We get asked for a printable copy of our beautiful winter market poster. Once again, Miranda from Hudsonny Design + Handmade has donated her services in designing and producing this poster and if you need a graphic designer we have nothing but good things to say about her!

Here is a jpg version of our poster good for sharing (click to make it bigger):

And here is a PDF version if you’d prefer!

RCFM 2011-2012 Winter Poster small

We are really excited to be working with the Christmas Pajama Drive at our November and December winter markets to collect new jammies for kids aged newborn to 16 years. As part of the Christmas Bureau, which for years has made sure kids get a gift for Christmas, the Christmas Pajama Drive makes sure they get new, cozy, fresh pajamas for the holidays.

Drop off a pair of new, unwrapped jammies at the market November 5th or December 3rd for kids aged newborn to 16 years and we’ll make sure they get to the right place. As a thank you for donating, we’ll give you a $1 coupon to be used at any winter market at any vendor stall.

Check them out on Facebook and spread the word!

Even though the summer is over, the farmers market is still around! We’re excited to be kicking off our first winter market of the season this coming Saturday, November 5th, at River Market, located at 810 Quayside Drive.

Music at the market is courtesy of Fiddlestix! This is a fun and exciting drum and fiddle duo sure to get your toes tapping. Our music is sponsored by The Heritage Grill. We are also pleased that this month’s kids’ area is sponsored by the Vancouver Circus School. Don’t forget to check it out upstairs.

You can reach the market on foot via McInnes Street, Begbie Street or via the overhead walkway from Hyack Square at the foot of 8th Street. There is a bike rack on the south west end of the market. Free parking is available courtesy of the City of New Westminster on the B deck of the downtown waterfront parkade. You can enter it via McKenzie, 6th, or 4th Streets. Park on the B deck, at the southwest end and use the stairs to access Quayside Drive. And pay parking is available to the west and east of River Market for $1.50 for 2 hours.

The market takes place inside (both upstairs and downstairs) and outside (on the patio and on the west end). There are lots of yummy hot food choices as well as amazing handmade crafts, prepared delicacies, and produce – yes! Produce. Here’s what’s in season right now.

Here are the vendors confirmed for Saturday November 5th from 10-2. Stop by the RCFM info booth if you need help finding a specific vendor’s location. Please note not all vendors come to every market – to stay up to date, subscribe using www.mymarketsnews.com – we’ll send you a reminder a few days before the market with a list of whose signed up to come.

Eat On Site

• Gina’s Greek Food Catering – delicious Greek food ready to eat
• Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
• Ovenmonkey Bakery – selling fresh Langos – Hungarian fried flatbread
• Re-Up BBQ – selling eat on site BBQ goodness and take home bacon
• Samosa Guy – hot vegetarian samosas and pakoras, as well as frozen take home samosas

Produce

• Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm – organic produce, eggs, and beef
• Glen Valley Organic Farm – certified organic produce from a farm located only 50km from New Westminster
• Golden West Farms – Okanagan fruit grown in Summerland, many certified organic

Dairy

• Greendale Herb and Vine – Cheddar cheese, cheese curds, herbs, nut butters and honeycomb

Meat & Fish

• Outwest Ranches – beef raised locally and fresh eggs
• Port Hardy Seafood – BC caught fish and prawns
• Rockweld Farm – BC frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs

Bread & Baking

• A Bread Affair – Breads
• Blackberry Hill – squares, cinnamon buns, and old fashioned yummies like crisp rice squares
• Sweet Thea Cake Company – tarts, pies, cookies, and cakes

Delectable Treats and Prepared Yummies

• AJI Gourmet Products – sauces made using aji spice
• Anne’s Gallery – Jams, jellies & knitting
• Dundarave Olive Company – unique olive products
• Gary’s Kettlecorn – Kettlecorn
• Gourmet Savories – antipasto and pesto
• Maples’ Sugar Shack – maple syrup products
• My Father’s Garden – preserves and seasonal baking
• Simply Delish Soup Co – layered soup mix, rice pilaf mix, and spice rubs
• Take a Fancy Chocolates and Sweets – handmade chocolates right from scratch
• Vancouver Natural Gourmets – sweet treats and good eats, all raw!

Local Crafters

• Affera Cosmetics – mineral makeup made in Burnaby
• Black Bamboo Artisans – hand made glazed pottery and knitting
• Calido Art Glass – lampworked beads and jewelry
• Dingolay Glass Creations – African and Caribbean fused glass jewelry
• Dorothy Bickerstaff – quilts
• Ildiko Jewelry – hand forged sterling silver jewelry
• Jolene’s Handmade Soap – cold process soaps coloured with spices
• Monkey Business – costumed handmade sock monkeys
• The Other Eden – cold process soaps scented with essential & fragrance oils, room sprays, body products
• Working Silver – unique handmade silver jewelry

Sponsorship and partnerships are how RCFM manages to bring a quality market to New Westminster. This winter is no different. In addition to the City of New Westminster and Westminster Savings, as well as The Heritage Grill, Derrick Thornhill, and our location partner, River Market,  RCFM is very grateful to:

Vancouver Circus School is our sponsor for the kids’ activity area at the November and January winter markets. Vancouver Circus School is located is River Market and offers a full service circus arts school. Check them out at www.vancouvercircusschool.ca

Pretty Up Parties is our sponsor for the kids’ activity area at the December and March winter markets. Pretty Up Parties is a local business that brings the party decorations to you. With a focus on green and upcycled goodies, it makes it easy to throw a fun and well decorated party in your home with no hassle. Check them out at www.prettyupparties.com

Yoyomama.ca is our sponsor for the kids’ activity area at the February and April markets. Yoyomama.ca provides events, information, product reviews, and other goodies for parents, delivered right to your inbox. Check them out at www.yoyomama.ca

We’re excited the winter market starts up for the season November 5th. The winter market runs once a month, on the first Saturday of the month, from 10-2 at River Market, which is a new location for us this year, along the river at 810 Quayside Drive.

We’re looking for some volunteers to help out. Volunteering is a rewarding way to get involved with the farmers market. As a non profit society, we rely on the support of individuals to make the market happen and we appreciate our volunteers. There are some perks to volunteering as well – after 10 hours we offer a small token of appreciation, and after 25 hours of service we offer a free membership for the next year. Shifts are brief and easy to do.

At the market:

What we most need are volunteers who can assist the vendors to unload and set up from 8am to 10am and again at 2pm until 3:30pm to help them pack up. This is light physical work – you won’t be asked to carry anything ridiculously heavy, but you might be asked to carry small boxes or the end of a table, for example.  You should dress for the weather, as you’ll be inside and outside.

We can also use some volunteers during the market to work at the info desk. At the info desk, we sell a few fundraiser items of our own, and provide information to market goers about where certain vendors are. We also have a selection of information about food security and eating healthy. For this job, you need to be comfortable talking with strangers and talking about the market.

Finally, we can use some volunteers to assist during the market as “floaters”. Floaters might spell off a vendor while they use the washroom or perhaps carry some packages to a shopper’s car, or possibly bring something from a vendor to the info desk. This job is varied and is good for folks who don’t want to sit at a desk.

Before the market:

We’ll need some folks to help promote the market by postering around town. This means going into businesses and asking if it is okay to put up a poster. The posters are at the printer right now, but should be available about a week before the first market. You’ll be supplied with the posters and tape. This can be done in the evenings, but we find during the day you have better success because of the hours of business.

We also can use help with the street signs we use for the market. These signs are put up very early in the morning on the day of the market in the neighbourhood surrounding the market site. If you’re an early bird,  this might be a good fit for you. This job does require carrying a few signs and staking them into the ground and it is definitely one you need to dress warmly for.

If you are interesting in helping out, the commitment is small. We ask that you commit to at least 3 shifts per season. We are a fun, friendly, and supportive environment that welcomes all levels of ability, regardless of age. Please get in touch with us! You can email us at volunteer@newwestfarmers.ca or download the application right here. Feel free to give us a call at 778-928-7236.