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Saturday November 19th Market Day! 11am to 3pm

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steel&oak

Grab your umbrella and join us for a joint rendition of “Rain, Rain go away!” this Saturday at the Winter market on Belmont from 11am to 3pm.

Rain isn’t guaranteed, but we do promise to have delicious treats, seasonable local foods, and stocking stuffers for you early Christmas shoppers. Grab your reusable bag and come fill it with fresh local produce, pastries, breads. Grab a jar of jam to spread on that baguette! Stock up on some local craft beer, dessert, or popcorn! We have a bit of everything to suit your rainy day desires!

Be sure to visit the vendors situated in our big Marquee Tent sponsored by the wonderful folks of the Uptown Business Association. You’ll find many of your favourite vendors under the tent as well as some new faces.

Driving to the market? FREE PARKING is available at Westminster Centre, directly across the street from Belmont Street. If you are taking transit the #106 bus stops at 5th avenue and 6th street. Coming from the Quay? Take River Market’s brand new FREE DUC shuttle from the Quay straight to our location.

Join us on Belmont Street for lunch! Enjoy a nice coffee and relax on one of the UpTown Parklet adirondack chairs!

A list of our vendors for November 19th can be found below. Please check out Facebook Page or Twitter for any last minute cancellations or updates.

What’s happening at the Market?

 

Entertainment

 

Farm Fresh Produce

  • Ripple Creek Organics –swiss chard, kale, beets, kennebec potatoes, zucchini, fresh garlic, leeks, cucumber, baby lettuce mix, eggplant, arugula, specialty mix, cherry tomatoes. (Certified Organic)
  • Ossome Acres -Winter squash, Kale, kalettes, Brussel sprouts, Micro greens, Spinach, Salad mix, lettuce, Herbs, Hand milled soap, Walnuts, Christmas wraiths
  • Bose & Sons Family Farm –Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Potatoes
  • Country Village Market -Frozen berries, greens, pakoras
  • Nutrigreens – microgreens, potatoes, zucchini, cucumber
  • Your Wildest Foods – foraged mushrooms, dried teas and fresh mushrooms
  • Sweet Earth Organics – carrots, greens, turnips

Beef, Eggs, Poultry and Seafood

  • Rockweld Farm – BC SPCA Certified frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
  • Wild West Coast Seafoods –  flash frozen fillets of Rock Sole, Petrale Sole, Rockfish, Ling Cod, Pacific Cod, Sablefish, Chinook/Spring Salmon, Coho Salmon, Sidestripe Shrimp, Halibut, Albacore Tuna Loin.
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – seafood pasta and crab cakes, frozen salmon and spot prawns
  • Local Beef & Eggs – purslane, onions, chives, rhubarb, eggs, kale

Artisan Breads

  • A Bread Affair – breads, baguettes, ciabattas, rolls, scones (Certified Organic)

Gluten Free Breads & Baking

  • Delish Gluten Free – bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Baking – bread, cookies, pizza dough and snacks

Bakery

  • Sweet Thea Cakes – tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
  • Simply Scones – traditional English style scones
  • Sable Shortbread – tasty yummy specialty shortbread
  • Half Pint Pies – frozen mini pies to take home and bake
  • Samaya Delights – turmeric muffins, baklava
  • Baguette & Co. – breads, loaves, pastries, croissants, danishes, turn-overs

Snacks

Food Trucks & Eat On Site

  • Cheeses Crust – Grilled Cheeses!
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – salmon burgers
  • Country Village Market – yummy pakoras & samosas

Prepared Foods (Pantry Staples)

  • Jam Shack Preservery – savoury spreads and jams
  • Old Country Pierogi –frozen pierogies (gluten free and vegan options available)
  • Muy Rico – salsas, mayonaise, mole sauces, tortilla chips and corn tortillas
  • Livi & K – Raw Granola clusters packed full of flavours
  • Sidney’s Smokehouse – locally made jerky
  • BobAli – tasty dips and hummus spreads
  • Anne’s Gallery -jams, chutneys and preserves and Spiced Peach Jam!
  • Real Meals – prepared frozen foods for healthy meals at home
  • Roasters Hot Sauce – hot sauces of various flavours
  • Lilise Applesauce – delicious gourmet applesauces
  • Jam ‘n Music – award winning jams

Jewelry & Artisan Crafts

  • New World Felting -beautifully made felted scarves & hats
  • Quality Oak Accents – hand crafted cutting boards by Louie
  • Anne’s Gallery – 

Health, Beauty & Services

  • Purely Clean – an all natural way to clean your home

Wine, Beer & Spirits

  • Dragon Mist Distillery – locally made vodka and gin
  • Steel & Oak – local craft beer

 

Special Thanks to our Music Stage Sponsor Roland Kaulfuss:

rolandkaulfuss logo

RFP: Graphic Designer / Brand Strategist

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RFP: Graphic Design / Brand Strategist

The Royal City Farmers Market (RCFM) is a mid-sized, well-established farmers market in New Westminster, B.C. that operates outdoors year-round. RCFM will be entering its tenth year of operation in 2017. It is a member of the B.C. Association of Farmers Markets and registered as a B.C. non-profit society. RCFM has an active board of directors, as well as operational staff and a number of dedicated volunteers.

We seek a qualified company or individual to provide brand strategy and graphic design services.


Project Scope:  

  • Develop refreshed organizational logo and associated brand icons, typefaces, style guide, letterhead, and colour palette.
  • Develop campaign specific materials including a wordmark, brochure design, magnet, graphic materials for promotional video, templated weekly newsletter ad, graphic materials for web landing page, and lamp post banner design.  
  • Other materials as suggested or supplied to complement the new branding.

Note: content for all materials will be produced by the committee. Content writing is not required.

You will be working with a board-designated small committee, with a single lead person.

Budget:

The maximum budget for this project is $3,000 inclusive of taxes and expenses.

Timeline:

This work will take place from the end of November 2016 to end of April 2017 with the refreshed logo in place before the end of March and the campaign materials to be launched for our summer market season starting in May.

To apply:

Submit a proposal or cover letter with resume to info@newwestfarmers.ca that outlines: fees, proposed deliverables, and qualifications. Please also include a link to your online portfolio or samples of your work. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience working with non-profit boards and are New Westminster-based.

Deadline: November 15, 2016  

November 5th Market Day

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Back on Belmont!

The wait is over, the Winter edition of the Royal City Farmers Market is upon us! We have a full market for you to peruse and a wonderful array of new vendors for you to discover!

Join us on Saturday November 5th from 11am to 3pm on Belmont Street between 6th Street and 7th Street. Our location is nestled in the heart of Uptown New Westminster and is accessible by transit, car, bike and for those of you walking from nearby neighborhoods.

We are so pleased to announce that Roland Kaulfuss will continue to be our Music Stage sponsor throughout the winter season 2016-2017, and our Music Stage this week will feature Jeff Neufeld!

Be sure to visit the vendors situated in our big Marquee Tent sponsored by the wonderful folks of the Uptown Business Association. You’ll find many of your favourite vendors under the tent as well as some new faces.

Driving to the market? FREE PARKING is available at Westminster Centre, directly across the street from Belmont Street. If you are taking transit the #106 bus stops at 5th avenue and 6th street.

Join us on Belmont Street for lunch! Enjoy a nice relax Chai tea on one of the UpTown Parklet adirondack chairs!

A list of our vendors for November 5th can be found below. Please check out Facebook Page or Twitter for any last minute cancellations or updates.

 

What’s happening at the Market?

 

Farm Fresh Produce

  • Ripple Creek Organics –swiss chard, kale, beets, kennebec potatoes, zucchini, fresh garlic, leeks, cucumber, baby lettuce mix, eggplant, arugula, specialty mix, cherry tomatoes. (Certified Organic)
  • Ossome Acres -Winter squash, Kale, kalettes, Brussel sprouts, Micro greens, Spinach, Salad mix, lettuce, Herbs, Hand milled soap, Walnuts
  • Bose & Sons Family Farm –Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Potatoes
  • Country Village Market -Frozen berries, greens, pakoras
  • Nutrigreens – microgreens, potatoes, zucchini, cucumber
  • Your Wildest Foods – foraged mushrooms, dried teas and fresh mushrooms
  • Sweet Earth Organics – carrots

Cheese & Dairy

  • The Local Churn – hand churned gourmet butter

Beef, Eggs, Poultry and Seafood

  • Rockweld Farm – BC SPCA Certified frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
  • Wild West Coast Seafoods –  flash frozen fillets of Rock Sole, Petrale Sole, Rockfish, Ling Cod, Pacific Cod, Sablefish, Chinook/Spring Salmon, Coho Salmon, Sidestripe Shrimp, Halibut, Albacore Tuna Loin.
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – seafood pasta and crab cakes, frozen salmon and spot prawns
  • Local Beef & Eggs – purslane, onions, chives, rhubarb, eggs, kale

Artisan Breads

  • A Bread Affair – breads, baguettes, ciabattas, rolls, scones (Certified Organic)

Gluten Free Breads & Baking

  • Delish Gluten Free – bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Baking – bread, cookies, pizza dough and snacks

Bakery

  • Sweet Thea Cakes – tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
  • Simply Scones – traditional English style scones
  • Sable Shortbread – tasty yummy specialty shortbread
  • Half Pint Pies – frozen mini pies to take home and bake
  • Samaya Delights – turmeric muffins, baklava

Snacks

 

  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – kettle corn (traditional and caramel)
  • Aslan Chai – Delicious, warm chai lattes

Food Trucks & Eat On Site

  • Disco Cheetah – Korean fusion tacos and rice bowls
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – salmon burgers
  • Country Village Market – yummy pakoras!

Prepared Foods (Pantry Staples)

  • Jam Shack Preservery – savoury spreads and jams
  • Old Country Pierogi –frozen pierogies (gluten free and vegan options available)
  • Muy Rico – salsas, mayonaise, mole sauces, tortilla chips and corn tortillas
  • James Lewis Foods – granola bars packed full of good stuff
  • Livi & K – Raw Granola clusters packed full of flavours
  • Sidney’s Smokehouse – locally made jerky
  • KICS Lemonade – refreshing lemonade syrups and marmalades
  • BobAli – tasty dips and hummus spreads
  • Honey Bee Zen Apiary – New West honey and honey infused products
  • Anne’s Gallery -jams, chutneys and preserves and Spiced Peach Jam!

Jewelry & Artisan Crafts

 

  • New World Felting -beautifully made felted scarves & hats
  • Ildiko Jewelry – handforged sterling silver jewelry
  • Bits & Keys – funky jewelry and fun crosstiches
  • Quality Oak Accents – hand crafted cutting boards by Louie

Health, Beauty & Services

  • Purely Clean – an all natural way to clean your home

Wine, Beer & Spirits

  • Dragon Mist Distillery – locally made vodka and gin

 

Special Thanks to our Music Stage Sponsor Roland Kaulfuss:

rolandkaulfuss logo

The inaugural Long Table Dinner

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On September 29, we hosted our first ever Long Table Dinner as part of Tourism New West’s Feast on the Fraser celebration. Forty-five hungry RCFM supporters came out to dine under an open tent in Tipperary Park. The menu was filled with delectable items from our vendors.

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Menu

We were lucky to have a beautiful autumn day and the tables looked a treat thanks to a donation by the Bloom Bloom Room, a local florist based out of Sapperton.  The centrepiece garlands added the perfect ambiance for a harvest feast. The Uptown Business Association kindly allowed us to use their giant tents which set the stage.

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Table for two?

Diners were greeted with a glass of local Pacific Breeze wine and shrubs donated by Vancouver-based Mixers & Elixers. Shrubs are drinking vinegars—slightly sweet and slightly tart, we mixed them with soda water. They were served by marvelous volunteers from the New Westminster Youth Ambassadors Society.

The table held an abundance of bread donated by A Bread Affair and butter that was almost too pretty to eat. The Local Churn donated some unique combinations including tart cherry and sherry.

The opening course comprised a Caprese Salad that featured locally grown vine ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic reduction. There was also a Hundred Mile Salad with kale, spinach, beets, goat cheese, candied pecans and what I sincerely hope were edible flowers.

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The salads

Salads consumed, we then moved onto the entrees which included char-grilled, wild-caught BC salmon that was served with a roasted pineapple salsa. If you haven’t yet tried Wild West Coast Seafood’s products we can attest to their top-notch quality. The diners also feasted on mushroom-hunter grilled Rockweld Farm chicken breasts, another generous donation from one of our popular local vendors. This wasn’t one of those either/or situations—everyone got both salmon and chicken as well as mozzarella-ricotta stuffed agnolotti as a side. We also had roasted in-season local vegetables (because it was a Farmers Market event after all) and grilled corn on the cob from the Fraser Valley. We were lucky to be able to purchase ingredients from some favourite market vendors including Zaklan Heritage Farms, Bose + Sons Family Farm, Ossome Acres, and Greendale Herb & Vine.

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The entrees!

Unbelievably, diners still seemed to have room for the exquisite goodies donated by Sweet Thea and Delish Gluten Free Bakery. There was a choice of assorted tarts and gluten-free brownies and I do believe more than one person tried both a tart and a brownie (no judgement here!). Unfortunately no photos remain because anyone standing in the way of the dessert table would have been taking their life in their hands.

The Long Table Dinner was an incredible community feast! The generosity of local RCFM vendors + the company of good friends and neighbours + the deliciousness of eating local = the best kind of evenings in our books.

 

 

 

Farmers Market Challenge: Fish, stew, cheese… oh my!

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Last week’s post was all about summer; this week’s is all about fall.

The air is crisp, the orange, red and yellow leaves are blowing in the wind, children screeching with glee as they scatter through the organized piles, hoodies and winter leggings taking over shorts and tanks, hot chocolate fast replacing ice cream.

Tis the season for belly warming, hearty recipes.

The Bartel menu has officially embraced fall – tortilla soup; quinoa, kale and squash stew; stir fry; and cheesy, cheesy quiche were staples of the week – made all the more comforting by market-fresh goodness.

To be honest, I didn’t know we were going all in with fall, in fact, our market shopping list this week was quite lacking. We had our usual meal-planning session, but both husband and I were stumped as to what to put on it. Meals were suggested, but ultimately rejected – we were not inspired.

So we went in with a list of our staples: greens and a few veggies, and that was it. We left it to the market to decide.

This week’s loot:

Zaklan Heritage Farm:

  • 1 mini purple cabbage: $1
  • 1 leek: $3
  • 1 purple onion: $1.60
  • 1 bag arugula: $4
  • 2 bunches mustard greens: $5

Greendale Herb and Vine:

  • 1 eggplant: $2.50

Country Village Market:

  • 1 basket Brussels sprouts: $3

Golden Ears Cheese Crafters

  • 1 medium-sized  chunk of smoked gouda $8

Wild West Coast Seafoods

  • 1 pound petrale sole: $12

Total spent was $40.10.

Of the loot not on the original must-have list were the Brussels sprouts (screams fall), red cabbage, leeks, eggplant, onion, smoked gouda, and petrale sole.

 

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Smoked gouda

 

We knew we wanted a fish, tuna to be exact, but unfortunately, due to a “crummy” season, what was $12 for a pound a month or so ago is now $18 to $20. Sadly, out of our price range. Ron “the fish guy” suggested we try the petrale. We were hesitant at first because every time we’ve purchased sole from the grocery store it has significantly shrunk upon grilling.

That’s filler, Ron told us, all water. Apparently most fish sold in chains have added water filler to beef up their appearances!!! Ron assured us it was a tasty fish that would retain its size, and at $12 a pound, it was within our family friendly budget.

Because it’s a lighter fish, we didn’t want to overload it with seasoning – keep it simple, Ron advised.

We splashed it with olive oil, added dill, salt and pepper, wrapped it in tinfoil and threw it on the barbecue, along with tinfoil wrapped veggies, including the eggplant and zucchini from last week.

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Fish

 

My only concern with the fish, which by the way, my four-year-old devoured without any prodding, is the bone content – there were a lot of small, fine bones littered throughout. Good thing the boy doesn’t care about appearances of his foods just yet; it was quite mangled by the time I was through with it.

The Brussels sprouts and eggplant were grilled on the barbecue – sooo yummy! A portion of the leeks and cheese were used in the quiche; the remainder of the leek was used in a quinoa stew that also used the delicata squash, tomatoes and tatsoi from last week, as well as the Russian garlic from two weeks ago, and the onion, and purple cabbage. Pretty much I threw everything I had in there!

 

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Essentially, a kitchen-sink stew

The stir fry incorporated the green beans, red pepper and garlic from last week, as well as this week’s onion. And with one more day to go, a little bit of onion and cheese remaining, I am heavily considering making a single-serving French onion soup.

Fall, it’s a beautiful, tasty time of year, don’t you think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Land Acknowledgement

Our market is grateful to operate on the unceded land of the Qayqayt, Kwikwetlem, and other Halkomelem speaking Peoples. We acknowledge that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land. We acknowledge the incredible gift this land is to our market and BC Agriculture. We commit to the ongoing work of decolonization and allyship.