The Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce’s community market is now officially a farmer’s market.
The market has received the official recognition of being a Farmer’s Market this year through the BC Association of Farmer’s Markets (BCAFM).
What this would mean is that the market will be registered on the province-wide website BC Farmers Market putting Burns Lake on a province-wide Farmers’ market map.
Chamber Manager, Randi Amendt who shared this news said she was thrilled by this opportunity and looked forward to becoming a part of some other programs that would benefit the community through this farmer’s market status.
One such benefit would be the BC Farmer’s Market Nutrition Coupon Program where the BCAFM collaborates with community organizations to provide farmer’s market coupons to lower-income families, pregnant women and seniors. The coupon program, supported by the province and the Provincial Health Services Authority would mean that each household enrolled in the program would be eligible to receive $21 per week in coupons and the coupons could be used at any participating BC Farmers’ Markets.
An official word on the nutrition coupon program is still awaited but if the market is approved for this program and is able to collaborate with a local community organization, it could be a game changer for the community.
This year, the chamber has extended the market from two months, to three months.
“At the end of each market, I send out a survey to the vendors and what I heard from most vendors was they wanted to have the market for another month. That’s why this year we decided to start the market in June instead of July,” said Amendt.
The first market of the season will be held on June 11 and will continue to be held on every Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., until the end of August. This year, the chamber will also be hosting a Canada Day market on Thursday, July 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Another big change this year is that the market will be held at the chamber’s new location instead of the CNC parking lot.
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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