The Rural Voice, 2004-06, Page 31Flesherton market as a crafts vendor
seven years ago and who still sells
periodically, says it's enjoyable to
see the same customers week after
week and catch up on what's
happened in their lives in the last
week. "It's a community thing," he
says. "The other vendors become like
a family over the years."
It's this old-fashioned personal
touch that attracts both customers
and vendors to farmers markets.
"People come to meet the vendors
who nurtured seedlings into plants,
picked the fruit, pulled the
vegetables, baked mouth-watering
bread and other treats. prepared
delectable jams. jellies and other
preserves and loaded their trucks
early in the morning to bring their
products to town," explains Chorney
on the Farmers' Market Ontario
website. "They come to chat, to
learn, to leave with tips about perfect
ripeness. food preparation and even a
recipe or two.
"They come to connect with the
land, many withtheir own baskets
and bags ready to carry seasonal
flavours home to their kitchens —
maybe stopping for a nibble on the
way."
Farmers
' markets have a long
history in Ontario dating back
more than 200 years to 1780
when Kingston became home to the
first farmers' market in Ontario. As
-'pioneers settled the rest of the
province. the popularity of these
markets grew.
Goderich's famous "Square" may
now be the location of the county
courthouse and seat of county
government. but it was originally
dedicated to a farmers' market when
Tiger Dunlop laid out the town in
1827. In the last dozen years or so,
it's become site for Goderich
Farmers' Market. a Saturday morning
farmers' market that attracts both
local shoppers and tourists.
The number of markets grew until
the 1970s when malls began to rule
and downtown shopping started a
serious decline. Then in the 1990s,
thanks in part to Chorney's Farmers'
Markets Ontario and the OMAFRA,
the downward trend began reversing
itself. Local business and community
groups began forming community
partnerships with municipal
governments and farmers often in an
effort to revitalize the downtown
areas.
Last summer, for instance, a
subcommittee of the Blyth Business
Association organized a number of
activities in the downtown area on
Saturday afternoons when the Blyth
Festival was holding matinees. One
of those activities was a one -day
farmers' market experiment that
proved so successful it has grown
into plans for a regular market on
Saturday afternoons in Blyth
beginning July 10.
"It was equally as good as
Goderich for dollar value" said Barb
Storey who normally sells her maple
syrup, honey and pork products at the
Goderich market but rushed to Blyth
at the close of the Goderich market in
order to get to Blyth. She'll continue
to attend both markets this year.
Markets have their peaks and
valleys. both seasonally and from
year to year. Barnett says the
Flesherton market averaged about 13
vendors last year selling everything
from produce to baking, plants. crafts
and clothing but in years past, the
number of vendors was closer to 20.
His own family is an example of how
things can change. The last few years
he has been just a daily vendor
instead of renting for a whole season
in advance. His wife was a popular
part of the market with plants she
propagated herself but now she's too
busy to take part.
At Mitchell, Neubrand says that
the market will start off with six or
seven vendors early in the season but
that will expand to 15 in July and
August when more fruits and
vegetables are available and some
vendors. like teachers, have more
time.
At Walkerton, things were at a
low ebb early this spring with
only three or four vendors but
Voison was hoping the numbers will
pick up as the season progresses.
In the smaller markets business
varies throughout the day and .,i
times when it's slow. Neubrand says.
you start thinking about all the work
you could be getting done at home.
But for 200 years farmers'
markets have shown their staying
power and now. as more consumers
react to the anonymity of the
dominant food chain. they seem to be
finding more favour than at any time
in years.°
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JUNE 2004 27
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