Join Lane County Farmers Market for the fourth annual cooking competition in celebration of National Farmers Market Week.
Calling all food enthusiasts — grab your apron for the fourth annual Lane Country Farmers Market cooking contest, held during the August 4 Tuesday farmers market. The contest celebrates National Farmers Market Week, which honors “farmers markets and all they do for community building and for food systems, and the role they play in contemporary society,” says Orion Lawrenz, the programming and marketing manager for Lane County Farmers Market. Lawrenz says that the cooking competition is meant to bring people together through food, which is a core principle of the city’s farmers markets. “By having an event that people feel engaged in and feel invested in, it’s a really good way for people feeling more involved with our community and feel like they have a greater sense of ownership in Lane County,” Lawrenz says. The event will run similarly to the cooking competition show MasterChef, where 10 participants shop for fresh produce, before having just 30 minutes to create a dish for a three-judge panel. The competitors for the 2026 challenge have already been confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and include participants between ages 20 and 65. This year, the judging panel is composed of three local chefs: Isaiah Martinez of Yardy Rum Bar, Rocky Maselli of Pizzeria DOP and Eric Garcia of Akira. Lawrenz hopes that the event makes food more community driven, and invites celebration for farmers markets and local food systems. “When you’re going to a grocery store, you’re not meeting the person who’s growing your food. There’s always several steps down the line from where it originated,” Lawrenz says. “Whereas a farmers market, you have face-to-face interactions with somebody who is essentially fueling you.”…