On a Saturday morning, whether it’s cold and chilly or already hot (like yesterday), there are few things I like doing more than getting out early and heading to a local Farmers Market.  We tend to go to Parkrose (near where I live) or Hollywood (near where I grew up), but the amazing thing about Portland is that the Farmers Markets almost as many and varied as the neighborhoods.  And it’s not just a weekend phenomenon in Portland, either -- Farmers Markets happen in Portland throughout the week.  So this week’s One Year of Portland Songs Blog entry is “Farmers Markets,” a tribute to the fresh food, local flavor, and community strengthening that our Farmers Markets bring to our beloved city.

Musically speaking, the end of this song is kind of a free-for-all on the background parts.  I pretty much just put a microphone in front of myself and gave myself eight vocal tracks to make something happy.  The result is a mishmash, but hopefully an enjoyable one.

By the way, I continue to battle some laryngitis this week, which is clear to me as I hear this song, but hopefully not painfully evident.  The Blog must go on!

Lyrics:

From late in the spring to the early fall,

A Portland sensation puts out the call:

To all who believe in food locally grown,

To all who believe that the earth is our own,

To all who believe we’re not in this alone,

We’ve got the place for you...

There’s nothing I’ve ever seen, that’s so fresh, that’s so green,

Yes it’s true.

and it just all looks so good, local fresh, local food

Through and through.

We love our Farmers Market, oh yeah,

And our Farmers Market loves us, too.

We take our baskets and our bikes -- not the car.

People might wonder who all of us are:

The ones who believe that the hippie’s weren’t wrong,

The ones who believe Earth Day should be year-long,

The ones who believe that together we’re stronger,

This is who we want to be...

And there is nowhere I know where the people all go

With a smile.

It’s a community spirit, I feel it, I hear it

For miles.

We love our Farmers Market, oh yeah,

And our Farmers Market loves us, too.

And we can go to Hollywood or Hillsdale,

Interstate and Lents, too.

Or how about Lloyd or Montavilla,

Moreland or OHSU?

There’s Parkrose and the People’s Farmers Market,

Portland Farmers Market east or west.

There’s the Ecotrust, but anyone will do,

They’re all so good, and so good for you,

Our thanks to the earth are overdue,

For making us feel renewed.

There’s nothing I’d rather do with my day,

That go be with those who feel the same way:

Those who believe that organic is right,

Those who believe that green is alright,

Those who believe with all of our might

We’ve got the power to change.

There’s nothing I’ve ever seen, that’s so fresh, that’s so green,

Yes it’s true.

and it just all looks so good, local fresh, local food

Through and through.

We love our Farmers Market, oh yeah,

And our Farmers Market loves us, too.

We love our Farmers Market, oh yeah,

And our Farmers Market loves us, too.