You've been waiting all spring, it's finally here!  The rain looks to subside just in time for OPENING DAY at the Gorge Grown Farmers' Market. 

Come help us kick off the summer season with the return of the Gorge Grown Farmers’ Market for its 5th year - TOMORROW!  We are thrilled to see many of your favorite vendors coming back with their delicious tarts, artisan cheeses, fresh strawberries, grass fed beef and all kinds of fresh vegetables.  The selection of NEW vendors this year is equally sensational with baked breads, fresh pies, marinated olives, spring rolls, granola and much more.  Come help us celebrate this Thursday with the great energy and sounds of Chigwaya Marimba!  The market is open to everyone and gladly accepts SNAP Food Stamp cards, WIC vouchers and Debit cards.

See you at the market...

The season runs from June 3rd – Oct 7th from 4-7 pm every Thursday at the Hood River Middle School.

If you have produce you would like to sell or have any questions or ideas about the market, please contact Market Manager, Todd Dierker, at 541-399-2840 or todd@gorgegrown.com

-- Do you have a recipe for a favorite food that you believe could be sold in stores and markets?

-- Have you considered starting your own business to manufacture and sell food products

-- Do you know how to begin pursuing your dream of becoming a successful food entrepreneur?

Getting Your Recipe to Market is designed to equip you with the kills to make profitable, market-driven decisions as you start and grow a food business.

GGFN will offer a half-day workshop from the Food Innovation Center in Portland, covering the basics on how to turn a kitchen recipe into a commerical product, get your value added products to market, and make a profit.  Attendees of the workshop receive 6-month freeaccess to the on-line community and resource network of http://foodbizstart.net.

Workshop sessions guide the participant in an overview of how to scale-up a kitchen recipe into a commercial product that is ready for market.  Workshop introduces answers to questions about how to: (a) PRODUCE a safe and wholesome consumer food product, (b) PROMOTE a food product through established market channels, and (c) PROFT as a business from the manufacture and sales of their product.  The creation of a new business and the logistics of sourcing ingredients and packaging, regulatory compliance and approached to food marketing are explored.

Saturday, June 5, 2010, 1- 5 PM
Location:  Columbia Gorge Community College -- Hood River, OR

WORKSHOP COST: $95

Register by emailing todd@gorgegrown.com.  Please register TODAY as this class is almost full and we could use 1-2 more to fill it up!

Mail payment as a check to P.O. Box 752, Hood River, OR 97031 or contact Sarah at 541-490-6420 to arrange credit card payment.

For more information contact Todd Dierker at todd@gorgegrown.com or 541-399-2840.