Farmer's market launched in Sisters

Sisters Farmer's Market: Fresh on Fridays got off to a small but shining start with a dozen vendors offering local products to an enthusiastic rodeo weekend crowd. Fresh flowers, potted plants, organic produce and artisan-baked goods were all available for sampling and for sale. This was the debut Friday for the market, which is hoping to gain traction with the community throughout the summer every week until mid-September.

Bruce Berryhill is one of the four organizers of the new event and sees it as a much-needed outlet for local and regional farmers to introduce their fruits, vegetables and flowers to Sisters residents.

"This is the third try for farmer's markets in Sisters, and let's hope this time is the charm," he said. "We're a committee under the Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) banner and we kinda just went for it and worked it through the city approval process. It's different than the last failed attempts in that we are a not-for-profit organization and have the support and continuity of SPRD, which should give it some stability and allow it the necessary time to grow and evolve."

Tammy Tewalt, of Tewalt Country Gardens, displayed tables of fresh herbs and veggies and loves being part of the community.

"It's fun to be out here with your friends and neighbors," she said. "I do custom salad bowls and herb bowls, those are my featured items. All of the yellow-ribboned plants you see are all started by kids in the Arts Discovery Program at Sisters Middle School and 100 percent of the proceeds go to them... the fruits of their labor."

Sparrow Bakery of Bend was on hand with baskets of baguettes and loaves of rustic peasant breads along with their signature ocean rolls, croissants and popular COCC (Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cranberry Coconut) cookies.

Folks from the Cada Dia Cheese Company were serving up slices of their sharp-flavored, raw-milk Jersey-cow cheddar and selling it by the wedge or by the wheel. The artisanal cheese is the product of 22 happy Jersey cows from the green clover pastures of Prineville, lovingly handcrafted by the Sullivan family

farmstead.

"This is just gonna keep growing," said Janet Zuelke, owner of Poppies Café, and one of the market's founding members. "I told everybody we just had to do this, it's time. There's a kind of street fair feel to it and we're trying to have some other types of entertainment and displays through the summer too, like vintage trucks and farm equipment. By next week the first crop of Oregon berries comes into season. We'll have three farmers from Junction City selling ripe strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and even more fresh produce. We'd like to invite everyone down to have fun and participate and meet their fantastic growers."

Sisters Farmer's Market is located on North Ash Street across from Poppies every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.