Wildsight’s Kimberley Farmers’ Market opens for the first time this Thursday, July 3, at 5 p.m. Now that the summer sun has readied the first round of crops for harvest, local farmers will be loading up their market tables for locals to pick up some local flavour. But there will be much more than just veggies to be found at the Farmers’ Market, including eggs, meat, and honey, plus bread and baked goods, and all kinds of local crafts and artisanal products. Of course, there will be hot food vendors serving up dinner and plenty of sweet treats.
The market will run from 5-7:30 p.m. every Thursday until September 11. One block of Howard Street, just up from the Platzl, will be closed for the market every week.
Shoppers will want to arrive for 5 p.m. to have the pick of the crop — and to catch the farmyard flair of the special market opening ceremony.
“Response from local area vendors, downtown businesses, the City of Kimberley and the community at large has been 100 per cent positive, and we are all looking forward to Kimberley hosting its own Farmers’ Market,” said Wildsight’s market manager Erna Jensen-Shill. “Twenty-five vendors are signed up for our inaugural market this week, and we look forward to a great season.”
The mantra for the market is “make it, bake it, or grow it” and that means everything on offer is created by a local artisan, made by a local baker, or grown or raised by a local farmer. For market shoppers, that means tasty, fresh, nutritious food, direct from the producer. For producers, that means a connection with their customers and a fair, direct price for their products. For the community, the market is a place to gather. Eating local food has environmental benefits too, as produce need not be shipped long distances, and many market producers are organic or otherwise limit their impacts.
“The Kimberley Farmers’ Market fits right in with our focus on food sustainability,” said Wildsight’s Jessica Windle. “It’s all about growing and eating our food in a way that sustains the planet and our community.” Wildsight’s Food Sustainability program also includes the new shared Open Gate Garden, the Edible Garden workshop series to help local gardeners grow their own food, kitchen workshops focused on preserving local food for our long winters, their long-running Apple Capture project, and a focus on composting to turn kitchen scraps into food for the next year’s crop.
“We would like to thank the members of the advisory committee and all of the volunteers who are working hard to bring this market to Kimberley,” said Jensen-Shill.