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Ilona Schachner

June 22, 2010 By newwestfarmers

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. Some of you may already be aware, but we wanted to be sure everyone knew. RCFM has lost a valuable member of our community this weekend. Ilona Schachner of Vienna Treasures passed away in her sleep Sunday after a battle with cancer. While Vienna Treasures was not a vendor with us this summer season, she was a vendor for the first two seasons of RCFM.

Additionally, Ilona served on our original board as the vendor representative. Because of her tireless work and dedication, RCFM is what it is today. She was thoughful, feisty, and positive, and an amazing resource for our organization. She brought vendors on board while RCFM was in its infancy, many of whom are still a part of our community.

Ilona with Jen last season, with a week to go.

Update June 25: The memorial for Ilona has been cancelled until further notice.

We will miss her a great deal.

Filed Under: Blog

What Side Are You On?

June 20, 2010 By newwestfarmers

What Side Are You On?

Choose. There can only be one. One vegetable to rule them all. Pick your side.

Filed Under: Blog, Events

June 24th – Summertime!

June 18, 2010 By newwestfarmers

It’s summer! It’s summer! I can’t believe it’s summer!

The weather hasn’t been terribly co-operative, but there is something about that official shift from spring to summer that makes the temperature go up a few degrees. At least, in my head it does. Summer reminds me of sandals, canoes, BBQs, iced tea, and especially FARMERS MARKETS!

The June 24th Market is packed with amazing bounty for you to enjoy. And we aren’t just talking about food! Music, entertainment, community groups… it’s going to be a delight.

What’s on this week: (occasionally, things change, and we do our best to update this page as it happens):

Special Fun:

Cookbook Swap – bring your unloved, sad, dusty cookbooks and swap them for a new-to-you and exciting cookbook! Got some cookbooks but just want to minimize? Cookbook donations are happily accepted for future swaps, and if you find yourself cookbook-free but want to pick up a few new ones to try out,  we’ll accept cash donations on behalf of the Food Bank (minimum suggested donation of $3 per book please) and make sure it makes it their way.

Please note: due to storage issues, we can only accept cookbooks.

Entertainment and Music:

  • Chris Messytone – 3-7

Art in the Park: (not a complete list; some artists are drop-in)

  • Carolyn Mohr
  • Lauren Albrice
  • Cliff Milne

Community Group:

  • Royal City Gogos

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.
  • 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!
  • Varinicey Pakoras – vegetable pakoras

Produce

  • Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm – Peppers, tomatoes, apples & pumpkins
  • Celyddon Farms – Certified organic produce from Delta
  • Dream Farm Natural Growers – produce grown in Burnaby
  • 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
  • Maan Farms – assorted locally grown produce
  • Misty Mountain Specialties – fresh wild and cultivated mushrooms, dried mushroom products
  • Nature Village Farm – Asian produce grown in Richmond

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

Meat & Fish

  • Copeland Foods – meat pies and frozen ready-to-eat dinners
  • 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 – Aji spice that makes guacamole, BBQ sauce and more!
  • 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
  • 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
  • Magnetite Jewelry by Gina – magnetite jewelry custom fit
  • Quality Oak Accents – Fine wood creations
  • Scentimental Creations – Soaps, lotions, hand made cosmetics
  • Something Pretty by Beth – Hand-painted domino tile jewelry

Gardening

  • Petals & Butterflies – Perennials, shrubs & planters
  • Secret Garden – cut flowers

Services

  • Harmony Works Chair Massage – on site chair massage

Filed Under: Blog

RCFM on Shaw Express

June 16, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Shaw TV filmed from our opening market last week and it aired yesterday. Here’s the footage! (Thanks Matthew for recording and uploading this!)

Filed Under: Blog, NWFM News

Opening Day Ceremonies

June 11, 2010 By newwestfarmers

Market Manager Jen Arbo

Opening market was tonnes of fun with faces new and old. The market is a community and it was nice to get back to it – I didn’t realize how much I missed it over the winter until I was there, unlocking the portable toilet and pointing out stall spaces. As Chris Bodnar, from Glen Valley Organic Farm put it, “it’s like the first day back at school.”

Set up went off more or less hitch free, except next time, we’ll check the brand new tent before market day to make sure it’s fully assembled – trying to figure that out in the pouring rain was not particularly fun. Rays of sunshine Korki the Clown and Allyson Grant were there to provide smiles and giggles to kids of all ages. Market favourite Ron Ulrich with his silky, catchy cover songs stood tall during the rain and sang those cloudy skies away.

To kick things off, in true New Westminster fashion, we blew off a cannon from our friends at the Seymour Artillery Historical Association. As market manager, it’s not often I get to call the non-emergency police line and tell them to “be aware we’re blowing off cannons up here at the market and please don’t panic.” Kind of fun, really.

Here’s how the opening went down:

RCFM Opening Day from Royal City Farmers Market on Vimeo.

The rain eventually let up around 4 and shoppers started trickling in, having been scared off by the torrential downpours at the start. After my market manager duties were completed, I barely had time to get my shopping in.

My haul included feta and butter from new vendor Farmhouse Natural Cheese, my favourite Raclette from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks (oh cheese, you are my kryptonite!), organic frozen blueberries from Forstbauer Natural Food Farm, brownies and buttertarts from Blackberry Hill, the sweetest and most lovely carrots from Nature Village, organic cherry tomatoes that look like little pears from Ceylddon Farms, a loaf of sourdough from A Bread Affair, coveted spot prawns from Mary-Anne at Fresh Off the Boat, and a fresh jar of wildflower honey from Liz at Jane’s Honeybees – good timing too, since I polished off the last of my jar from Winter Market only the day before. I also grabbed a Sweet Chili Lime Hummus from Bean Boy and some crisps – an awesome new product – from Momma Nellie’s Goodies for a dinner party I’m headed to this weekend.

Ah… the market. L’amour. What was in your tote? Tell us in the comments!

Filed Under: Blog, Events Tagged With: June 10th, ka-BOOM, opening market, Seymour Artillery

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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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