Husband-and-wife team Don and Georganne Sader (along with a slew of hard-working sons, daughters, and grandchildren) have launched their ambitious neighborhood market, aiming to source 100% of their products from local producers and/or local family-owned suppliers. 

Local Choice Produce Market quietly opened on Saturday in the Pearl District in a former auto body shop. The industrial history of the building has been preserved in the market's roll-up garage doors—that will stay open throughout the day as soon as the weather rises above freezing—and design details utilizing old growth Douglas Fir beams found in the building (processed by a local sawmill, naturally).

The Sader family aims to offer produce, dairy, meat, seafood, beer, wine, coffee, baked goods, artisan products, and a "doctor-designed Farmatherapy Bar" serving fresh juices and smoothies, all sourced from Oregon and Washington (or sourced through local suppliers with at least 50% of their employees located in Oregon or Washington).

“When we do provide product outside of our two-state region, like coffee, bananas, or avocados, we only buy them from local suppliers,” explains Don Sader. “We do not write checks outside of the 97-, 98-, or 99- zip codes. Obviously in January, we don’t have a ton of local produce, so our promise is local first, certified organic second. As soon as the local items are available, the organic items are replaced. At the peak of the harvest season, we aim to have 90% of our produce from local sources.”

In order to prevent the word "local" from serving as meaningless marketing nomenclature, the Saders have established the Happy Farmer Certified Local certification, ensuring that products marked as local are indeed locally sourced. The program has certified seventeen farms, fishers, and ranchers so far, with more to come. 

Local Choice is the first locally-owned food market in the neighborhood, and area previously serviced exclusively by national supermarkets Whole Foods and Safeway. Local Choice is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 9 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm.

Click on the photo above for a slideshow and more information about the new market's business practices, sourcing, and planned engagement with the community.

Local Choice Produce Market
830 NW Everett Street
971-271-6888
localchoicemarket.com