Blog – Page 30

RCFM Call for Authors

April 11, 2016 By newwestfarmers

Market day1

Royal City Farmers Market LitFest NewWest 2016 Celebration

The Royal City Farmers Market is seeking authors for our LitFest NewWest 2016 Celebration at our farmers market. The farmers market takes place on Thursday May 12^th from 3pm to 7pm in gorgeous Tipperary Park next to New Westminster’s City Hall.

Authors are asked to bring books to sell and will be provided with a tent, table and chair for their vending space. This space is provided to authors free of charge and is sponsored by Arts Council of New Westminster. Authors will also be encouraged to read from their work and will be provided a time slot on our music stage (optional).

LitFest NewWest 2016 is an annual literary arts festival presented by The Arts Council of New Westminster, Royal City Literary Arts Society, New Westminster Public Library and Douglas College.

Deadline for applying: May 1, 2016

Author’s work should relate to the following subjects:

Food & beverage
Genre (e.g. mystery, humour, fantasy)
Memoir & history
Poetry
Spirituality
Travel
Children’s literature

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send an email to Melissa Maltais at marketmanager@newwestfarmers.ca. Your email should include:

Author’s name, brief bio and contact information
Book Titles and price points
Any website, social media links
How you heard about the call for Authors

Please use the subject line “RCFM Authors Week 2016” in your email.

For more information go to newwestfarmers.ca

Fresh/Paint April 9th

April 6, 2016 By newwestfarmers

FreshPaint_2016

Fresh / Paint
An evening of art, agriculture, wine and cheese.

Situated within the stunning 100 Braid Street Studios Fresh Paint is a evening dedicated to satisfying all the senses. Stroll down the “Artist’s Alley” engage with an amazing array of local talent whose art ranges from mixed media to watercolours and everything in between.

Get up close and personal with the farmers you see every Thursday during our summer season. This is your unique opportunity to really get to know the stories behind the amazing people who grow your family’s food.

We’ve expertly paired our featured winery, Pacific Breeze Winery, with the delicious handiwork of Golden Ears Cheesecrafters. Offerings from BobAli Hummus and Spread’Em Kitchen will leave vegan and omnivore taste buds begging for more. The folks at Four Winds Brewing and Rain City Juicery have provided us with both craft beer and ginger beer for our guests to enjoy!

Celebrate your inner artist by creating your own water colour masterpiece. Our resident artist will guide you through a the creative process so that you can take home your very own fancy piece of artwork.

Our silent auction highlights include VIP tours of local farms, fun activities for the whole family, art experiences with 100 Braid Street Studios and more. Become one with a famous piece of artwork in our photobooth and sit back and savour the musical stylings of acoustic artist John Bowman.

PURCHASE TICKETS THROUGH EVENTBRITE HERE!

Help Us Break Down Barriers to Fresh Local Food

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Seniors to the Market Shuttle Program. Purchase a ticket and help a Senior in our community receive access to fresh, healthy local food. Last year our partnership with the Seniors Services Society provided 60 low income seniors with the opportunity to shop from our farmers. We need your help to be able to continue this valuable program.

Special Thanks to our Event Sponsors:

Pacific Breeze Winery

Golden Ears Cheesecrafters

100 Braid Street Studios

TG Design Works

Rain City Juicery

Four Winds Brewing

FAQs

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

Attendees must be 19+ to attend and ID will be checked at the door.

How many drinks are included in with my ticket?

Your initial glass of beer, wine or non alcoholic beverage is included and we will be operating a cash bar for further drink purchases!

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

100 Braid St Studios is a 15 minute walk from the Braid Street Skytrain Station. Parking is available in front of the building as well as in the back. A ramp is available for anyone with mobility aids.

April 2nd Market Day

March 30, 2016 By newwestfarmers

seniors to the market picture

Would you like the opportunity to help seniors in your community have access to fresh local food?

Join us on April 9th for our Fresh/Paint Fundraiser! All proceeds from this event go towards the Seniors to the Market Shuttle Program which provides door to door service for seniors facing barriers to attending our farmers market.

This event takes place at the beautiful 100 Braid Street Studios and will be an evening of art, agriculture, wine and cheese. There are over a dozen local artists’ studios to visit, farmers to mingle with, good food and wine (or beer) and you get to create your own water colour masterpiece. Purchase tickets online or at our Info Table this Saturday!

The Roland Kaulfuss Music Stage will be featuring Ron Forbes. Ron has been performing solo acoustic numbers for several years and loves playing at the local farmers markets.

Make sure to stop by and say hello to our community guests The Music Box.

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.

A list of our vendors for April 2nd can be found below. Please check out Facebook Page or Twitter for any last minute cancellations or updates.

Produce

Greendale Herb & Vine – Greens, frozen tomatoes (beefsteak, heirloom) Honey, Nuts (hazelnuts), Muesli, Infused Vinegars, Goat’s and Cow’s Cheese, Popcorn Kernels, Herbal Teas, Dried Lavender.
Ossome Acres – Winter squash, Kale, kalettes, Brussel sprouts, Micro greens, Spinach, Herbs, Hand milled soap, Walnuts
Ripple Creek Farm – fresh greens and root vegetables
Crisp Organics – kale, carrots, squash
Nutrigreens – microgreens packed full of nutrients
Your Wildest Foods – foraged mushrooms, dried teas and fresh mushrooms

Meat and Fish

Rockweld Farm — BC frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
Local Beef & Eggs
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, crab cakes and frozen fish

Eat and Drink On Site

Cest Si Bon – Gourmet French food in a food truck!
Gary’s Kettlecorn – kettlecorn

Bread and Baking

A Bread Affair — artisan breads
Delish Gluten Free — gluten-free bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
Sweet Thea Cake Company — tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
Half Pint Pies – frozen hand pies to bake at home
Feeding Change – raw foods cakes and squares
Sable Shortbread – hand made shortbread that melts in your mouth

Delectable Treats and Prepared Yummies

BobAli – tasty dips and hummus spreads
Old Country Perogi – frozen perogies with gluten free & vegan options
The Raw Guy – kale chips, macaroons, crackers and raw treats
The Local Churn – hand churned gourmet butters
Muy Rico – salsas, tortilla chips, mole sauces and mayonnaise
Bubble Bombs – fun bubble bombs add a burst of flavour
Rain City Juicery – fresh cold pressed juices and hot apple cider
Anne’s Gallery – Jams jellies marmalades, chutney
Simply Delish Soup & Salad – dry soup and salad mixes to make at home
The Salt Dispensary – salted caramels, smoked salts and pepper mixes
Mindful Eating – frozen made from scratch samosas
Lilise Applesauce – organic home made applesauce from local fruit
Seedibles – all natural ground super seed products to add a nutritional boost to your meals

Bath & Body Care

Mediterra Soap – soaps and body lotions

Jewelry

Ildiko Jewelry – handforged sterling silver jewelry
Bits & Keys – adorable upcycled jewelry items
Lighen Up Jewels – lovely jewelry handmade by Holly

Liquor

Dragon Mist Distillery – locally made vodka and gin

Local Artisans and Crafters

Anne’s Gallery — traditional Aran and designer knitwear
Quality Oak – hand crafted quality cutting boards
New World Felting – gorgeously made felted scarves and accessories

Now Hiring: Assistant Market Manager

March 29, 2016 By newwestfarmers

The Royal City Farmers Market is looking for an Assistant Market Manager to join our market team starting in 2016.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to utilize their strong skills in communication, leadership, and most importantly, share your love of promoting sustainable, local products with the community! The RCFM sees thousands of visitors come through the market to pick up fresh produce, grab a delicious meal or coffee, or buy handcrafted items, and contributing to the community in New Westminster. RCFM, now in its 9^th year, is New Westminster’s only farmers market and is a member of the BC Association of Farmers Markets.

This is a part-time employee position. Compensation is $15/hour. Hours range from 30 hours per month in the winter, to 55 hours per month in the summer. Start date would be on or before April 16^th, 2016.

To apply, please send your resume with cover letter to info@newwestfarmers.ca by April 4^th, 2016.

Duties and Responsibilities

Onsite Market Activities

The Assistant Market Manager will be busiest on Market Day.

Set-up and tear-down with the Operations Manager.
Create an attractive display for the Merchandise Table and Info Tent for summer markets
Set up and tear-down of Marquee Tent in the winter
Represent the organization for the duration of the market as the key person at the Merchandise Table in the summer. Duties include:
- Selling products and memberships, processing credit cards, keeping an accurate float, and reaching sales goals set by the Operations Manager.
- Providing information to customers.

Coordinating Volunteers

Outside of market hours, the Assistant Market Manager will coordinate volunteers and assist with recruitment.

Most of this work is via email, but sometimes you’ll need to call.
Accurately track volunteers’ information, including the hours they work, and scheduling the volunteers, including for events outside of market days.
Supply high school student volunteers with confirmation letters (template provided).

Workshops

Our Assistant Market Manager is in charge of our monthly Member Workshops.

Manage workshops through Eventbrite, so an understanding of Eventbrite is an asset. Training would be provided for the right candidate.
Identify vendors to lead future workshops, and work with them to make sure the workshops scheduled are advertised correctly.

Online Reporting

There is some online reporting the Assistant Market Manager will be responsible for.

Report weekly on and process coupons from the BC Association of Farmers Market’s Nutrition Coupon Program including
- Counting and double-checking the number of coupons, packaging and mailing them, and reporting on the numbers.
- Provide brief, summary data to be entered into internal systems for RCFM.

Insurance Paperwork

Twice per year, before each market season, we review our vendors’ insurance documentation and submit copies to the City of New Westminster. The assistant manager is responsible for this.

Gather paperwork and submit to a city contact person.
Coordinate occasionally with vendors and their insurance brokers to get exact wording on the insurance documents.

Public Relations

We have a number of ways we reach out to the community and the Assistant Market Manager is a valuable member of the team that takes care of these tasks.

Primary personresponsible for writing and deploying our monthly newsletter via MailChimp,
Conduct customer or vendor surveys for feedback.
Submit “What’s at the Market” form to the service in advance of each market, and adding any collected email addresses to the newsletter list.

Special Events & Community Outreach

RCFM participates in a number of community outreach and special events.

Actively seek out community outreach events to promote the market, attend or secure volunteers to attend, and workwith various collaborators in the community.

Pocket Markets

A few times a year, RCFM participates in “pocket” or “mini” markets which are small markets where either vendors attend and RCFM has an info table, or RCFM sells vendor products on their behalf at a small event.

Display set-up and tear-down
Collect fees from vendors if necessary
Manage the “info booth” part of the event
Coordinate with event leaders, Fraser Health and the City.

Additional Criteria

The Assistant Market Manager will be trained to be capable of taking over operations on a market day in the event of vacation or illness of the Operations Manager.

Must be able to lift up to 40lbs.
Must own a computer or have access to a computer with and have an understanding of email, Microsoft Excel, and using the Internet.
Have a valid Driver’s License and have access to a vehicle.
Must be or must be willing to become Food Safe Certified.
Standard/CPR First Aid training is an asset.
Must be legally able to work in British Columbia.

To apply, please email a resume with cover letter to info@newwestfarmers.ca by April 4^th, 2016.

March 19th Market Day

March 16, 2016 By newwestfarmers

Close-up of colorful plastic Easter Eggs, ready for a hunt

Join us for an early Easter celebration this Saturday at our farmers market on Belmont Street! We’ll have colourful eggs hidden all around the market (check the vendor stalls!) and everyone is invited to participate in our Easter egg hunt. Check out the prizes available to win;

Smoked Sockeye from Wheelhouse Seafoods
Soap Products from Mediterra Soaps
Gift Cards from Big Red’s Poutine
Seasonings and Salts from The Salt Dispensary
Marmalade from KICS Lemonade
Hot Cross Buns from A Bread Affair
CinnaWow and QuinoaCool from Seedibles
Kids Menu Item from Gypsy Trunk Gourmet Fare
Market Money from RCFM

The Roland Kaulfuss Music Stage will be featuring Dave Paterson . Originally from Montreal Dave is now based in Vancouver and performs as a solo act singing and playing guitars while accompanying himself on harmonica. His repertoire ranges from Robert Johnson to Hank Williams to Hoagy Carmicheal. He likes to do his own take on old Americana music!