#138 Heartbeat of the Neighborhood - Lisa Hall, Montavilla Farmer's Market

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

2007 Was the birthday party for Montavilla Famers Market of Portland, Oregon, when the local residents and business people decided to get together, raise some money and provide a community resource. It has remained a staple for the neighborhood and indeed the city and is still located on the same grounds. In 2020, Lisa Hall joined as the Marketing Manager, doing such an outstanding job that about a month ago, she was named Executive Director of the entire operation. It’s only natural. Not only does Lisa have a marketing background, she lives in the Montavilla area, circulates amongst the neighbors and truly has an ear to the ground for the community’s desires for an open marketplace. Montavilla is the real Goldilocks size; not too big and not too small, 80-90 vendors during the year. That gives the populace a place to shop for craft foods without being crushed by the masses and yet have a great selection of specialties to take home. Lisa has a solid background for running the Montavilla market, having been part of the Portland Farmers Market previously. That organization ran five market places and was one of the largest in the area. The big difference was of course resources; the Portland organization had more vendors and revenue and could do special events such as bringing in name chefs for demonstrations. However, the neighborhood market scene caters to the loyal neighbors who live close by, shop regularly and it maintains a family feel you don’t get with the big crowd of large events. In fact, a survey recently showed about half of the people at the market walked there from their home. To become a vendor, a company applies online and if their product looks enticing and like it would add to the overall offering of the market, they are invited to present to a taste test group for a final approval. If the company has a viable product that would appeal to the shoppers, then space obviously is the next consideration, as a small, intimate marketplace needs to remain small. That aspect comes into play during seasonal items, such as fruits and berries, which take up a lot of the limited room. Another wrinkle about being a reflection of the neighborhood is recognizing its ethnicity. Not only does the market offer ethnic foods desired by the community, the market’s website highlights them in different languages to cater to the people living there. And in keeping with their mission to provide local, healthy food to the community, a vendor requirement is that at least 25% of their ingredients be sourced directly from farmers. Many vendors source an even larger percentage and therefore stand out. This guideline keeps the authenticity and vision of the boutique market alive. Plus, it adds to the farm-direct offering of dairy products, farm-direct wines, beers, ciders and even beans and grains by solidly engaging the local farmers. The market is open fulltime year-round now as the vendors and farmers wanted the outlet for their foods and the neighbors were delighted to have fresh foods offered year round. Win-win. So you have a number of businesses trying to survive and shoppers looking for their food treasures. The rhythm of the market meets the rhythm of the community. Harmony on display. To learn more: IG and FB: @montavillamarket. Website: montavillamarket.org. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.