Tag: Montavilla Farmers Market

Food and Drink

Montavilla Farmers Market’s 20 Years in Portland
Meg Cotner Avatar

Article originally published in Bridgetown Bites by

Meg Cotner

This is a big year for the Montavilla Farmers Market: They are entering their 20th year of operating one of the most beloved farmers markets on the east side of Portland. I sat down with Lisa Hebert one morning at Bipartisan Cafe to chat about the market and get a feel for the success of these past 20 years.

Montavilla Farmers Market Founders

I was curious to know more about the people who started the Montavilla Farmers Market. Turns out it was a group of volunteers who worked with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) to found the market. Their website describes them as “a grassroots collection of neighbors who were inspired by visions of a fresh, local, food market in a shared community space within the growing SE Stark Street business district.”

Their first market was Sunday, July 22nd, 2007. “The first year it was run just by volunteers,” Lisa confirmed. “And then the next year they were able to pay their market manager a small stipend.”

It made me think of the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, which also was founded by volunteers and has progressed to a place where the market manager has been designated a paid position.

Close-up of fresh purple cauliflower, surrounded by green leaves, on a textured surface.
Purple cauliflower sampled to Kids POP Club October 2025 (Jacob Loeb)

Lisa Hebert, Executive Director of the Montavilla Farmers Market

Lisa is the market’s executive director, where she tackles much of the behind-the-scenes work—things like budgeting, financials, strategy, overseeing a handful of paid staff, marketing, and fundraising. She also works with their board—Montavilla Farmers Market is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit.

She has lived in Montavilla since 2020, and worked for the Portland Farmers Market starting in 2016 before she moved to the neighborhood. But growing up she had a very conventional relationship with food. Then, she went to college.

Lisa’s Early Experience With Farmers Markets

“When I went to college, I went to UC Santa Cruz,” she said. “And I got involved with the sustainability center—I actually taught a gardening class on campus. And then I started working at the seed library, and with the food system working group to actually create a pop-up farmers market on campus.”

She added, “It was so far away from the actual town of Santa Cruz. So we’d go to the farmer’s market, buy things, and bring it to campus and sell it, just at price for folks.”

She ended up interning at the farmer’s market in Santa Cruz during her senior year. And then that summer, they needed a market manager, so they hired her for that just for the summer, and she loved it.

“And then I moved to Portland and I started working at a preschool and I was a cook there, ” she continued. “So I cooked for preschool for a little bit, and then the Portland Farmer’s Market was hiring and they hired me as a market manager there.”

A variety of baked goods displayed on wooden trays, featuring croissants, muffins, and cookies.
Breads. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.

Why a Market in Montavilla? Food Access.

So why was it important to have a farmers market in Montavilla? “From looking at [the market’s] documents and records, I think it was really important for having that food access in the neighborhood,” explained Lisa.

She continued, “A lot of focus early on in the market’s career was on sustainability and trying to create as sustainable a market as possible—and, again, an accessible market in the way of food access. The market has pretty much always accepted EBT benefits and in 2010, I believe, the market would fundraise to match the EBT benefits on their own. Currently, we are able to match EBT benefits through Farmers Market Fund, which is an Oregon-wide organization, giving markets money for that.”

She added, “But the original founders of the market worked really hard to do that on their before that money was available.”

The Current Location of the Montavilla Farmers Market

The current location of the Montavilla Farmers Market has been their home since the start. On that property there used to be another building belonging to Beets Auto Body (you may remember us mentioning them in our piece on Montavilla Brew Works 10th anniversary last year). That building was razed in 2020 after the property was sold in 2019.

Lisa also said that one point, it was an artist co-op; the Montavilla News article linked above also referenced the artists—and food carts. But 2020 was the start of COVID and having that extra space in the lot was helpful for pandemic social distancing needs.

“We were able to expand during 2020, which was great timing because that’s when we had to have all the social distancing,” she explained. “We all needed to limit the amount of people that came into the market for a long time based off of ourselves. So if we were still in the smaller area, it would have been much more challenging.”

A bustling outdoor market scene featuring various white tents, a red tent, and a crowd of people engaging in activities like shopping and socializing.
Montavilla Farmers Market May 2016 (Jacob Loeb)

A Potential Move?

There has been discussion online about the potential need for the Montavilla Farmers Market to move. Please note: They are not moving right now, and nobody has asked them to move. But honestly, nobody knows what the future holds right now.

But they did put out a survey on this topic (location) for people to take and they are currently reviewing the responses and gauging the community’s care for and interest in the market.

The OG Vendors

I was curious to know if there are still vendors today that were there from the beginning. “Yes! C. Chang Family Farm, which grows fresh flowers,” Lisa said. “They’ve been there since the very first market. I believe that Baird Family Farm has been there since 2007. Kiykawa Family Orchard has also been there since the beginning. 

She added, “Oh, and then Leopold Farms!”

2026 Montavilla Farmers Market Vendors

These are new vendors this year:

  • Alleamin African Kitchen (Somali food).
  • Crooked Carrot Farm (vegetable farm).
  • Floraboros (wholesale native nursery).
  • Gompers Distillery (small-batch distillery).
  • Mariquita Medicinals (herb and flower farm and community-focused apothecary).
  • Merrow (chili crisp).
  • Money Bowl (Southwestern Chinese food).
  • Moonflower Bakery (gluten-free baked goods).
  • Rhythm Seed Farm (grows locally adapted seeds).
  • Snack Wine (low-ABV wine spritzers).
  • Three Goats Farm (fermented hot sauces and pickles).
  • Tortuga Gordo (fermented hot sauces).
  • Vorfreude Dairy Beef (premium beef cuts and high-quality tallow products).
  • Wafeltje Stroopwafels (Dutch stroopwafels).
  • Wild Roots Spirits (real fruit-infused vodka and gin).

This Market Fills a Need

There are a lot of farmers markets in Portland—and that is one thing that makes Portland a great city. But what is it that makes the Montavilla Farmers Market special among them? “I think Montavilla is special for a couple of reasons,” explained Lisa. “One of my favorite reasons is that I believe a lot of the participants at our market tend to be smaller farms and we tend to get the owner of the farm at the market.”

“I think that’s special, being able to actually be face-to-face with the person who’s hands are in the dirt growing the food.”

“I also think that we’re not a tourist market,” Lisa continued. “We don’t have a lot of tourism at our market, specifically.” This is in comparison to the PSU Farmer’s market, which I would call a destination market. Hollywood is, too, to some extent, attracting people who are visiting out of town. Both of these destination markets are amazing, no cap.

“Also, I think it’s kind of special that we see the same people every week,” added Lisa. She also said that they’ve done surveys where they ask where folks are coming from to the market. Additionally, a recent survey revealed that 53% of people walked to the market.

They also aim to have a set of vendors that offer much of what a person might need for their weekly grocery shopping. “It’s a medium large market, so ideally, someone can go and do most of their grocery shopping there,” said Lisa. “We try to curate the market to have a lot of staples for people. Obviously, we’ll never be a fully one-stop shop because we only have local products. But the idea is for someone to come and be able to do a majority of their grocery shopping at the market and pick up staples there.”

A colorful display of fresh vegetables including lettuce, leafy greens, and peppers at a farmers' market.
Produce from Yolkan Farms. (Jacob Loeb)

A Significant Market for Vendors

Although Lisa has only been at the market for the last six years, she has enjoyed looking back at the market’s documents and history. “It’s been really exciting to watch the market grow!” she exclaimed.

She continued, “The amount of vendors that we have has gone from 17 on the opening day to now, throughout the year, we have almost 100. And on a typical summer market, we have 60 at any given time, which is just a huge leap.”

“The fact that the neighborhood is able to support all of those vendors is really amazing. And we hear from vendors that say Montavilla is where they’re able to sustain their business—it’s a really important market for them. For some of them, it’s their best market that they’re able to make their most amount of profit from.”

“This market is incredibly important—not only for the community, but those vendors who really rely on the support from our shoppers and from our organization.”

Yearly Anticipation

I wondered if Lisa looked forward to anything in particular at the market each time spring comes along. “I try to shop around to a lot of different vendors, especially farmers,” she explained. “I try to buy a lot of vegetables at the market … because then I eat a lot of vegetables. And I like to connect with the farms that sell products that no one else does.”

I told Lisa that my favorite thing in the spring at farmers markets is strawberries. So what is hers?

“Snap peas to me is a big—like, spring is here! Food is coming!”

She continued, “We’re past the hunger-gap era, where all of the root vegetables are purchased, and then all of the other vegetables with green and greens are this big. And so snap peas to me is like, ‘OK, we’ve made it. We’re now going to see like the abundance of spring that will that come.”

“And garlic scapes are delicious. this kind of year, too,” she added.

The Next 20 Years for the Montavilla Farmers Market

Lisa believes the demand and the interest is here for farmers market in the long term. “I think farmers markets are hugely important to local agriculture and farmers,” she said. “I’ve had a farmer tell me who does wholesale, ‘We would not be here if it wasn’t for the money that we’re able to get at farmers markets because it’s that direct-to-consumer purchase.’”

Direct-to-consumer means no middleman. “I think the farmers need farmers markets, and people crave that seasonal food. And yes, I think we’ll be here because I think farmers markets just make sense.”

Two women smiling at a farmers market, one wearing a blueberry costume and the other in a blue t-shirt, surrounded by colorful market tents.
Hello, blueberry and Market Manager. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.

20th Anniversary Events

So what is the market and its staff looking forward to as far as celebrating and commemorating this 20 years? They have some activities planned for Sunday, May 3.

“We got a grant from the Portland Events and Film office to do a couple of activities. We are having a ‘Montavilla Through the Seasons’ timeline display. We’re going to have different photos and documents of the market throughout the years for people to look back on.” 

They will also have a DIY button-making station, and they have a special t-shirt for the 20th season, which features the original logo of the Montavilla Farmers Market (it’s painted on the side of the barn). Market shoppers also have a chance to win one of 100 of these t-shirts on a spin-the-wheel configuration (no kids sizes).

“We will also be having a chef recipe demonstration booth,” explained Lisa. “Laura Bennett’s going to come and cook up a seasonal dish for people to taste.” Laura has a business called The Vegucation Station. She is also a longtime farmer in the Corvallis and Eugene area. She’s done a couple of chef demonstrations for them in the past.. 

A pile of fresh carrots in various colors, including orange and yellow, tied together with their green tops visible.
Produce. (Jacob Loeb)

Final Thoughts

“This neighborhood has been very supportive of the market through the years,” said Lisa. “It has been really amazing and has taken ownership of the market, which I think is really special. You can tell through the survey results that people really care about the market, really love the market, really want to see like the best for it.

“I was a little nervous that we’d get maybe some negative comments, but it was so positive! And so many people were saying, ‘Thank you for the work with this..’ There’s a lot of support. And in the past when we’ve done fundraising, we’ve always had a lot of support from the community. I think that’s really special.

“And as someone who also lives in their community, it really feels like Montavilla is kind of its own bubble a little bit. We’re almost at our own town. We have these amazing businesses—you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to!”

Many thanks to Lisa for chatting about the Montavilla Farmers Market. Every good wish to her, the market, and the Montavilla neighborhood for getting to 20 years! I hope you will have a chance to stop in soon.

Montavilla Farmers Market 20th Anniversary season
Sunday, May 3rd, 2026
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
7700 SE Stark Street, Portland
Montavilla Farmers Market website | Instagram | Facebook

Meg Cotner Avatar

Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by

Meg Cotner

This article originally published in Bridgetown Bites on April 23rd, 2026. Montavilla News republished it with permission of the editor and author. All copyrights remain with the original publisher.

Meg Cotner lives in NE Portland and is the editor and publisher of the independent Portland food news website Bridgetown Bites. She is also an active editor and writer, and the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens” (2023, Globe Pequot Press)

Business Relocating

Where Will Montavilla Farmers Market Go?

Montavilla Farmers Market (MFM) is examining relocation options ahead of a land sale that could displace the nearly two-decade-old neighborhood icon. In October of 2024, the owners of the 0.84-acre lot at 7700 SE Stark Street informed the operators of the Sunday market that they were seeking a buyer for the combined lots. The market is allowed to use the space until the land changes ownership. The Commercial Mixed Use 2 property became publicly listed for sale a year later and currently has an asking price of $4,999,000. With a sale possible, the MFM leadership team is strategically looking for a new location and has created a user survey to guide the search team.

A vibrant outdoor market scene featuring several tents selling various goods, with people browsing and interacting. The setting is lively, with clear blue skies and trees in the background.

Montavilla’s farmers market opened in 2007 within a smaller portion of the current SE Stark Street lot, featuring 17 initial vendors. A private trust purchased the MFM property and adjoining Montavilla Animal Clinic veterinary building at 7714 SE Stark Street in April 2018. In June 2019, the trust purchased the Beets Auto Body building at 518 SE 76th Avenue. The new owners demolished the automotive repair structure in February 2020 and later added the Beets Auto Body gravel lot space to the MFM footprint.

In a social media post announcing the survey, the MFM assured visitors that they will operate on a normal schedule without a change in location as “no sale is imminent.” They continued to explain that the research to find a new location will take considerable effort and should not be done under a tight timeline. “We’re grateful for the past 19 years in our location, and want to plan carefully for what comes next. With a dedicated site search committee leading the process, vendor and community input is needed.”

A bustling farmers market with various vendor tents set up, selling goods. In the foreground, a bright yellow sign advertises the Montavilla Farmers Market, stating the hours and location.

A property sale could also displace the Portland Guitar Repair shop located on the eastern edge of the parcel in the only remaining building at the site. However, a new owner may not have immediate redevelopment plans and could extend leases. The site could host up to four stories for retail, offices, and housing. Any substantial redevelopment could take over a year to receive building permits. Beyond participating in the survey, MFM leaders ask people with connections to a large lot that satisfies their location requirements to email president@montavillamarket.org. An ideal site would fit a similar number of vendors, currently over 70, and be available on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Jacob Loeb Avatar

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb
Community, Food and Drink

Kids are Finding the Power of Produce

Starting October 26th, youth visitors to the Montavilla Farmers Market can sample a seasonal food item selected from market vendors. Participants aged two to 12 will receive $3 vouchers to spend at a farmer’s booth after sampling the food. For the last decade, this program, highlighting the “Power of Produce”(POP), has run through the market’s winter season. With grant funding from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), the Kids’ POP Club not only helps young people expand their tastes for fresh, local vegetables but also supports market vendors during the quieter winter months.

A smiling young woman wearing a yellow beanie sits at a market stall with a sign that reads 'Kid's POP Club Power of Produce'. The table is decorated with promotional materials, fresh vegetables, and containers.
Volenteer at the the Kid’s POP Club table providing produce samples

Volunteer staff prepare the day’s selected food item on a portable camping stove, sometimes with light seasoning of salt and an organic oil. They then greet kids of all ages, offering samples of the local vegetables available at the market to willing children and their accompanying adults. As a reward for trying the item, appropriately aged tasters receive $3 in “POP Bucks” to spend at a vendor’s booth. Program leaders select the item, working with vendors to highlight foods that they have in significant quantities. Although the $3 voucher applies to a wide variety of items, many people spend it on the produce of the week, provided the child likes it. “We’ll still give them the POP Bucks even if they smell it. They don’t have to like it; they can spit it out. The reward is for just trying it, not liking it,” explained Market Manager Anina Estrem.

A close-up of a bunch of colorful carrots, including orange and yellow varieties, tied together with their green tops visible.

The POP Club idea originated in the State with the Oregon City Farmers Market in 2011, and by 2015, the Montavilla Farmers Market had replicated the program at its location. The activities run through the winter market season, this year occurring weekly from November through December 21st and then from January to April 26th every other Sunday. Scheduling the program in a slower season is strategic for the year-round operation. “I think POP Club is often the big reason that people come to the market. Kids say, ‘I want to go get my money.’ Almost every week this summer, a kid would stop by asking when the pop club was going to start. We run it specifically in the Winter to get people out, because otherwise it’d be really easy to stay home and warm and dry. We do have an incredible abundance of produce [in the Winter]. So there is stuff once you get people there,” explained Estrem.

A market display featuring a variety of fresh produce, including potatoes, squashes, and pumpkins, under a banner for 'Lil' Starts Plant Nursery' in Portland, OR.

The POP club and the summertime activity Vegucation Station help people expand their ideas about what healthy foods they can adopt into their diet; however, they also contribute to environmental well-being, which is a primary reason EMSWCD funds those programs with grants. “At the Conservation District, our mission is a healthy flow of water, helping people take care of land and water. Farmers are on the front lines of that work, and support for the farmers market is support for farmers,” said Heather Nelson Kent with EMSWCD. “Money goes to the people buying the produce, but the farmers are beneficiaries. At Montavilla’s market, we have a lot of farmers who are using really good farming practices such as low or no use of chemicals, water saving irrigation systems, low till and cover cropping.”

Close-up of vibrant purple cauliflower surrounded by green leaves at a farmers market.
Purple cauliflower sampled to Kids POP Club

For the people and organizations participating in the POP Club, it is a winning program on all fronts. Farmers with good growing practices receive support during slower seasons, and children discover food options that often do not occur to them when it comes to their eating habits. “Yeah, we try to pick vegetables that are a little unfamiliar, so that’s why we stay away from fruit. Most kids aren’t gonna have a problem trying an apple or a pear, but we had purple cauliflower this week. There were definitely some kids who thought that was weird. A couple of kids who just didn’t like cauliflower and didn’t want to try it,” recalled Estrem. “There’s always a pretty good mix of kids that are really eager to try stuff, and then we usually have maybe a fifth of them that will never try. Last year, we had bok choy, black radish, turnips, and fennel. Things that aren’t necessarily considered kids’ foods, but we often get feedback from the vendors on that day that they had better sales of the vegetable that we taste tested.”

A farmer's market display featuring various vegetables, including green tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, and sweet potatoes, with colorful signage and a vibrant mural in the background.

People wishing to have their children participate can stop by the Kids POP Club booth in the Montavilla Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays or every other Sunday from January through April. The market is currently located on SE Stark Street east of SE 76th Avenue. They are still seeking volunteers to assist with running the booth, and EMSWCD’s community grant program is open for applications until December 17th.

A colorful display of fresh vegetables at a farmers market, including greens, peppers, and root vegetables, arranged in baskets and on a table.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Plaza Berry Bash July 18

On July 18th, from 4 to 8 p.m., the Montavilla Farmers Market will host a Berry Bash Summer Celebration in the Montavilla Plaza on SE 79th Avenue at SE Stark Street. Attendees can receive free berry recipe tastings and make shortcake treats. The event will feature live music and berry sales from market vendors. Threshold Brewery will host a beer garden at the plaza during the celebration. As an extension of the event, Redwood restaurant will host a Strawberry Social happy hour featuring on-theme cocktails and desserts a few doors down the street at 7915 SE Stark Street.

Funding from Prosper Portland and Portland Events and Film helped create this Plaza activity as part of the reimagined Thursdays on the Plaza summertime programming. Berry Bash is an interactive event that celebrates locally grown Oregon berries. The Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) coordinates 79th Avenue Plaza activities with summer events like this, Montavilla Movie Nights, and many other family-friendly activities to bring people together in the seasonally comfortable weather. Later this month, METBA will host the 11th Street Fair on Sunday, July 28th. The well-attended event closes SE Stark Street from 82nd to 76th Avenues and offers food, music, beer gardens, and vendors. This year’s street fair lasts an hour longer, running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

People looking for a mid-week activity should consider attending the Berry Bash Summer Celebration this Thursday and keeping an eye on the METBA calendar for future Plaza events. The Firsts Montavilla Movie Nights starts at 8 p.m. on August 8th with Ghostbusters Frozen Empire. People can attend Rock’ N Roll High School on August 15th and Cloak & Dagger on August 22nd.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News will have a booth at this year’s Montavilla Street Fair. Please see us for a free sticker. We hope to see you there.

Community, Event, Food and Drink

Thursday Night Montavilla Market Opens

Last night at 4 p.m., the first Thursday Night Farmers Market opened to customers in the recently reopened Public Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. Representatives from Montavilla Farmers Market, Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA), and vendors gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by the traditional bell ringing to open the market. Visitors quickly filled the square to shop the five booths and refreshments providers at this min farmers market.

Starting on July 7th, farm and food vendors will set up in the Plaza on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Moorish Roots, Kulfi, Sebastiano’s, and Threshold Brewing & Blending are some of the inaugural participants making a regular appearance. An assortment of vendors will return weekly this summer, with the final evening market held on September 29th.

This mid-week market is possible through a Vibrant Spaces Community Events Activation Fund grant from the City of Portland, in conjunction with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Public Street Plaza Program. The Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) is hosting this public space in partnership with Montavilla Farmers Market, which will program the Plaza Thursdays, in addition to its regular market held on Sundays at 7700 SE Stark Street.

The Plaza will also feature live music and other entertainment events throughout the summer. Plaza organizers will post updated information on the METBA events calendar. Visitors can shop at the Montavilla Thursday Night Farmers Market throughout the summer or sit and relax on the shaded seating. All people, families, dogs, and outside food are welcome in the Plaza.

KPTV FOX 12 Oregon’s coverage of opening night

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the METBA Board.

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Food and Drink, New Business

Sebastiano’s in More Places

Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli is venturing outside the four walls of its storefront at 411 SE 81st Ave. Starting this Friday night, the restaurant will open Aperitivo Sebastiano within a food cart located in the back parking lot behind the shop. This endeavor joins Sebastiano’s inaugural participation in the Montavilla Farmers Market last Sunday. Both new locations feature unique menu items and serve expanded tastes.

Many restaurants use food trucks to spread out to new locations, but co-owners of Sebastiano’s, Elise and Daniel Gold, are taking a different approach. Their food truck is parked behind the original restaurant, enhancing that location instead of transporting the business elsewhere. “Months ago, having no sense on where things would be at with covid, we came up with the idea of a food cart for summer. As a way to continue to grow but do it outside”, explained Daniel Gold. Traditionally, the deli serves the lunchtime crowd. By adding the food truck, customers can now enjoy a pre-dinner appetizer and drink on select nights. In Italy, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet the appetite. This cultural tradition is the concept driving Aperitivo Sebastiano’s menu. Customers can start their night at the cart and then move on to dinner at another Montavilla eatery.

According to Gold, the food truck’s kitchen opens up a host of culinary options for the nighttime menu. “We’re pretty excited to be able to offer more types of food, essentially because now we have a full kitchen. We have fryers, we have a grill, we have four burners, more refrigeration, and the space for a cook to work safely.” The Golds optimized the restaurant’s existing food-prep for a deli operation, making the most out of limited space. Baking and pan-based cooking dominate that workflow as most menu items rely on cured protein ingredients.

Daniel Gold believes that the Italian doughnuts will become a favorite item at the cart, and that is not something that they could have created without the complete kitchen out-back. The food truck’s fryer supports a focus on Sicilian street food, a cuisine that favors fried foods. Beyond sweets, the menu will offer Arancini (stuffed and fried risotto balls), Zeppole, and House-pulled fresh Mozzarella. As the summer progresses, the expanded kitchen will allow for experimentation in the menu. Vegetarian and Vegan options are prime areas that Gold wants to expand on.

Up to this point, Sebastiano’s has offered takeout only, except for reserved group events last summer. Now outdoor seating around the truck lets customers stop in and order food and drinks to enjoy onsite. They will serve wine by the glass, Spritz, Rosato (Italian rose wine), and some nonalcoholic cocktails. The tables will be open during Aperitivo Sebastiano’s hours of 3 PM through 6 PM on Friday and Saturday nights, with post Farmers Market service on Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM. Customers can also order items to go and bring them over to Threshold Brewing and Montavilla Brew Works seating area.

The collaboration with other Montavilla businesses is core to Sebastiano’s operation. All beer sold there is from local breweries. Sourcing within the neighborhood for foods and beverages is essential to the Golds. That is what brought them to the Montavilla Farmers Market, first as buyers for their seasonal dishes and now as vendors.

Only one weekend in, the farmers market booth has already proven worthwhile for Daniel Gold. “We’re super excited and had an incredible first day at the Montavilla Farmers Market.” Just as with the food truck, some menu items are locations specific. Sebastiano’s staff bake Castelvetrano olive focaccia exclusivly for the farmers market. The market menu items feature favorite Sebastiano’s food like orange marmalade, sweet and savory brioche rolls, and a “tremendous amount” of Sicilian cookies. The Golds sold out within an hour and a half of opening at the market. They are going to double their efforts for next Sunday.

Elise and Daniel Gold

The farmers market project is pure fun for Golds. “It’s really a lovely end of our week to be outside and to be with our community and seeing a bunch of people that we now know,” said Daniel Gold. Sebastiano’s will keep a booth at the market at least through October. That coincides with the end of their food truck lease. At that point, they will reassess and see if customers enjoyed the expanded options.

The Golds started Sebastiano’s at the beginning of the pandemic. That challenge forced the couple to adjust their plans and create new ways of engaging customers. This summer, the Golds and their staff continue to push forward, with new ways to serve residents who are venturing out after an extended stay at home. Stop by behind the shop any post-work-week night for a pre-dinner visit, have lunch at the original shop on Thursday-Saturday, or wave hello at the farmers market. They would love to see you at any of their many places.

Amanda Morales at the Aperitivo Sebastiano window

Images courtesy of Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli

UPDATED May 10th 2021 – adjusted hours listed in article to reflect a change and corrected spelling of menu item.

Event, Services

Montavilla Farmers Market Winter Schedule

This Sunday, Montavilla Farmer’s Market opens for the first day of their new winter schedule. This expanded season marks the start of year-round availability for the Market. Previous winters only offered customers four stock-up events between November and February.

Beginning on November 8th, the Market will open the second and fourth Sunday of the month. This twice-monthly schedule will run November through April, with a special Holiday Market on December 20th. The Market will be closed for the holidays on December 27th. Market hours are 10:00 AM through 2:00 PM.

The winter market is located at its regular space in Montavilla town, 7700 SE Stark Street. Moving to a year-round schedule demonstrates the successes experienced by the Farmer’s Market and offers constancy to their patrons. Winter vendors include:

  • 4 Hearts Kombucha
  • 503 Distilling, LLC
  • aMYLK
  • Back To Broth
  • Baird Family Orchards
  • Bliss Nut Butters
  • Buddha Chocolate
  • By George Farm
  • Crooked Furrow Farm
  • Deck Family Farm
  • Felton and Mary’s Artisan Foods
  • Fermentista
  • Fiddlehead Farm
  • Fungables
  • Glasrai Farm
  • Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels
  • Kiyokawa Family Orchards
  • La Porteña
  • Lil’ Starts
  • Mindful Mushrooms
  • New Deal Distillery
  • Nourishment
  • Quiche Me If You Can
  • Radiant Coffee Roasters
  • Red Bird Acres
  • Red Truck Homestead
  • Roundhouse Foods
  • Scratch Meats
  • Shoofly Vegan Bakery
  • Sinful Confections
  • Spice of Africa
  • Stillweather Spirits
  • Stone Barn Brandyworks
  • T Bee S Honey
  • Tabor Bread
  • Tre-Fin
  • Twisted Croissant
  • Urban Acre Homestead
  • Westward Whiskey Distillery
  • Yolkan Farm

Event, Food and Drink

Farmers Market Open Again

Many vendors have returned to the Montavilla Farmers Market today, May 3rd. The market has expanded into some of the area that had once been part of Beets Auto Body, to allow for greater distance between vendors. This is to facilitate walking past each other with at least six feet of clearance.

They have expanded the fencing around the area to control the flow of shoppers moving through the space and help everyone stay safe. A full listing of precautions and rules can be found on their site. If you feel like you can follow the procedures and be safe, please consider paying them a visit today. Please also note that they are resurving 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM for customers who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and/or have compromised immune systems.

Event

Windy Farmers Market Open

The opening weekend of the 2020 Montavilla Farmers Market was a cold and windy one. Vendors could all be seen holding onto their canopies while trying to assist customers. The number of booths and customers were smaller usual, although it is early in the season for many crops.

The cold weather brough an unexpected March snow the day before and high winds made the day feel colder than it was. There was also, perhaps, a greater gap between people moving about as some practice “Social Distancing.” However, most people could be seen visibly excited for this Montavilla tradition to start up again.

The future of the Montavilla Farmers Market has been a concern for some residents, as the properties around it transform. Adam Stein represents the Susan J Witt Revocable Trust, who owns the property. The Trust also owns the property on either side of the farmers market, the property that once housed Beets Auto Body and the former veterinary clinic building. Stein, speaking by email, said that the farmers market will continue to have access to its space through the end of 2020.

“We have a year to year agreement w/ MFM, hosting them through 2020. A decision on 2021 is unlikely before the Fall.” Said Stein. When asked about expanding the Farmers Market to the now vacant space to the West, Stein said it was a possibility. However, he had not yet proposed it to the operators of Montavilla Farmers Market.

Adam Stein is no stranger to Old Town Montavilla. His company ARS Property Investments I, LLC owns 7805 SE Stark, the current home of Montavilla Brew Works. Stein and the owner of the trust are both local residents and express an interest in supporting our neighborhood.

Such a large lot on a prominent street, will likely attract a future development project. Fortunately we have community members making the decisions regarding the property. It should be exciting to see what develops there in the coming years.