The Hillsdale Farmers Market (HFM) is a nonprofit organization that has been operating for over 20 years in the parking lot between Rieke Elementary and Ida B. Wells High School. However, it now faces the possibility of being forced to relocate or shut down during the re-modernization of IBW.
Adam Sunshine, Assistant Market Manager for HFM, says many stakeholders’ livelihoods rely on the HFM. “Each year, more than 70,000 people visit the market to connect with over 70 local farms and small businesses,” he says. “That’s 70,000 neighbors relying on the market to access fresh, locally grown/made food, and 70 small businesses whose livelihoods depend on reaching those shoppers.”
For many people, HFM is more than just a place to shop; it’s a place to connect with neighbors, vendors and friends.
“I’ve been visiting the market since we first moved to the neighborhood, back when my two daughters were toddlers,” says Ashley Gartland, an IBW parent and shopper. “It was a regular part of our weekly routine back then—we would visit the kids booth, shop and enjoy all the samples.”
It’s become a part of many people’s routines, something to look forward to and rely on.
“If it is a Hillsdale Farmers’ Market day, I am most likely there volunteering and shopping,” says Asia Gates, a regular at HFM. “Visiting the market on Sundays to catch up with friends and buy local fresh produce and goods is built into my weekend routine.”
“We regularly catch up with old and new friends while we are wandering the market and enjoy chatting with the vendors as well—most of them know our orders and have watched our kids grow from toddlers into teenagers,” says Gartland.
IBW is slated to begin re-modernization in November of 2026. However, this threatens the continuation of HFM at its current location.
Portland Public Schools (PPS) currently does not have plans to renew the market’s lease during the three-year modernization project. This means that HFM would be forced to find and set an alternate location within the next year if it wishes to continue operating.
“I learned about the [PPS] Real Estate team’s decision second-hand, at the Hillsdale National Night Out event on Aug. 13. I was surprised and upset—both by the decision and the fact that it was not communicated directly to the market,” says Lacey Waldon, HFM’s Market Manager.
“We have known for several years that the high school was slated for modernization/rebuild, and fully support that—Wells students deserve a modernized school. The surprise came when we were told that the PPS Real Estate office did not plan to renew our lease on the site once construction began on the new building,” says Waldon.
Their current location, the parking lot between Rieke and IBW, has a number of qualities that make it uniquely advantageous for the market’s operation: size, location, zoning, vehicular access and level ground, among others. This makes choosing another location especially difficult.
“We’ve evaluated 18 alternate locations in Hillsdale and neighboring communities, looking carefully at factors like space, parking, visibility and accessibility. Unfortunately, none of them meet all the unique needs of our market,” says Sunshine.
Sunshine says the community will suffer from this. “Some vendors will lose reliable income, some shoppers will lose access to fresh food and some Hillsdale businesses will lose the foot traffic the market brings,” he says. “There’s no simple replacement for the market’s current home.”
In addition to supporting more than 70 local businesses and farms, HFM provides over $25,000 annually to low-income families who otherwise would not have access to fresh and healthy food. They also run programs that support kids, local nonprofits and community food security. If they are displaced, all of that is at risk.
“If we have to relocate, [the market] almost certainly won’t be within Hillsdale, and that would be a huge blow to the community that started the market 23 years ago,” says Waldon.
The amount of time, money and preparation needed to transfer sites is immense, not to mention the guaranteed loss of steady shoppers who rely on the market’s proximity. “I fear that the market won’t survive a move,” says Gates.
The move wouldn’t just impact the number of visitors. It could potentially lead to a reduced number of vendors who rely on the market’s current location for resources and connections.
“We are a very small business and are dependent on HFM for much of our income,” says Peter Weber, one of the owners of Barn Frog Farm. “Changes to the market, such as a location shift, would negatively impact the security of our livelihoods as small-scale farmers, and push us outside of the Hillsdale neighborhood to find stability.”
Other community members echoed similar concerns about the ripple effects of relocation. “For me personally, the impact is twofold: I work for the market, so my livelihood depends on this job. But I’m also a shopper and a community member. The market is one of the few reliable places where my family can access fresh, locally grown, nutritious food. Losing that, even temporarily, would be a big blow,” says Sunshine.
Market leaders emphasize that their goal is to work with the school rather than against it. “The Hillsdale Farmers’ Market does not want to have a negative impact on the modernization of Ida B. Wells High School. We do not want our presence on the site to slow down construction or increase risk for our students,” says Waldon.
Still, Waldon believes that there is a path forward that benefits both sides.
“This is not an ‘either-or’ situation; we believe that it is possible to have the high school built on time—and safely—while the market remains in operation on Sundays. This market is a focal point of the entire Hillsdale community, an anchor business in the Hillsdale business district, and a lifeline for approximately 80 small businesses that rely on the community we have built here, on this site, for the past 20 plus years.”
Beyond economics, vendors and shoppers say the market is a social hub that fosters connection. “Neighbors, vendors and customers greet each other by name. Feeling a part of the community and having regular customers every week is super enjoyable,” says Weber.
Gates agrees, describing the market as the one place “where I get to learn where my food comes from, directly from the producer, catch up on life with volunteers and get soaked by Pacific Northwest rain, closing up the market with staff. The market community and the neighborhood come together in a beautiful collaboration, where we are all part of Hillsdale together.”
They ask for the community’s help in advocating for the market to stay in its current location by following their four community action steps, listed here, as well as a link to a position paper if you’d like to learn more.
“Hillsdale Farmers’ Market is a vital resource in this community. It supports local farms, feeds families, strengthens small businesses and brings thousands of community members together nearly every Sunday. My hope is that PPS will recognize the value of keeping the market in place during modernization and work with us to find a solution that protects all of that,” says Sunshine.
Here’s how you can help Hillsdale Farmers’ Market stay in Hillsdale:
- Email PPS leadership and the Portland School Board, urging them to keep the market at its current location during the Ida B. Wells modernization. A suggested email template is available here
- Take their community survey to show decision-makers how much the market matters to Hillsdale
- Join the Keep the Market Committee through the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association and work alongside the market, local businesses and neighbors to keep the market in Hillsdale
- Share the news with friends, family and neighbors in Hillsdale and SW Portland
