Conversations overheard at a Farmers’ Market:
“I was hoping to have potatoes here today but it was too muddy to dig them.”
“Yep, we’ve got all five of the grandkids here this morning.”
“We were planning to dig carrots on Friday but it didn’t happen, then the flood came on Saturday so now we are just trying to salvage some of them.”
“These are the most beautiful glads that we have ever grown.”
“Sorry I didn’t get the knife fixed. You’ll have it next week.”
“A lot of folks are complaining that their tomatoes are just not turning red.”
Not earthshattering conversations — just the wonderful sound of neighbours making connections and gardeners and growers sharing “war” stories. I am especially grateful to those market gardeners who are trying to make a living on small acreages and are marketing their produce to local stores and restaurants, selling Community Supported Agriculture shares, and selling at local markets. I have found that smaller producers can be much more flexible than large farmers. They may be quite happy to try growing thirty varieties of heritage tomatoes. For sure it is not a get-rich-quick scheme. They work very long hours and battle all kinds of growing challenges, disease, pests, and adverse weather for less than minimum wage.
I try to support these plucky entrepreneurs by buying locally as much as possible, generally at Farmers’ Markets during the growing season. We are very lucky to have several markets close at hand. Which one is your favourite? Almonte? Carleton Place? Perth? Carp? The Carp Market runs a very tight ship. Rules and regulations ensure that produce and products travel no more than 100 kilometres, that the owner/producer is in the stall, and that there is a balance of different types of vendors. Applicants are evaluated by a jury made up of Board of Director members. The model has proven very successful and has been adopted by many other Farmers’ Markets. On the other hand, other local markets are somewhat more relaxed. I am always frustrated that they all have a Saturday morning market day. Almost impossible to visit more than two markets on a Saturday. Local markets also have an advice table staffed by local Master Gardeners, either on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. These are great places to have your gardening questions answered.
I believe that our health and wellbeing can be enhanced if we are much closer to the source of our food and we are able to get to know the vendors and chat about their growing practices. One only has to look at the list of food recalls to be concerned about the safety and security of our mainstream food system. The headlines tell us of some of the risks that we might encounter as a result of our dependence on modern industrial agriculture and the food producing industry. The ever-increasing scale of enterprises creates the potential for widespread contamination and makes it difficult to trace the source of any contamination. (Want to scare yourself? Do a Google search for “explosive diarrhea”…)
Almost 250 years ago, in 1780, Kingston became home to the first Farmers’ Market in Ontario. As pioneers settled the rest of the province, the popularity of these markets grew. Their numbers increased continuously until the 1970s when downtown shopping precipitated a serious decline. A rejuvenation in Ontario began in the 1980s, and in 1991 Farmers’ Markets Ontario was established. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has also been instrumental in that trend reversing itself. Local business and community groups in every nook and cranny of Ontario are forming community partnerships with municipal governments and farmers.
Farmers’ Markets Ontario considers itself a professional association of farmers’ markets and a one-stop shop for everything from liability insurance to personalized advice, as well as for management, marketing and professional development. It will advocate with municipalities, regulators and potential funders to help ensure the health and sustainability of markets. When Farmers’ Markets Ontario came into being almost 25 years ago there were fewer than 60 markets province-wide, with many of them struggling. Since then, more than 100 new markets have been created and they are generally thriving.
There is also an emphasis on ensuring the highest standards of food safety. Our local Health Unit has an essential role. It provides educational information in many formats, including a 110-page manual provided through Farmers’ Markets Ontario that outlines clear information, practices, tools and checklists for handling food intended for the farmers’ market safely, to minimize the risk of food-borne illness.
Sadly, the summer is drawing to a close, but it also means that there are lots of opportunities to celebrate what appears to be a bountiful harvest this fall and to purchase armfuls of fruit and vegetables at their succulent best!
The last market for Almonte with its twenty-odd vendors is Thanksgiving weekend. Carleton Place with its 18 vendors wraps up on October 10. The last regular market for Carp with its 107 vendors is October 17, with a special Christmas Market taking place November 27 and 28. The final market for Perth with its 28 vendors takes place on October 10.
