Where art means business
Creativity and commerce collide at Salishan Artisan Market
Mark Hazelton of Hazelton Farm
By Naima Baker
For the TODAY
Every Friday and Saturday, the large parking lot at the Marketplace at Salishan is transformed into a little bazaar, bubbling with booths and vendors.
"We have a really nice mix here, some produce and a lot of talented people," said Salishan Artisan Faire Manager, David Wolf. “Everyone's got something different, so we don't step on each other's toes. We've had a lot of sellers return each year.”
New to the market and offering meat and so much more, the Hazelton Farm booth is the place to drop in for your dinner's main dish and to discover the surprising versatility of fish skin. Mark Hazelton is proud to source grass fed, chemical-free meat with quality you can trust, from his family property in Kings Valley.
"Our main business is yak farming,” he said. “My son has been interested in it since middle school, so we went to a yak auction and he's been doing this since he was 15. We've got about 35 yaks, 30 goats and a few pigs. Part of our ethic is to use 100 percent of the animal. I help tan the hides naturally with bark and salt, and any part that can't be used is composted."
Not only do they compost their own organic waste but their neighbors' as well, with a program they started called The Reclaim Cooperative. Fish skin donations from a collaboration with Central Coast Food Web and Local Ocean are quickly expanding the cooperative's objective. The extremely durable fish skin makes a smooth, scaly brown leather, fashioned into earrings, stickers and bracelets. They also have a wholesale business and website.
"We've had large purchases from upscale Airbnbs and Oregon Wildlife Federation, so we love that kind of thing,” Hazelton said. “We're gearing up with more workers and we have a project with Oregon State University to design a bag for us. We really strive to create jobs and give younger people a chance to do something in this business. If you have money, you should use it to try something, and I feel good about this"
To top off your shopping experience with something that shines, visit Ashmiel Sarah Rose and her radiant jewelry display. Her passion for crafting with crystals blossomed into completely original pieces that do not just adorn the body but complement the spirit.
"During the pandemic, I was freaking out like everyone,” she said. “But I had some crystals and candle holders, so I started making hanging candle holders, and that turned into making dream catchers. Then I just took one jewelry class."
A fast and passionate progression to the truly unique and organic looking earrings, necklaces and rings that she offers now.
"What's really at the heart of my work is amulets and talismans, pieces that really hold power,” she said. “In ancient times, not only did people carry their wealth with them as jewelry but they would also wear it as protection or to manifest what they're trying to create."
The subtle but powerful intention behind her work shows in the carefully selected gems and precious metals, placed in a pleasing slightly asymmetrical style. Channeling these naturalistic designs has become her full-time job.
"I'm also a transpersonal hypnotherapist and I do past life regression,” she said. “It feels like I've done this before. This is my dream! It makes me want to cry that I get to make this stuff and see people excited to go home with it. It's not just jewelry, it's the resonance of it that I hope brings in the true essence of that person, and then they can bring that out into the world."
The food is fresh, the crafts are creative and the sellers are friendly so come on and schmooze and peruse to your heart's delight.
The Salishan Artisan Faire is located in the Salishan Marketplace at 7755 N Hwy. 101 in Gleneden Beach and is open Friday from 11 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm through October 10. For more information, go to artisanfaireatsalishan.com.