Getting it Fresh from the Farm

Getting it Fresh From the Farm. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
I love this time of year and nothing is better than a casual drive through the country where the abundance of our farmers is on display. Farmers markets have an incredible selection of products but you can go one step further for the freshest products. Over the next several months, people from all over the northwest will be able to enjoy farm fresh products from any of the hundreds of roadside stands located throughout the state. Chances are good that you've seen them and probably have stopped to buy something.

BARTON: Some people call them farm stands and sometimes they are called roadside stands. But basically, they are someone who has a farm or orchard or ranch, and they are wanting to set up and sell their products directly to consumers.
Laura Barton of the Oregon Department of Agriculture says there are more than 400 farm stands in Oregon offering seasonal favorites from berries to apples to melons. They have many of the same advantages as farmers' markets. But some producers like them better.

BARTON: They are able to stay there on the farm and the customers come to them. Another advantage is that they will make all the money. They are growing the product and selling it, so there is no middleman.
In some cases, the farm stands are conveniently located. Others are off the beaten track. But consumers from now until the fall can find a number of farms, ranches, or orchards in nearly all 36 counties that offer direct sale of what is produced on site. Barton says you can find farm stands throughout the state, but a higher concentration are obviously in areas where there is more agriculture.

BARTON: Right now we have about 400 farm stands in Oregon. You'll find the predominant number will be in heavily agricultural areas such as Marion County and Lane County, etc.

Barton says Oregonians have many good reasons for doing some shopping this summer at the many farm stands around the state.

BARTON: To the consumer, it means a product that is very, very fresh. They know they can actually get to know the person who is making the product. It also creates a great experience to visit a farm and breathe the fresh air out there and see where the products are being grown.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.