Farmers market set for triumphant return
More vendors, space and tables for casual gardeners to sell produce just some of the highlights at this year's weekly community event
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Friday, May 23, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With summer just around the corner, the Yellowknife's Farmers Market is getting ready to make its triumphant return to Somba K'e Civic Plaza on June 3.
Last summer's Tuesday-night markets proved to be a huge hit with residents who came out in droves week after week to purchase local produce and homemade goods.
The market, which was the first of its kind to take place in Yellowknife since the mid-1990s, was also fairly lucrative as vendors pulled in a combined total of approximately $150,000 worth of sales over the course of the summer.
Dave Zethof, spokesperson for the Yellowknife Community Garden Collective, said this summer's market is already shaping up to be bigger and better than last year's, with 50 vendors currently signed up to take part.
"That's probably close to 20 more than we had last year," said Zethof, who pointed out that approximately 40 have signed up for the 16-week duration of the market's vending season.
The cost of a table is $250 for 16 weeks, $175 for eight weeks and $30 for people who want to show up for a one-off.
In order to accommodate the additional vendors, the co-operative will be expanding their vending area along the sidewalk in front of Frame Lake at Somba K'e Civic Plaza.
Among some of the new items that residents can look forward to on this season's menu are homemade cheese, fish burgers, fresh flowers and homemade frozen meat pies.
"Those are just some of the highlights," said Zethof.
Zethof added that the co-operative will be offering a "budding gardeners" table where recreational gardeners can drop off their own fruit and vegetables to be sold, with a small percentage of the profits going to the Yellowknife Community Garden Collective.
"We're just trying to encourage people to get involved," he said.
Although plans to set up a commercial gardening venture have been shelved for the time being, Zethof pointed out that the co-operative recently launched a land-share program where prospective gardeners with nowhere to get their hands dirty can be linked up with people that have unused green space in their yards.
"It's following a model of ... small plot-intensive agriculture where you can use extremely small pieces of tiny land that many wouldn't think you could consider farming," said Rosanna Nicol, the co-ordinator for the program.
Along with fellow green thumb Claire Singer, Nicol said she has already agreed to take over at least five gardens through the program - including that of Health Minister Glen Abernethy.
"It's a lot of work, but it's not onerous work. It's not a chore," said Singer, who will be selling her own produce for the first time this summer.
Nicol has a bit more of experience than her partner, having spent the last summer growing produce for a farmers market just outside of Ottawa. She said being able to sell food that you have grown yourself is extremely rewarding and she hopes more people will sign up for the land share program in the coming weeks.
"You make, actually, a pretty good amount of money, you certainly don't need to buy food and you don't need to join a sports team or go to the gym or really go on a hiking trip. You're strong, you're outside, you're eating well and it's pretty fun," she said.
Zethof said he is still working with the city to try and sort out some entertainment for the market.
He added that there are plans to run a day-time market on Canada Day, which happens to fall on a Tuesday this year.
