Get Real Estate Blog|Salem Oregon Homes|Relocation Guide

Carob.  Whole Wheat.  Carrot Juice. No McDonald’s.

Staples in my diet as a child.

I wasn’t allowed to eat at McDonald’s as a kid. I was convinced it was some bastion of great tasting food because all my friends ate there often and thought their food was great.   I’d whine and cry about not being able to go,  and somehow believed that my parents were torturing me for reasons unbeknownst to me.  Clearly the good parents took their kids to eat there but why did I get stuck with the bad parents?  I think I was around 10 when my dad caved and took me and my sisters there.

I thought it was some of the most vile food on the planet, right up there with mustard, Twinkies,  and Oscar Meyer hot dogs in my book.

What I know now, is that my parents were way ahead of the times.   They got as much organic produce as possible and limited our exposure to junk food.  I think I might have been in high school or college before I had Pringles.  I’ve eaten them once and on a side note, why do people like pop tarts?  Growing up in the mid-west in ag central (ie DeKalb Illinois) which has the research site for creating new seeds, the words organic and non-GMO weren’t exactly common.

Fast forward to our move to Oregon twenty years ago and fresh, local and organic/no spray were common place.  I have to say it is one of the things I love the most about Oregon is that I can get good, local produce constantly.  I know you are probably wondering what all my ramblings are about, but recently I was introduced to this insanely cool website and map that shows local organic farmers/ranchers that sell meat.  All grass fed with no antibiotics and steroids.  I thought it was the coolest thing and really wanted to share it with those of you out there that want to get good local organic meat.

For those of you considering a relocation to Salem Oregon, rest assured that local healthy food is abundant.  Bon Appetit!

View Oregon Farms & Ranches Listed on Eatwild.com C in a larger map

One of the great things about living in the Willamette Valley is our local produce.  The Willamette Valley used to be a lake (Lake Allison)  a bazillion years ago and as such we have some nice soil here.  As I was plucking some tomatoes off my vines the other day, I decided to share with you some local organic produce farms.

When I moved to Salem from Portland, I had to start over and figure out where to go to get my fresh produce fix.  I try and eat organically as much as possible, and my veggies in my garden are all organic.

I had never heard of a CSA until I moved to Oregon.  Despite growing up in corn country in Illinois, I think that there were so many commercial farmers in my area, I didn’t realize that there were these great local farms all over the country called CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture).

Out here we have Denison Farms which is located in Corvallis, Oregon and Garden Ripe in Silverton, Oregon.  Minto Island Growers is a Salem Oregon CSA, and they are working on their organic certification as I write this post.  It will be nice to officially add them to the organic produce mix, once they get their certification!  I have personally used Denison Farms and the produce was top notch.  They have two pick up locations in Salem (one downtown and one down south) once a week.  The organic strawberries never made it home because my kids devoured them in the car on the way back.

While I personally haven’t used Garden Ripe, I have heard equally good things about their produce AND they deliver it to your door.  For busy folks that don’t have time to make the trip to get your produce box, Garden Ripe might be the better choice.

Either way, between our local CSA’s,  farmer’s markets,  and your own garden, if you are relocating to the Salem Oregon area from another state, you will have several local choices to get some good quality organic produce and support our local farms in the process.

I want to thank the tomatoes in the pictures because after they posed for my photos…they were immediately eaten.  They were delicious.

I am a first generation American: my mother was from Finland and my father from Greece.  I was fortunate to be able to go to Finland several times as a child and spend time with my grandparents and cousins.  One of my memories was walking downtown with my grandmother to the local farmer’s market.  Despite growing up in corn country in Illinois, we didn’t have easy access to a farmer’s market, not like the one that was just a couple of blocks away from my grandparents place. It was open twice a week and the sweet peas were to die for…

Now for those of you considering a relocation to Salem Oregon, rest assured that we have farmer’s markets here.  The slide show in this post is from the Salem Saturday Market.

The market opens in April and runs through October.  Open every Saturday from 9-3, it is a busy place.  Local produce and flowers are a top draw, but several local artisans offer their artwork.  My son, who collects rocks, was enamored with “the rock guy.”

Regardless of your motivation, it is a good way to get some of our fresh local produce every Saturday.  The Saturday Market is located on the corner of  Summer and Marion streets here in Salem Oregon,  and there is parking across the street in the lot.