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September 2nd – Harvesting Good Times

August 28, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Pumpkin Mania!

Even though autumn doesn’t start for another few weeks, many people view the end of August as the beginning of autumn. For many people school is just starting, and for the most part, summer holidays wrap up. But here at the market, we are still going strong! This week also marks the introduction of some new produce being harvested – squashes with their plump, sweet bodies are starting to be spotted all over the place, and some of our favourites, like blueberries, are starting to taper off. From the BCAFM, here is a list of what you can find in season locally in September: Apples, Basil, Beans, Beets, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Vegetables, Chives, Cilantro, Corn, Cucumbers, Currants, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Leeks, Melons, Onions (sweet), Onions (cooking), Pears, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radish, Raspberries, Rosemary, Sage, Salad Greens, Shallots, Spinach, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash.

Here’s what else is happening this week:

Music, sponsored by our friends at the Heritage Grill (where there’s live jazz, blues, folk, Latin, and funk 7 days a week!):

  • Delaney Bloudell – local singer with country covers 3-5pm
  • Chris Messytone – accordion tunes from all genres 5-7pm

Kids’ Entertainment:

  • Allyson Grant, Face Painting
  • Kids’ Freeplay Zone, with toys selected with care at Pedagogy Toys

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Beer Brats – Beer. Brats. Brilliant.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Maluma Health Foods – Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

  • Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm – Peppers, tomatoes, apples & pumpkins
  • Canwest Farms – blueberries!
  • Celyddon Farms – Certified organic produce from Delta
  • 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
  • Maan Farms – assorted locally grown produce
  • Nature Village Farm – Asian produce grown in Richmond
  • Red Barn Plants and Produce – assorted locally grown produce and Okanagan fruits

Dairy

  • Farmhouse Natural Cheeses – cow’s milk cheeses, goat’s milk cheese, goat’s milk yogurt, cow milk butter
  • Greendale Herb and Vine – cheddar cheese curds, honey, hazelnuts, prepared vinegars, hazelnut butter
  • Little Qualicum Cheeseworks – High quality cheese from Vancouver Island

Meat & Fish

  • Fresh Off the Boat – Fresh fish
  • Gelderman Farms – Pork
  • Outwest Ranches – beef raised locally and fresh eggs

Bread & Baking

  • A Bread Affair – Breads
  • Blackberry Hill – Baked Goods
  • Eat It Up – Gluten free and no-sugar-added fruit pies, cookies and green tea

Delectable Treats

  • AJI Gourmet Products – sauces made using aji spice
  • Amber’s Choice – baked madeleines, soups, salad dressing
  • Bean Boy Creations – Organic hummous
  • Con Amore Foods – handmade fresh pasta and vegan spreads and dips
  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – Kettlecorn
  • JJ’s Country Cookin’ and Diabetic Foods – sugar free jam and many varieties of pickled vegetables
  • Momma Nellie’s Goodies – Salsa
  • Simply Delish Soup Co – layered soup mix, rice pilaf mix, and spice rubs

Local Crafters

  • Alma Valle Fine Silver Jewelry – handcrafted sterling silver original jewelry
  • Black Bamboo Artisans – hand made glazed pottery and knitting
  • Lesley and Brenda – assorted knitting, beaded items, and other hand made goods
  • Mod Argent – hand forged one of a kind sterling silver pieces
  • The Other Eden – cold process soaps scented with essential and fragrance oils, room sprays, body products
  • Quality Oak Accents – Fine wood creations
  • Trevor Cooper – West Coast fine photography

Gardening

  • Secret Garden – cut flowers


Filed Under: Blog

2010-2011 Winter Market Announced!

August 23, 2010 By newwestfarmers

We are very pleased to announce that RCFM will again be putting on a once-monthly winter market for this upcoming 2010-2011 winter season! You told us you loved being able to get market goodies all year long and we’ve heard you!

Winter market will take place at the same location as last year – at Holy Trinity Cathedral’s hall, located at 514 Carnarvon Street. The Hall is near Columbia Skytrain Station and is only a short distance from our summer spot.

Photo by Briana Tomkinson

Winter Market will be on the second Saturday of the month from November to April – November 13, December 11, January 8, February 12, March 12, and April 9 – from 10AM to 2PM.

We will be sure to bring you music, entertainment, and as many kids’ activities as we can cram in there!

Photo by Briana Tomkinson

If you’re a vendor interested in applying, please download the guidelines, application form, and if necessary, the Fraser Health Authority’s applications here. We encourage you to get your forms in as soon as possible. Last year, table spaces did sell out quickly. Craft panel will take place in September – dates TBA.

PS: Here’s a movie about last year’s winter market, courtesy of Emerson Eve Productions.

RCFM – Winter Market from Royal City Farmers Market on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Blog, NWFM News

August 26th – Nutritional Powerhouses

August 20, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Chard!

There are so many wonderful things to eat at the market – wonderful tasting and wonderful for you! But, we realize that sometimes it can be a little daunting to see things you’ve never seen before, and to try and figure out how to make something tasty and simple. Our vendors are experts at what they sell – don’t be afraid to ask them for recipes or tips. And, special this week, we’re offering a free Nutritional Walk and Talk introducing you to some of the nutritional powerhouses at the market! The Walk and Talk is open to all market goers, and will be led by volunteer Kelly Kiss, RHN. Please meet at the RCFM info tent at 6PM. The walk and talk is casual and informal so pre-registration is not required.

What else is on this week?

Music – sponsored by The Heritage Grill:

  • Chris Messytone, Accordion 3-5
  • Gillian Hobbs, folk singer, 5-7

Entertainment:

  • Allyson Grant, Face Painting
  • Kids Freeplay Zone
  • Giant Bouncy Barn! free with proof of purchase

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods – Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

  • Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm – Peppers, tomatoes, apples & pumpkins
  • Canwest Farms – blueberries!
  • Celyddon Farms – Certified organic produce from Delta
  • 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
  • Maan Farms – assorted locally grown produce as well as HOT ROASTED CORN!
  • Misty Mountain Specialties – fresh wild and cultivated mushrooms, dried mushroom products
  • Nature Village Farm – Asian produce grown in Richmond
  • Red Barn Plants and Produce – assorted locally grown produce

Dairy

  • Greendale Herb and Vine – Cheddar cheese, cheese curds, herbs, nut butters and honeycomb
  • Little Qualicum Cheeseworks – High quality cheese from Vancouver Island

Meat & Fish

  • Lamington Heritage Farms – frozen cuts of lamb and duck, as well as fresh chicken eggs. Duck eggs when available.
  • Outwest Ranches – beef raised locally and fresh eggs

Bread & Baking

  • A Bread Affair – Breads
  • Blackberry Hill – Baked Goods
  • Eat It Up – Gluten free and no-sugar-added fruit pies, cookies and green tea
  • Sunrise Pita Company – pitas, chips, dips, and banana bread

Delectable Treats

  • AJI Gourmet Products – sauces made using aji spice
  • Amber’s Choice – baked madeleines, soups, salad dressing
  • Anne’s Gallery – Jams, jellies & knitting
  • Bamboo Yoga Tea – batch crafted wellness teas prepared locally
  • Bean Boy Creations – Organic hummous
  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – Kettlecorn
  • JJ’s Country Cookin’ and Diabetic Foods – sugar free jam and many varieties of pickled vegetables
  • Jane’s Honey Bees – honey and other bee products
  • Maples’ Sugar Shack – maple syrup products
  • Simply Delish Soup Co – layered soup mix, rice pilaf mix, and spice rubs
  • Taste Tea Cup – hand crafted loose leaf teas

Local Crafters

  • Black Bamboo Artisans – hand made glazed pottery and knitting
  • Diva Dawg Clothing Company – dog clothing and accessories, altered art bracelets for humans
  • Mod Argent – hand forged sterling silver jewelry
  • The Other Eden – cold process soaps scented with essential and fragrance oils, room sprays, body products
  • Pomomama Designs – wire crochet jewelry and accessories, fused fabric and metal art
  • Quality Oak Accents – Fine wood creations
  • Something Pretty by Beth – Hand-painted domino tile jewelry
  • Trevor Cooper Photography – West Coast themed professional photography at affordable prices

Gardening

  • Secret Garden – cut flowers

Filed Under: Blog

The Happier The Cow, The Tastier The Cheese.

August 18, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks at the Canada Day Market 2010
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is a business that brings delicious, artisan cheese to the market every week. Based off of Morningstar Farm which is nestled by Mt. Arrowsmith on Vancouver Island, Little Qualicum makes yummy cheeses from happy cows. Clarke and Nancy Gourlay have been making cheese since 2001 after being inspired by the Swiss cheese they ate while they lived in Switzerland.
The cows from which these fantastic dairy products come from are from a small herd of Holstein, Ayrshire, Browne Swiss and Canadienne dairy cows. They practice responsible farming by using farming equipment as little as possible (the cows graze thus eliminating the need to harvest fields) and they use the cow’s manure and urine to fertilize the pastures. Little Qualicum sells the majority of their products within a 100 mile radius of the farm giving them a small carbon footprint. They are SPCA certified which ensures that their cows are happy and healthy – perfect for producing great milk!
I asked Little Qualicum manager, Susan Hirmer, what she enjoys most about selling cheese at the market and she simply replied, “The opportunity to meet friendly people who appreciate local food.” The business of cheese has been a success for Little Qualicum as I have seen droves of people come to their stall to sample bits of soft and hard cheeses. They have everything from Feta to Caerphilly to Rathtrevor.
Along with their stall at the market, Little Qualicum encourages the public to come and visit Morningstar Farm if they are in the area. They provide tours as well as a store where you can purchase products after you see how they are made.
If you would like more information on Little Qualicum Cheeseworks please visit their website or even better, visit them at the market as they are there every week until October.

Filed Under: Blog, Vendors

Team Eggplant Manifesto

August 16, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Claude with his beloved

We’re launching a fun new campaign here at RCFM, pitting eggplant against artichoke. Team Eggplant looks to well known City of New Westminster Horticulture Manager, Claude Ledoux, for guidance. Claude shares with us his thoughts on his eggplant love. Please leave your support in the comments and let us know why you’re joining Claude on Team Eggplant or why you think Team Eggplant members are misguided. Why do you love eggplant? What makes it superior to artichoke? What is your favourite thing to do with eggplant?

Every year the spring tells the same sad story. My neighbours are planning their vegetable gardens. Next door the windowsills are lined with seedlings of celariac, yu tsai sum, and radicchio. Across the street they are experimenting with kohlrabi, mizuna, and cardoon. I mention eggplants, but my neighbours are not listening. I’ve pleaded, I’ve begged, I’ve wept….. but all in vain. Not one of them has ever grown an eggplant, despite living right next to my all-eggplant garden.

At work it’s more heartbreak for me. When I meet with my crack team of city gardeners, all they can talk about are agastache, asclepias, schizanthus, and cheiranthus. I’ve left my WestCoast seed catalogue open at my favourite section…. page 27, the eggplant page. How can they resist the darkly plump ‘Black Beauty,” the long and shapely ‘Ichiban,’ the streakishly charming ‘Twinkle,’ or the petite and sweet ‘Fairytale’? But somehow, “eggplant” never ends up on their order sheets.

At the city greenhouse, it’s no different. Hanging baskets drip with lophospermum, chrysocephalum, and zauschneria. When I ask the basket designer why no eggplants are included, she just laughs heartlessly. Sometimes, late at night, I sneak into the greenhouse and change the production lists, crossing out “eschscholzia” and subsituting “eggplant.” My alert greenhouse team always spots the change and deletes my so-called “error.” They always have the same excuse – they thought it was a spelling mistake.

Can anyone question the culinary versatility of the eggplant? Or the beauty of them, with their glossy tight skin in colours ranging from creamy white, through pink and mauve, to blackest purple? Sometimes I like to simply cup one in my hands, gazing in wonder at its glistening perfection, and licking my lips as I imagine myself frying it up for dinner. I always keep a basket of eggplants on my office desk to offer to visitors, and I often bring an eggplant bouquet for my hostess when I’m invited for supper. It’s easy to spot me as I go about my work as the city’s horticulture manager – I always slip an eggplant into my buttonhole as I head out the door in the morning. It’s not only beautiful, but it makes a tasty snack when a meeting runs long or I’ve forgotten to pack a lunch. You’ll often see me dashing into city hall or striding into the city works yard in my steel-toed boots, a cell phone in one hand and an eggplant in the other. I’d blush if you knew how often I’ve “answered” my eggplant!

My latest weapon in the eggplant crusade is not a pruning knife or sharpened secataurs. It’s a name change. While idly paging through a British cookbook just the other day, I came upon an intriguing word – “aubergine.” Aubergine, as in “aubergine moussaka” or “aubergine slices in pomegranate juice and pine nuts.” Yes, I am going to adopt this exotic European-sounding name for eggplant. Maybe then someone will listen to me!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: artichoke versus eggplant

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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.

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