I felt it when I first started visiting this area to consider it as a place for us to move upon retirement. I feel it again each time someone from elsewhere in the world stops to chat at the Can-Do Real Food booth at the McMinnville downtown farmers’ market. McMinnville is a world class destination.
No, there are not world class art museums, but we have a pretty amazing air and space museum that includes the Spruce Goose and stealth bombers.
No, we are not on a major hiking trail system but the town has glorious parks and we are close to the Coastal Range with its national forests offering outdoor recreational opportunities including trail running and mushroom hunting.
No, we don’t have restaurants with prices that match your monthly housing cost, but we have an amazing cross section of restaurants in all price ranges, many of which use local food for their menu.
And why would they use local food? Because they can!!! Withing 15 miles of McMinnville we have food producers that not only offer produce and protein, but also wheat and milled flour, olive oil, cheese, honey, and so much more.
And should we mention the beer, the cider, the mead, the saki.
And finally, truly world class, the wine.
Each week at the farmers’ market I meet people who are not only from other places in Oregon, but people who have travelled here from all over the United Sates and foreign visitors from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
People who care about the amazing things the earth can produce come to McMinnville.
Can-Do Real Food is very proud to be part of this community, offering amazing canned and dehydrated foods from local farms. We CAN eat locally for almost all we need. Lucky us. The pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail knew this is a special area.