Sprout time to visit Toledo

Toledo Waterfront Market offers everything from microgreens to realty advice

Story & photos by Andrea McCabe

Oregon Coast TODAY

The Toledo Waterfront Market has flourished due to the continued support from locals and visitors for more than 20 years. Whether stopping by for a sweet treat or browsing the many handmade products, the Thursday market provides a sense of community among the closely placed stands.

Market Manager Kathy Crane also serves as the Executive Director of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce. She notices the market draws support from locals and also visitors from many Oregon cities and from out of state, who find the market an engaging midweek activity amidst their weekend adventures in neighboring cities.

Baked goods, fresh vegetables and embroidered cloth are just a few of the products sold at stands lined in rows located at Toledo Memorial Field. There are plenty of food options throughout the day, whether in the mood for a breakfast of locally roasted coffee and a fresh muffin or a lunch of hot fettuccine or BBQ. However, if you are planning to buy homemade bread, be advised to arrive early at Deanna Cook’s baked goods and embroidery stand. Cook, a Toledo native, is especially known for her freshly baked bread, which she has been selling at the market for 14 years.

“I sell out a lot,” she said. “I hardly ever take any bread home.”

Cook has an abundance of bread flavors, ranging from Hawaiian to onion dill. She bakes an average 21 loaves of bread and five different types of cookies, including peanut butter bars, lemon bars and cinnamon rolls. Cook, true to her name, begins baking at 5 am on market days. “Once I get started, I can just keep going,” she said.

Roman Sorokin’s microgreens, named Tatyana’s Gardens after his mother, is a new stand at the market. Although he officially launched his business last month, experience from past careers like nursing led him to his current project.

“I fished for 16 years in southeast Alaska, then worked as a surgical nurse for seven years,” he said. “After that I decided to get out of the nursing field because I felt like I could do something different that would still serve people in a health-oriented way.”

Sorokin became interested in microgreens when the topic appeared on his social media feed. “The more I learned about it, the more I realized how beneficial it is to people in terms of their gut health and in terms of their eating habits overall,” he said.

Sorokin grows numerous varieties of microgreen seeds, including a salad mix. Once grown, a small bowl of microgreens has the same amount of nutrients as a large salad. This is well emphasized by his slogan: “Get more by eating less.”

Sorokin chose Toledo to grow Tatyana’s Gardens products due to the strong support felt in the small, tight-knit community.

“Coming from a small town in southeast Alaska, I decided that a small town is my vibe,” he said. “People are a little bit more close-knit, and there is a sense of preserved culture. Small communities still possess and hone and grow that sense of unity. You can feel it here.”

Real Estate Agent Terri Neimann, who is also an active Toledo Chamber of Commerce board member, runs an Emerald Coast Realty stand at the Toledo Waterfront Market. She helps with the organization and planning of the market and helps wherever is needed. She also aims to provide information, highlight available housing options and help serve the community through transparency and assistance in her line of work.

“I think it is good to get exposure in the community,” she said. “I want them to know that I am here and that I would like to help clients navigate the process of buying and selling properties.”

The Toledo Waterfront Market continues to benefit the community each summer.

“I think it is a great venue to have in the summertime when people are out and about and the weather is good where they can buy plants, or food or snacks and support the local community,” Neimann said.

The Toledo Waterfront Market is a unique way to immerse yourself in the culture and history of this quaint town. The original ideas of each stand will inspire you, and the tasty treats will make you hungry for more.

Toledo’s Waterfront Market takes place at Memorial Field at the corners of NW A Street and NW 1st Street. Hours are Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm through August. For more information, including a list of vendors, go to toledooregon.org.