What happens when a small group of neighbors with big dreams comes together for their community? For the Madison South, Roseway, and Sumner neighborhoods it was the birth of the Rocky Butte Farmers Market. What started in 2017 with a half dozen steering committee members is becoming a community anchored non profit organization, delighting thousands of market goers, attracting a diverse mix of vendors, and engaging hundreds of individual volunteers, community based organizations and local businesses.
Pop Up Markets
In 2019 the group launched the market with two pop-up markets. With the help of site host Dharma Rain Zen Center, the RBFM held the markets at the peak of the summer season. Almost 2000 attendees biked, walked and carpooled to the market to purchase fresh, seasonal produce, pastured meat and eggs, and artisan crafts from more than 20 different vendors.
Getting the Word Out
With an all-volunteer group of organizers, the RBFM relies heavily on community volunteers and local businesses for publicity. Dozens of individual volunteers stepped up to pass out fliers advertising the pop-ups. Local businesses added posters and postcards to their windows, and generated gift certificates as prizes for market goers who filled out our feedback surveys. Thanks to our volunteers and participating businesses, our pop-up markets exceeded our expectations!
Listening to our patrons
RBFM surveyed market attendees and vendors to learn what they liked and did not like about the market. Today, we are incorporating that feedback into the design of future markets.
2020
In the midst of planning our first full market season for summer 2020, the tragic global pandemic struck. We made the difficult decision to cancel the market for the year out of an abundance of caution, but the time, effort and donations the Rocky Butte Farmers Market received so far helped us develop an even stronger foundation on which to build this market for the 2021 season and beyond.
What’s Next?
Our 2021 market details will be announced in February!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to our newsletter to keep up on all the latest market news!
Pop Up Markets
In 2019 the group launched the market with two pop-up markets. With the help of site host Dharma Rain Zen Center, the RBFM held the markets at the peak of the summer season. Almost 2000 attendees biked, walked and carpooled to the market to purchase fresh, seasonal produce, pastured meat and eggs, and artisan crafts from more than 20 different vendors.
Getting the Word Out
With an all-volunteer group of organizers, the RBFM relies heavily on community volunteers and local businesses for publicity. Dozens of individual volunteers stepped up to pass out fliers advertising the pop-ups. Local businesses added posters and postcards to their windows, and generated gift certificates as prizes for market goers who filled out our feedback surveys. Thanks to our volunteers and participating businesses, our pop-up markets exceeded our expectations!
Listening to our patrons
RBFM surveyed market attendees and vendors to learn what they liked and did not like about the market. Today, we are incorporating that feedback into the design of future markets.
2020
In the midst of planning our first full market season for summer 2020, the tragic global pandemic struck. We made the difficult decision to cancel the market for the year out of an abundance of caution, but the time, effort and donations the Rocky Butte Farmers Market received so far helped us develop an even stronger foundation on which to build this market for the 2021 season and beyond.
What’s Next?
Our 2021 market details will be announced in February!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to our newsletter to keep up on all the latest market news!