{"id":1498,"date":"2017-03-19T16:31:13","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T23:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/?p=1498"},"modified":"2017-04-08T21:17:37","modified_gmt":"2017-04-09T04:17:37","slug":"ginger-rapport-brings-you-the-best-and-the-freshest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/?p=1498","title":{"rendered":"Ginger Rapport Brings You The Best And The Freshest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you visited the Beaverton Farmer\u2019s Market lately? As one of the largest and most frequently-visited farmer\u2019s markets in the Portland Metro area, it serves as a vital conduit for fresh produce and local wares for people from all over the area.<\/p>\n

The popularity of the Beaverton Farmer\u2019s Market<\/a> is apparent in the sheer volume of people that flock there every Saturday. Good luck finding parking if you aren\u2019t there quite early in the morning.<\/p>\n

Of course, such a thriving market requires a steady hand at the helm, and that\u2019s where Ginger Rapport comes in. As the general manager of the market, it\u2019s her job to keep things running smoothly, and has been for over 22 years.<\/p>\n

Originally from Southern California, Ginger moved to Portland in 1994. It wasn\u2019t long before she fell in love with the Market and by 1996 she was hired on a seasonal basis. Fortunately, her education and interest fell perfectly in line with her career at the Market.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a Bachelors in Primate Behavior, most of a Bachelors in Ornamental Horticulture and am a retired pastry chef,\u201d she explains. \u201cMy husband and I have been in the restaurant and catering business for 40 years. So, my background is in people, plants and food \u2013 a perfect storm for a farmer\u2019s market manager.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although she is Californian by birth, Ginger fits right into Portland. It\u2019s quite apparent when she\u2019s asked what her favorite thing is about the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt my home, right now, I have a two-gallon batch of kombucha brewing on my counter next to a jar of fermenting apple cider vinegar made from organic apple peels and cores. I have mason bees spending their dormant months in my refrigerator and fifteen-pounds of home-made bird suet in my freezer. What I love about Portland is that nobody would think that any of that is strange,\u201d she finishes.<\/p>\n

\"Ginger<\/a>
Ginger Rapport and giant cabbage heads<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Indeed, she\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

When asked what her least favorite thing is about our fair city, her answer also fits in perfectly with what most Portland residents would say.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy least favorite thing is my pothole-riddled street,\u201d she immediately replies.<\/p>\n

And yet, as with so many others, this minor quibble isn\u2019t enough to keep her away from the work she loves. Her passions dovetail well with her job, and she wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimal welfare issues are very important to me and the market makes it easy for me to support people producing humanely manufactured products. An egg from a pastured hen is so much better in so many ways than an egg from birds living in stacks of tiny cages in a warehouse,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

This attitude pervades almost every answer to the questions I pose to her. When asked what makes her tick, her answer is simple.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the risk of sounding corny, I get up every day and ask myself, \u2018What can I do to make the world a better place today?\u2019<\/p>\n

Not corny at all, and quite admirable. So how long will she continue providing herself as a valued member of the Market team?<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as I am physically able to do the work,\u201d she replies without hesitation.<\/p>\n

And we are thankful that she plans on spending a long, long time at the market. Waking up at 3:30am every Saturday to keep this thriving farmer\u2019s market vibrant takes a steady hand, and she is just the PDX Person to manage it.<\/p>\n

She would also like to give a shout out to some of her longest, newest and most exciting vendors:<\/p>\n