James Andrew Beard was born on May 5, 1903 in Portland, Oregon to Elizabeth and John Beard. His mother, an independent English woman passionate about food, ran a boarding house. His father worked at Portland's Customs House. Summers were spent at the beach at Gearhart, Oregon, fishing, gathering shellfish and wild berries, and cooking meals with whatever was caught.

After a brief stint at Reed College in Portland, in 1923 Beard went on the road with a theatrical troupe. He lived abroad for several years studying voice and theater, but returned to the States for good in 1927. Although he kept trying to break into the theater and movies, by 1935 he needed to supplement what was a very non-lucrative career and began a catering business. It revolutionized what then passed for cocktail food by offering more substantive fare. With the opening of a small food shop called Hors d'Oeuvre, Inc., in 1937, he finally realized that his future lay in the world of food and cooking.

Most of the approximately 150 vendors at Portland Farmers Market are from farms within 60 miles of downtown.

Check out this list of Oregon Farmer's Markets from around the state. You will find a listing of days and times of operation, street locations and email contacts.
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