This year’s Farmer’s Market was bigger than ever, and as the season turns to winter there are some opportunities coming up to soothe those impatiently waiting for the 2013 season.
Erna Jensen-Shill, market manager, said they can’t keep up with the demand for more markets, but they’re doing their best.
There were 16 total markets this summer, starting in June and extending all the way to Thanksgiving. Jensen-Shill said they extended the season again this year because growers had surplus produce after an excellent growing season.
“We’ve got some pretty keen market shoppers,” she said.
The final Thanksgiving market was a great way to end the season, with local folk band the Good Ol’ Goats performing.
“It was definitely a good day,” Jensen-Shill said.
With that success still fresh in the minds of Cranbrook residents, Jensen-Shill is happy to announce the next market will be November 20 and December 1 at 1114 Baker St. That market will happen in conjunction with the Santa Claus Parade just like last year. Jensen-Shill said the Baker Street location serves the market well, as parade goers head over after the floats have passed by.
So far 55 vendors have signed up, and unfortunately the number is capped due to space limitations. Jensen-Shill said the vendors signed up in record time and there will be a lot of variety at the pre-Christmas sale. While fresh produce most likely won’t be on the menu, Jensen-Shill said many vendors will have value added products like garlic, apple cider and perhaps root vegetables.
And speaking of Christmas, Jensen-Shill said they are planning three more markets in the lead up to the holidays. The Cranbrook Farmer’s Market is in talks with the Tamarack Centre to have some space for 12 vendors on the three Saturdays before Christmas. The details are still being worked out, but Jensen-Shill said it’s exciting for those who can’t get enough of the markets.
“One more place and one more taste of the market,” she said. “The spirit of the market is alive and well. The community seems to be asking for more markets.”
The society received the final piece of a survey they had done earlier this summer by the B.C. Farmer’s Market Society that compared Cranbrook’s market to others in the province. The earlier results told the society that their humble market was injecting $1 million into the local economy, but further results showed the city on a provincial map. Jensen-Shill said these new results will help as the market begins to plan its fifth season.
“It sort of helps put our market on the map on a provincial scale,” she said. “We’ve been sort of flying by the seat of our pants and it has worked really well so far.”
For more information on the coming markets, visit www.cranbrookfarmersmarket.com.
