Albany FM is part of Corvallis-Albany Farmers' Markets, which focuses on farm-direct marketers who grow and raise agricultural products in a six-county area in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Corvallis-Albany Farmers' Markets is a farmer-led nonprofit that operates outdoor farmers' markets in Corvallis and Albany and otherwise promotes and assists farm direct marketers whose farms are located in six counties: Benton, Linn, Lincoln, Lane, Marion and Polk. Our membership is made of roughly 125 small family-scale farms.
Farm direct marketing is a direct link between consumers and producers that prohibits resale and promotes transparency and traceability. The few non-grown vendors in our markets (bakers, restaurants, beverages and the like) are held to high standards of local sourcing.
Our outdoor farmers' markets are known for their wide selection of local Willamette Valley organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, nursery plants and herbs. Homemade baked goods, jams, preserves, syrups, honey, cheese, eggs, nuts, seafood, meats and poultry broaden the offerings and help extend the market season. Sustainable meat and poultry continue to expand as more farmers strive to help consumers replace quantity with quality.
CAFM has a longtime commitment to enhancing access to high quality, local food among ALL members of our community. We are deeply engaged in nutrition programs (SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, gleaning, Farm Direct Nutrition Program) that promote food justice and equity.
We operate all of our markets for a 32-week season, from mid-April to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Our larger farmers grow a lot under cover to extend seasons, so you may see produce over a longer span than you expect.
Corvallis Saturday, the youngest of our three farmers' markets, takes place on city streets adjacent to Riverfront Commemorative Park, near several restaurants and other food-related businesses.
Corvallis Wednesday operates in a portion of the Saturday site.
Albany, a Saturday market, is located in the City Hall parking lot and on an adjacent street that fronts the Linn County Courthouse.
A separate organization runs the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market, which runs from early January until the week before CAFM opens the outdoor season. The two organizations cover 45-46 weeks a year.
Since we are no longer using tokens for this program, we offer scavenger hunts so kids learn about the farmers.
Kids are empowered to make their own food choices, and new families are attracted to the farmers' market.