Saying farewell after 30 years of service, Ginger and Sue built traditions at the Beaverton Farmers Market

Early every Saturday morning for over 30 market seasons (while most of us are still debating whether coffee counts as breakfast), Beaverton Farmers Market Manager, Ginger Rapport and Assistant Manager Sue Poff, were already setting the stage for something special. Long before the opening bell rings each week, they orchestrate hundreds of moving pieces with remarkable grace (and probably a few cups of coffee along the way!). Thanks to their vision, the Beaverton Farmers Market has sprouted up from a handful of tents into one of Oregon’s most celebrated community gathering places, where shopping local has always been about so much more than just filling a grocery basket.

Some people just build careers, but Ginger and Sue built traditions. They raised their own families at the Market while, in many ways, helping to raise the Market family, too. They watched toddlers become teenagers, teenagers become adults and then parents, too, and those parents returning with little ones eager to ring the opening bell, sample berries, or pick out the biggest sunflower they could carry.

Vendors became lifelong friends. Customers became regulars. Regulars became staff, board members, and even vendors themselves. The Market didn’t just grow – it grew up alongside the people who call Beaverton home.

Ginger and Sue created a place where everyone belongs, where local businesses can flourish, and where community is something you can actually see, hear, taste, and feel.

Ginger will be passing the baton on September 1 to Co-Market Manager Erika Quiggins, a long-time staff member who has been mentored by Ginger along the way. With a love for delicious, seasonal food and a strong belief in the importance of building community, Erika will bring joy and gratitude to the job as she leads the Market forward when Ginger and Sue retire.

On the eve of their retirement, the entire community is invited to celebrate and thank Ginger and Sue at the Market on Saturday, August 29th. Stop by the information booth between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to sign their memory books and to thank them for over 30 years of leadership and dedicated service to the Beaverton community. There will be treats to share throughout the day, special announcements at 11am at the entertainment area, and a closing bell parade at 1:30 p.m.

So please join us as we celebrate Ginger Rapport and Sue Poff at the Market on this day with stories, laughter, gratitude, maybe a few happy tears, and one very well-deserved party! Because of them, every Saturday has become a reunion, every season in Beaverton has brought something new to discover, and every generation has found a place to belong.