Written by Dan Jackson

​They just don’t know how to make salsa here like they do in Mexico. Fortunately for the Rocky 
Butte community, they can always depend on the delicious, savory, and genuine salsas from La 
Comelona Foods! 

Five years ago, after struggling to find authentically flavored salsas like the ones she grew up 
eating in Mexico, Patricia Cabrera decided to take matters into her own hands by launching La 
Comelona Foods.  Her goal in venturing into the world of small business ownership was to 
simply promote the rich, flavorful, and piquant cuisine of Mexico through her unique salsas! 

Utilizing all natural ingredients and an array of flavors, La Comelona salsas, “can be used in 
many different ways. Cooked with, used as a dressing, or as a marinate which makes them 
different than many other salsas on the market”, says Patricia. 

La Comelona Foods currently offers three  different products: Salsa de Chile Arbol, Salsa de Habanera (pictured right),  and Salsa de Chile Negro. Patricia shared  that her favorite salsa is, “the habanero  salsa because it’s spicy but has a great bal-ance of flavor to go with the spice.” Though the Salsa de Habanera stands out as Patri-cia’s favorite, all of La Comelona’s salsas  generate an explosion of zestful tastiness  with each bite! 

Patricia takes immense pride in the authenticity of her salsas and feels that the business’s greatest triumph has been the ability to sell their products at Market of Choice’s eight separate locat-ions throughout the state of Oregon.  Having been a seller at these supermarkets for three  years, Patricia has been given the opportunity to obtain a grander reach to more customers  with her salsas. However, in the Portland area, one of La Comelona’s biggest challenges, “has  been getting into more local markets. My goals are to position myself in more markets and give
people a chance to try our products”, says Patricia. 

Having such a passion for reaching local communities, La Comelona Foods makes for the 
perfect vendor at the Rocky Butte Farmers Market. Right from the start, Patricia says she was“interested when Rocky Butte Farmers Market began because we saw the opportunity for both of us to grow together and show our support to a community that has welcomed us with open arms”. Through the trials and tribulations of running La Comelona Foods, Patricia  and her team have learned just how much work it takes to run a small business. But most imp-ortantly, they’ve also learned how rewarding it is to connect with the community and to meet  new customers who enjoy their salsas! 

Facilitating such a mutually beneficial relationship between vendors and the community is 
exactly what the Rocky Butte Farmers Market strives to achieve.  Come on down and dip your 
chips into La Comelona Foods salsas at the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, taking place on 
Saturdays, 9AM – 1PM at NE 80th Avenue and NE Siskiyou Street! 

By: Dan Jackson

From the chaos, confinement, and work from home culture brought on by the COVID pandemic, two dedicated community members were able to deepen their focus on their passions and transform a hobby of growing mushrooms and vegetables into a full-on business.
Who are these two tenacious people, you may ask? Well, they are Harrison and Em from OneUp Farm, of course!

OneUp is an urban farm in Portland, Oregon focusing on sustainable, organic practices with the intention of prioritizing both the health of the Earth and the community which they serve. In their own words, the business of One Up Farm is about, “producing food that gives you life, just like the Mario Mushrooms +1Up!” Owning and operating a farm such as this has truly been a dream come true for these two.

One of the numerous facets of OneUp Farm’s uniqueness is that they are always searching for new ways to sustainably grow and sell their products. As vendors at two markets within close proximity to their operation, the Rocky Butte and Cully Farmers Markets, Harrison and Em stated that this allows them to reduce food miles which “is a major step in cutting CO2 emissions and curbing the effects of climate change.” Contrary to industry standards, OneUp Farm grows their mushrooms in reusable buckets instead of single-use plastic bags. In their market garden they’ve implemented only organic inputs, a “no-till” approach, and an integrated pest management plan, which leverages beneficial insects and native pollinators.
Acting with so much enthusiasm, experience, and care, Harrison, and Em love to hear feedback from their customers. Whether it’s “a plant start that has taken off in someone’s garden, or a delicious mushroom dish someone tried for the first time. We love to hear how our produce has nourished people in our community,” said Harrison and Em.

It is abundantly clear that OneUp Farm has assisted the well-being of their community. It has been a long road to this point, but they are motivated to continue striving forward. Creating affordable and accessible products for all members of the community consistently fuels their intentions.

When asked to reflect on their journey, a significant moment that stood out to them was “the first check we received from PNWCSA (Pacific NW CSA Coalition) for selling our Community Supported Agriculture shares to customers with SNAP and DUFB benefits,” said Harrison and Em.

As a vendor at the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, it is easy to see that they are putting their words into practice. Their quality products and dedication to the community are what pull people into their booth. Some of the treasures you may discover there include a variety of medicinal and gourmet mushrooms, seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, as well as freeze-dried and dehydrated products. Among OneUp’s favorite products are:
“Really BIG meaty shiitake mushrooms and Syrian ruffled tomatoes,” said Harrison.
And for Em, “Lion’s Mane is my go-to meat replacement. It’s perfect instead of chicken or fish. For veggies…Patty Pan! They are super pretty and have tender skin and meat. I love to stuff them with rice and peppers or slice them thick and grill them up!”

To peruse their products, visit their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/oneupfarm/

With each passing year, OneUp Farm has continued to grow more food thanks to the continued learning among the other farmers, growers, chefs, and gardeners they interact with. Their continued success comes from their commitment to consistently challenge themselves in order to learn and stay more engaged in the community.
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“We hope to expand our operation with a larger property in the future. We are in the beginning stages of expanding our product offerings but would love to have a full line of ready to eat mushroom dishes someday,” said Harrison and Em.

With the start of the market season quickly approaching, OneUp Farm is looking forward to the dogs that light up so many faces at the market, seeing their fellow vendors again, and rocking out to the live music! They are excited for Rocky Butte Farmers Market’s new location and hope that it will bring out many new customers and returning friends.

It’s vendors like OneUp Farm that make the Rocky Butte Farmers Market a unique, inviting, and fun place to spend a Saturday! Our market runs Saturdays starting June 1 from 9AM-1PM at our new location on the corner of NE 80th Avenue and NE Siskiyou Street!

Come on down and be sure to pop into One Up Farm’s booth for some nutrient-rich foods to power you through the day!