At our recent RCFM Board Meeting, the members of the Board unanimously passed a motion to declare our market a GMO Free Zone.

We feel the expansion of GMOs into our mainstream food supply without labeling denies consumers the right to know what’s in their food and we felt it appropriate to make a statement on what our position was on this matter.

Of the three main GMO crops (canola, corn, and soy) we are only aware of GMO corn being grown in our region, and we will be monitoring the origin of any corn that appears at our Market as well as soy and canola products should a BC vendor apply that sells those.

There are some exciting developments in the struggle to achieve truth in labeling. In California,  volunteers are frantically collecting 500,000 signatures in order to force a referendum in the fall to have GMOs labeled. Polls indicate strong support for this initiative. In Guelph, Ontario, the research project to introduce a GE or “Enviro Pig” into the marketplace has been abandoned and hopefully the same fate will befall the genetically engineered salmon the company AquaBounty has been trying to get approval for.

We are joining other British Columbia communities: Powell River, Saltspring Island, Rossland, Nelson, and soon, Richmond, in making this declaration. Declaring ourselves a GMO Free Zone is more a reflection of our values than a heavy handed enforcement tool. We believe that one of the main reasons consumers are supporting farmers markets in record numbers is a lack of trust in the products being offered by conventional retail outlets. Declaring ourselves a GMO Free Zone is a commitment to the trust our customers have placed in us that we will do everything in our power to ensure the products being offered at our Market are GMO free.

Sincerely,

Andrew Murray

President

Royal City Farmers Market Association

I’ve been the Operations Manager for RCFM since 2009 and have really enjoyed being a part of such a supportive and happy community. I feel thankful to have had such a unique perspective on local food and to see neighbours coming together each week.

In late 2010, I co-founded a digital strategy consulting business with a friend of mine, Briana Tomkinson, called Hyack Interactive. Our business has been steadily building and we recently received the Best Home Based Business of the Year Award from the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce. We’re really proud of our success and I love the work I do with Hyack Interactive.

With success comes a price, and that price has been a tug on my time. As a work from home parent, there are a limited number of hours in a day I can set aside for completing my work and doing it well. As a result, I’ve made the incredibly difficult choice to make this summer my last with RCFM. I will miss my market life terribly, but for my family, it’s the right choice. I hope to continue to contribute to the market as a volunteer. I am grateful for the trust and opportunity afforded to me by the Board of Directors, current and past, and know how valuable RCFM is to New Westminster.

We’ve started our search for my replacement early so we may find just the right person to replace me and to give them the chance to be introduced to all aspects of the position with on-the-job learning over this summer season. An Operations Manager requires a huge degree of organization, juggling, patience, and flexibility. For most weeks of the market, I have back up plans on top of back up plans and rely on the Board of Directors and valued volunteers for support to make the market happen.

It is critical to all of us at RCFM that we make this transition seamless so the community that has supported us since our inception in 2008 sees no hiccups and continues to enjoy the weekly summer market. If you or someone you know is a suitable candidate, and is interested in part time work, we’d love to hear from you. A detailed job description with instructions on how to apply is here. We are accepting applications until March 16.

Finally, I want to say thank you to the market shoppers and supporters for making my job so much more than a plain old job, and for all of the positive comments I have received since first announcing my intention to hand over the reins to someone new.

Postal Strike Update: We really appreciate that many of you are signing up at the markets to be a member in the 2011 season. We have benefits for members – check them out!

We wanted to let you know that we have your membership cards at the Info Desk at the market until the postal strike is over, at which time we will mail the letters.

RCFM is thrilled to be able to announce that we are funding the Nutrition Coupon Program for the 2011 Summer Season thanks to a City Partnership Grant from the City of New Westminster and working with our friends at The Hospitality Project out of Shiloh Sixth Avenue United Church. This program provides 50 families with $15 in coupons to be spent on fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs, seafood, unprocessed nuts, bread, and honey at the market, as well as a skill building and educational component for the participants so they can learn how to utilize all of the amazing foods available to us here in beautiful British Columbia.

The provincial government funded this program on a provincial level with the BC Association of Farmers Markets in the 2009 season, and RCFM was grateful to be selected as a participant market, but sadly, the funding was cut with only a few weeks to go before we started in 2010. We were not able to fund it ourselves in 2010 and so the program lay dormant last year.

But 2011 is a new year! We are very grateful the City of New Westminster approved our funding application and can’t wait for this program to begin. If you’re interested in helping the program to share your food knowledge with program participants, or can help us secure funding for future years, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at info@newwestfarmers.ca

Also: Check out the recent article in the Record or listen to the News 1130 interview with RCFM’s Jen Arbo about the 2011 Nutrition Coupon Program.

We’re recently put the finishing touches on our 2010 Annual Report. Please have a look to find our what we did this year, and what we’re looking forward to in the future.