Parsons Farms has just opened their farm stand at Fremont and 50th for the second season, bringing fresh and local produce right into the neighborhood.
The Parsons family has been farming in the region since the 1970’s, when Jack Parsons purchased farmland in Canby, Dundee, Dayton and Battleground (about 230 acres in total) with the vision of providing a source of local produce in the area. Since Jack’s passing in 2007, his sons Cliff and Tim have taken over management of the farms and are carrying his vision forward. I had the opportunity to speak with Cliff about their venture into the Beaumont-Wilshire community and their hopes for the farm stand on Fremont.
Cliff first heard of the space on Fremont from the Peterson family – many of you are probably familiar with the Peterson’s Christmas tree sale that takes place on the same lot every winter. The Petersons hoped that a farm stand on the lot in the summer would help keep the property affordable for them; and the Parsons were looking to expand into northeast Portland, so it was a good fit for both families. Cliff said their first season on Fremont was slower than they had hoped, and this year they are really working to get the word out to the community. Despite the prime location, he thinks many people drive right past without really noticing the farm stand is there. He has reached out to the neighborhood associations (Beaumont Wilshire and Cully) this year in order to do more advertising and is hopeful that will help.
With all their farm stands (they have four other locations), Cliff said the emphasis is always on providing fresh, seasonal produce – usually picked that morning. They specialize in berries and right now strawberries are at their peak. Later in the summer they will have raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and additional varieties of strawberries that have a longer season. When I stopped by the stand last week, they also had asparagus, onions, zucchini, lettuce, artichokes and cherries.
I recall from last season that the variety grows as the summer progresses, and culminates with tons of pumpkins just in time for Halloween.
I’m a frequent customer at the farm stand and have always found the produce to be high quality and very reasonably priced. It’s also a great way to support local farming families and keep my dollars in the local economy. The convenience can’t be beat – they are open seven days a week and take debit and credit cards. Fresh farm produce practically at your doorstep – it’s a great benefit to the neighborhood and we wish them a bountiful season this year!