Market Matters
Summer 2008 Vol.5
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Market Matters |
Summer 2008 Vol.5 |
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President's Report
Summer is finally here and it's a busy time for everyone. I'd like to acknowledge and thank all farmers' markets who joined the BCAFM in 2008. Your membership dollars are valuable to help sustain the Association and we encourage you to take full advantage of your membership fees by participating in programs and activities. Check out our new website and use your id and password to update your information. Soon an Executive Director (ED) will be hired. This person will be part time and will be your first point of contact for all questions and concerns regarding farmers' market business. As the BCAFM President, I will be delegating many of my current tasks to the ED to allow me to narrow my focus and concentrate on providing effective leadership to enable the BCAFM to build capacity and become more self-reliant. (The volunteer time has been great these past two years and it is time for the BCAFM to move forward). A summer student, Mark Mendoza, has been hired for July and August to help out with communication through mailings and email. Over the past few years, Jaclyn Laic, Special Projects Coordinator, provided a helping hand to the BCAFM on projects including the Chefs' Shop Program and Eat BC! She also helped organize the AGM. Recently, Jaclyn decided to pursue other interests outside the BCAFM and we wish her well in her new endeavors! We have an exciting new website. Visit www.bcfarmersmarket.org and check it out. There is an opportunity for you to use the "blog" and post your comments. Take time to read what Paula has to say about the Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon Program. We expanded from five markets to ten markets for the 2008 season. We have funding to expand to 20 markets in 2009. This means that ten new markets will be added to the program next year. Remember to list your BC150 Feastival on the web page as we all "remember the past and celebrate the future in British Columbia." We have been approved for two programs with Investment Agriculture. Soon you will hear more about the "Market Smart Food Safety" program and Director/Management workshop opportunities. We will be hiring two contractors to develop these programs. Remember your board is a group of dedicated volunteers. We do our best to keep up with your enquires and requests and although we sometimes get busy with our farming and families, the BCAFM business gets missed for just a day or two. It takes many hands and many good minds to build a strong Association. I wish to thank everyone involved with the BCAFM for their passion and energy. Happy Selling!
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| BC Farmers' Market | Cooking & Skill Building Partner |
| Abbotsford | Best for Babies Program | Bulkley Valley | Smithers Pregnancy Outreach Program | Comox Valley | LUSH Valley Food Action Society Comox Valley Family Services |
Coquitlam | Healthy Babies Program Public Health Services Fraser Health |
Fiddlehead | Bellies & Babies | Kamloops | Interior Community Services | Kelowna | The Bridge Youth & Family Services | Moss Street | Victoria Native Friendship Centre | Prince George | Northern Family Health Society | Your Local Farmers' Market Society (Vancouver) | Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Hastings Community Centre Collingwood Neighbourhood House |
Paula Luther, RHN
Project Manager
coupon@bcfarmersmarket.org
604-254-4512
Congratulations to these new markets and a special thank you for joining the BCAFM.
Market Managers: Please print and share 10 copies of this newsletter with your vendors to keep them in the know
Want More Farmers?Many farmers' markets are looking for more farmers to sell at their markets. The BCAFM would like to help markets recruit more farmers and we're asking for your help to spread the word by distributing the brochure, "Grow with Us!" Over the next week, member markets will receive 10 brochures to hand out to prospective vendors. Contact donna.anaka@gov.bc.ca for additional copies.
A friendly reminder to all member markets to check your email to receive your login to enable you to enter your market in the Market Directory on the new website. To ensure that all market information is up to date, we are asking you to follow the instructions in the email you receive to enter your data ASAP. Your market will appear only after you have entered the data. If you have any problems, please contact the administrator at admin@bcfarmersmarket.org or 604-855-0883. Adding your market to the directory is free for all Full Members and it's a great way to promote yourself to thousands of visitors.
Telling a story is a great way to get your message across and it can be a powerful tool for communicating with others, obtaining support and promoting your products. Telling a story is a way to communicate, so over the next few issues we'll be telling tales... of volunteers, market managers, vendors and others.
The markets are always looking for volunteers. Volunteering can be rewarding and does have its perks. Share this newsletter with your vendors and friends who may be interested in volunteering.
Introducing Gretchen Grabow, Volunteer, Trout Lake Market...
"I began to volunteer at the Trout Lake Market eight years ago. We set up the market's information tent, answer questions, sell raffle tickets, direct traffic away from the community centre's parking lot and at the end of the day take down the tent and store it at the community centre.
I also volunteer at the market and take time to shop at the market weekly because the market is congruent with my values. It is local. The vendors are local or nearby farmers, the artisans are local people and it is a community social gathering (I say I must comb my hair because I will see a lot of friends and people I admire!) I often combine my shopping with a walk around the park or a coffee with a friend.
I admire the staff and the vendors for the work they do and have a first name friendship/relationship with many folks. The market is in large part organic which is important to me because organic farming is healing of the earth. And it is small in scale.
The market is a counter balance to the big corporate scale of too much of our lives. I know people and they know me and I am supporting an alternative to the above corporate mentality. I try to live cooperatively with my neighbours.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story on volunteering. I invite you to share this story with other people who may be considering this role."
—Gretchen
Introducing Penny Lim, Volunteer, Trout Lake Market...
"Ah, Trout Lake Farmers Market. I admire the dedication and passion of farmers, their pleasant families and hard-working kids. Markets introduced me to such a vast array of fresh produce including beets — golden and striped, carrots gold or red, too; fresh garlic of long life; those Pemberton spuds; Hilltop's exotic Indian cucumbers, Indian bitter melon, crunchy Ambrosia apples; in addition to eggplants and tomatoes of all sorts. Goods hitherto unknown to me now most welcome in my diet.
As an artist, beyond happy nourishment for the body — the aesthetics gladden the eye also. Trout Lake features its very own ambience. An oasis to the market — Trout Lake is fun! Shop and picnic."
—Penny
Mary Forstbauer
President, BCAFM
Email: info@bcfarmersmarket.org
Ph: 604-794-3999
Paula Luther, RHN
Nutrition and Coupon Program Manager
Email: coupon@bcfarmersmarket.org
Ph: 604-254-4512
Sher Hackwell
Email: sher_h@telus.net
Ph: 604-738-9770
Want to find a local farmers' market convenient to you? Click here to go to our market listing.
BC 150 YEARS Feastival Celebrations
eat local, nutritious food