New West Farmers Market

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Quayside Community Board Festival and Sale – August 21

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RCFM is partnering with the Quayside Community Board and offering a mini market on Saturday, August 21st, in the Quayside neighbourhood from 10AM to 3PM. A map is available on www.quaysideboard.com

A selection of our high quality vendors will be in attendance:

  • Eat It Up -delicious gluten free and no sugar added pies, cookies, breads, and agave nectar
  • A Bread Affair – hand crafted artisan and organic breads
  • Quality Oak Accents – true craftsmanship in the form of wood cutting boards, rolling pins, and other home accents
  • Scentimental Creations – fresh, clean, gorgeous smelling body and homecare products
  • Maan Farms – produce grown in Abbotsford
  • Canwest Farms – specializing in 5 and 10lb boxes of blueberries, picked fresh in Richmond
  • Simply Delish – attractively packaged dry layered soup and salad mixes
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, and frozen take home meat pies and dinner entrees – also, sodas!

As well as our friendly volunteer-run info tent with information about the market and what we offer each week.

Please come down and see us!

A Delight to the Senses

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What's On

On July 1st I had my very first visit to Royal City Famers Market. While the weather was less than ideal for Canada Day festivities, I was very surprised to see a fantastic turn-out at the market. As I walked towards the action I could see vendors setting up shop for the day. There is a certain frenetic energy at the beginning of market day while everyone seems to get their stand set up like a well-oiled machine. I turned on my camera to snap some photos of all the action as the smell of savoury beer brats stirred a rumble in my stomach.

Beer Brats

There were many items to light-up the senses. The dixie-land jazz trio, Razzmajazz, played in the background while shoppers tasted items from various vendors. Although I am a vegetarian, I was enticed by the scent of Bison dogs on the grill from Maluma Health Foods and almost succumbed to the decadent, yet lean meat. There were samplings of delicious dips and spreads from Con Amore and tastings of various types of hummus from Bean Boy Creations – I especially enjoyed the smoky chipotle flavour.  I also wandered over to A Bread Affair’s stand and drooled over the selection of delicious organic artisan breads.

A Bread Affair

Everyone milled around the market with a smile on their face despite the mild rainy drizzle and dark ominous clouds looming above their heads. Some people stopped by Harmony Works Chair Massages to get the kinks worked out of their trouble spots, while I watched and wished I brought more cash so I could indulge in such a holistic treat. There were also plenty of activities for those young at heart, including a scavenger hunt and kid’s fishing derby.

The market is definitely a treat to the senses. The smell of fresh food being grilled on the BBQ, the sound of local bands playing in the background, the sight of all the brightly coloured produce and floral arrangements, the feel of hand-made soaps and textiles and the taste of all the delicious samples create a wonderfully inexpensive outdoor activity. I really enjoyed my first visit to Royal City Farmers Market and look forward to spending my summer being inspired by this weekly gem of a place.

Finishing Set Up


Opening Day Ceremonies

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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!

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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.