact Anna (anna at portlandfarmersmarket dot org or 503 241 0032 if you’d like to volunteer to lead a ride.)
FYI: Those handy bike inspections and adjustments will be coming to you courtesy of the PSU Bicycle Co-op, where we love local produce almost as much as we love bikes!
Drive less, Eat more!
That’s great! I always like going to the bike coffee cart at the Farmer’s Market. The more bikes the better.
I wonder if they’ve given any thought to getting their food to market in a fossil-free manner. I recently heard about this startup in Seattle:
http://www.sailtransportcompany.com/
The mission of which is to deliver fossil-free-food. Basically the guy sails out to organic farms and loads up with veggies, then sails them into town, and uses electric-assist cargo bikes to get the veggies the rest of the way. Or he gives a discount to people who meet him at the dock with their own bikes.
I’ve often thought about how we might be able to ship food fuel-free, even if only on a small-scale basis. Imagine a fleet of bakfiets making round trips to farms on Sauvie :).
Anyway, I thought the sail + bike approach was pretty awesome. Maybe that would be doable around here. Or if not sail power then… canoes? Dragon boats?
There’s an interview with the sailboat entrepreneur at KEXP, on their Saturday morning show “Sustainability Segment.” To listen, go here: http://kexp.org/streamarchive/streamarchive.asp and select Sat. April 25, and 7 am. The shows are only available on-demand for a couple of weeks, and this one is about to expire. But it should also be available via podcast eventually.
Thanks for the article. I rarely get the opportunity to do so, but I love a bike ride to the Portland Farmers Market.
With all due respect though, I must say — I’m a little shocked to read an article about Bikes and the Market without any mention of Café Vélo. 🙂
mmmmmm tasty….
spencer #2:
b-line was at psu farmers market last week, and was surveying people as to whether they might be interested in bike delivery of their farmers market purchases to their door (so as to facilitate them getting to market without using their car – or not having to lug it all home on their own bike or feet, as the case may be), within a certain distance of downtown – for a fee, of course. not exactly the idea youre talking about, but its an intriguing idea, im sure.
i believe kathryn (of b-line) said they were going to be there all month.
theres definitely some potential out there for bicycle delivery services hooking up with csas and the like as well.
This is their first-ever Bike Month? UNBELIEVABLE!
I guess these holier-than-thou extemist green-foodies get so caught up in their own car-centric paradigm, they can’t even see past their windshields.
That goes for all the recyclers driving monstrosities of glass, metal, and rubber, powered by dead dinos, to drop off some empty plastic milk jugs.
Thanks for the praise Scott.
Come get a cup of coffee and chat with Rick or I about the beastly and beautiful Cafe Velo bike. We brew small batches of French for the people who like a quick and flavorful cup of coffee (my personal favorite) and half a dozen single origin hand dripped by myself.
Did you know it’s fixed? Rides like a stealth ocean liner!
-Jeremy.
I would really love it if the market could set up a valet bike and stroller parking area. The most annoying thing about the market is having to lug around all my bike (primarily rain) gear while also juggling veggies, wallet, and lists. Also based on what I’ve seen in San Francisco, I think some parents would be willing to leave their Sport Utility Strollers there. And people with nicer bikes might be willing to ride to the market. Win-win-win, right?
Dear Jessica,
Thank you for your sharing your suggestion about a bike/stroller valet at the market. If you interested in volunteering with Portland Farmers Market to help set up a program like this, please feel free to contact us at 503.241.0032 or contact@portlandfarmersmarket.org.
We will see you at the market!
–Portland Farmers Market
hmm, same farmers market who’s organizers called me a “stupid biker” when i called the police to report one of their vendors that nearly ran me over. then they got sgt mccleary on me who asked me why i thought i had any right to use my bike in the road.
oh yeah, super friendly. seriously, i won’t even go to this farmer’s market after that experience.