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Farmers Market Challenge Week 15: The Finale!

October 16, 2016 By newwestfarmers

Oh. My. Goodness.

Wow!

Is that real?

It can’t possibly be bread, it must be cake!

They assured us it was bread.

Chocolate bread!!!

Last week was the final week of the summer market bringing the $40 market-spending challenge to a close. And in proper, good Katie form, I went all out.

Early in the challenge, I would never have purchased an $8 loaf of bread, chocolate or not. My spending was based on a strict budget where veggies took precedent. But, as the summer market started preparing for fall, the veggie selection became less vast, and, well, sometimes you really do need a reward for doing a great job.

I think I did a great job; chocolate bread was my reward.

Sadly, I did not read the ingredients. I did not realize there was orange infused into that bread. I do not eat orange-infused sweet treats; haven’t since I was about five years old and some totally evil person decided to underhandedly slip marmalade onto my toast – blech! In my mind, orange does NOT belong in chocolate.

Sigh.

fm16-chocolate-bread
Plus, we may have overdone the sweet factor: Chocolate French toast, syrup and all. Holy decadence!

 FINAL WEEK’S LOOT:

Zaklan Heritage Farm:                                     • 2 bunches of mustard greens: $5

  • 1 mini lettuce: $2
  • 2 purple onions: $2.65
  • 1 bunch parsley: $2

Ossome Acres:                                         • 1 zucchini: $2

Ripple Creek Organic Farm:                    • 1 garlic: $3

A Bread Affair:                                           • Chocolate bread: $8

Wild West Coast Seafoods:                     • 1 lb tuna: $16

Total spent was $40.65. 

When I started this challenge 16 weeks ago, I didn’t know what exactly it would present. I considered our family on the upper scale of health prior to going in, but admittedly we were a bit stale and stagnant in meal planning, eating the same-old, same-old week after week.

The market changed that.

It gave us new foods, new recipes, new cooking adventures, new menus, new tastes, new perspectives.

This is what the market gave my family:

fm16-collage
A collage of tasty goodness

In my first post of this challenge, I asked if the market was true to its negative stereotype of being “too expensive,” a sentiment I have heard echoed several times by my fellow Food, Nutrition and Health peers at UBC. After 16 weeks, I can handedly say that yes, some of the product is pricier than you’d get at grocery stores. But, and this is a huge but, the quality, flavour and freshness is bar none far superior to that of the chains.

When you know your food was picked that day, when you know your food hasn’t undergone chemical procedures to stall the ripening process, when you know every bite is going to be infused with an intense flavour that tickles your differing taste buds, when you know it’s going to last longer than a few days, as long as a FEW weeks even, that has to be factored into the budget.

When you know how to shop the market, as I quickly learned, when you know how to search out the best deals (two for $5 mustard greens made my list EVERY week), when you know how to plan, when you build relationships with the farmers, when you know how to use so-called wastes to your advantage (onion stems was a favourite discovery), you DO see a savings.

We did.

We stopped going to the veggie stand three times a week; our foods were lasting. We stopped buying salad dressings; the intensity of the greens didn’t require added flavouring. In meal planning, we started looking at multiple ways of using the entire vegetable – limited waste, so an environmental savings as well.

There were challenges. A vegetable one week was not guaranteed the next; something you had hoped would be there, didn’t make the cut that week; if you weren’t there early, chances were the items you wanted were all gone.

fmnopierogies
The week of no perogies!

 

Our final market meal was a trusty favourite we discovered the third week of the challenge – tuna loin. Unfortunately it had jumped in price since the beginning of the summer; what cost $12 in June, cost $16 in October due to a “crummy” season. It meant fennel was scratched from the list. It meant none of the maybes on the list would get into our bag. But man, that tuna – a drool-worthy, dream-worthy delicacy! Worth every sacrifice. Worth every penny.

fm16-final-shop
Challenge complete. Where oh where to get my mustard greens now?

 

Dear summer market, so much of you I shall miss.

Luckily, winter is coming!

Winter market starts November 5, and runs the first and third Saturday of the month, uptown on Belmont street.

See you there.

Filed Under: Buying local, Favorite Finds, Uncategorized Tagged With: Baked Goods, buy local, eat local, family, Farmers, farmers market, food security, Fresh Food, Katie Bartel, kids, local food, locavore, new west, New Westminster, RCFM, Shop Local, Winter Market

The inaugural Long Table Dinner

October 9, 2016 By newwestfarmers

On September 29, we hosted our first ever Long Table Dinner as part of Tourism New West’s Feast on the Fraser celebration. Forty-five hungry RCFM supporters came out to dine under an open tent in Tipperary Park. The menu was filled with delectable items from our vendors.

20160929_174211
Menu

We were lucky to have a beautiful autumn day and the tables looked a treat thanks to a donation by the Bloom Bloom Room, a local florist based out of Sapperton.  The centrepiece garlands added the perfect ambiance for a harvest feast. The Uptown Business Association kindly allowed us to use their giant tents which set the stage.

20160929_171236
Table for two?

Diners were greeted with a glass of local Pacific Breeze wine and shrubs donated by Vancouver-based Mixers & Elixers. Shrubs are drinking vinegars—slightly sweet and slightly tart, we mixed them with soda water. They were served by marvelous volunteers from the New Westminster Youth Ambassadors Society.

The table held an abundance of bread donated by A Bread Affair and butter that was almost too pretty to eat. The Local Churn donated some unique combinations including tart cherry and sherry.

The opening course comprised a Caprese Salad that featured locally grown vine ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic reduction. There was also a Hundred Mile Salad with kale, spinach, beets, goat cheese, candied pecans and what I sincerely hope were edible flowers.

20160929_180430
The salads

Salads consumed, we then moved onto the entrees which included char-grilled, wild-caught BC salmon that was served with a roasted pineapple salsa. If you haven’t yet tried Wild West Coast Seafood’s products we can attest to their top-notch quality. The diners also feasted on mushroom-hunter grilled Rockweld Farm chicken breasts, another generous donation from one of our popular local vendors. This wasn’t one of those either/or situations—everyone got both salmon and chicken as well as mozzarella-ricotta stuffed agnolotti as a side. We also had roasted in-season local vegetables (because it was a Farmers Market event after all) and grilled corn on the cob from the Fraser Valley. We were lucky to be able to purchase ingredients from some favourite market vendors including Zaklan Heritage Farms, Bose + Sons Family Farm, Ossome Acres, and Greendale Herb & Vine.

20160929_185806
The entrees!

Unbelievably, diners still seemed to have room for the exquisite goodies donated by Sweet Thea and Delish Gluten Free Bakery. There was a choice of assorted tarts and gluten-free brownies and I do believe more than one person tried both a tart and a brownie (no judgement here!). Unfortunately no photos remain because anyone standing in the way of the dessert table would have been taking their life in their hands.

The Long Table Dinner was an incredible community feast! The generosity of local RCFM vendors + the company of good friends and neighbours + the deliciousness of eating local = the best kind of evenings in our books.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Buying local, Uncategorized, Vendors Tagged With: buy local, eat local, family, Farmers, farmers market, Farms, food security, Fresh Food, fundraiser, local food, locavore, LongTableDinner, new west, New Westminster, organic, Shop Local, Vendors, wine

August 25th Market Day

August 23, 2016 By newwestfarmers

Eggplants

Recreate a dish with our eggplant/artichoke logo! We have not one… not two… but THREE vendors bringing eggplants to the market. Who are they? Pick up eggplants from Greendale Herb & Vine, Zaklan Heritage Farm or Ripple Creek Certified Organic Farm. You can even grab an artichoke from Ossome Acres Certified Organic farm and VOILA you can create an RCFM logo dish!

We are delighted to be bringing you two special guests this week!

Emergency Services

New Westminster Fire and New Westminster Police and are encouraging everyone to be prepared for an emergency and will be onsite at the August 23,2016 Royal City Farmers Market to provide public Safety Information and answer any questions people may have.

Zhoosh Fitness Garage

Local small business, ZHOOSH Fitness Garage, brings health, wellness, fitness and community to New Westminster residents and beyond; offering Boxing BAD, Youth Boxing, Foxy Kickboxing, Personal Training, FIGHT CLUB Bootcamp, specialized Parkinson’s Exercise Programs such as PWR!Moves & ROCK STEADY BOXING New West, Capoeira with Abada Capoeira Vancouver and Karate with Tashu Martial Arts Centre.
Prizes:
Visit the ZHOOSH Booth up on the grassy area and enter to win prizes such as one month of Youth Boxing (ages 7-15) and one month of Karate (any age)
Services

Let Tanner take your cares away! Tanner is providing chair massages at the market for $1 a minute.

Entertainment

  • Roland Kaulfuss Music Stage presents Timothy Lambert.

Yoga

  • Free yoga class from 5:15 to 6:15 sponsored by Diane Haynes Yoga

For the Kids

  • Have fun in our Mini Farmers Market play area (free)
  • Chill out in our Baby/Parent “lounge” on the grass (free)
  • Fun crafty craft with Music Box New West (free)
  • Join in for some Karate for all ages with Tashu Martial Arts Centre – 3:30 – 4:00 pm (free)
  • Try some Youth Boxing for all ages with ZHOOSH Fitness Garage 4:00 – 5:00pm (free)
  • Face painting with Allyson ($)

For information on where our market is located, how to find parking and transit directions visit our Summer FAQ page.

Download the Ultimate Farmers Market Shopping List to help with your meal planning and purchases for the week.

Farm Fresh Produce

  • Greendale Herb and Vine – herbs, mini cucumbers, eggplants, greens, sweet red peppers, garlic, apples, heirloom tomatoes, plums, squash, cherry tomatoes, two bite apples
  • Ripple Creek Organics – chard, kale, beets, nugget potatoes, zucchini, brocoli, green onions, green beans, fresh garlic, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, onions, eggplants, carrots (Certified Organic)
  • Ossome Acres – pea shoots, eggs, raw walnuts, parsley, kale, swiss chard, rainbow chard, purple cabbage, broccoli, scallopini, scallions, sunflower shoots, wheat grass, kohlrabi, potatoes, cucumber, artichoke, plum, bartlett pears, zucchini, celery, beets, castile soap (Certified Organic)
  • Bose & Sons Family Farm – lettuce greens, carrots, potatoes, green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, turnips, corn
  • Harvest Direct Farms – Peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, pears
  • Fresh Quality Produce Ltd – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries zucchinis, nugget potatoes, green beans, wax beans, corn
  • Zaklan Heritage Farms – Head lettuce, mini gem head lettuce, radishes (all sorts), salad mix, mustard greens, arugula, swiss chard, kale, baby cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, beans, leeks, potatoes, peppers (hot/sweet), eggplant, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beets, onions, garlic, flowers, plums.
  • Country Village Market – blueberries, strawberries, corn
  • Rancho Los Andes – tomatoes
  • Nutrigreens – microgreens, potatoes, zucchini, cucumber
  • RCFM Merchandise Stall – Dried morel and porcini mushrooms

Cut Flowers

  • Rancho Los Andes – expertly made bouquets for you to enjoy

Cheese & Dairy

  • Golden Ears Cheesecrafters – Cheddar-Aged Medium, Brie, Jersey Blue, Cultured Butter, Havarti-Aged (Flavoured), Gouda-Aged Medium (Flavoured), Feta (Plain, Cranberry, Garlic Scape), Curds, Neufchatel (Plain, Herb & Garlic), Quark (Plain, Cranberry), Emmental, Velvet Blue
  • The Local Churn – hand churned gourmet butter
  • Greendale Herb & Vine – goats cheese

Beef, Eggs, Poultry and Seafood

  • Rockweld Farm – BC SPCA Certified frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
  • 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 and crab cakes, frozen salmon and spot prawns
  • Local Beef & Eggs – wild blackberries, purslane, onions, chives, rhubarb, eggs, kale

Artisan Breads

  • A Bread Affair – breads, baguettes, ciabattas, rolls, scones (Certified Organic)

Gluten Free Breads & Baking

  • Delish Gluten Free – bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Baking – bread, cookies, pizza dough and snacks

Bakery

  • Sweet Thea Cakes – tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
  • Guilt Free Gluttony – guilt free allergen friendly desserts
  • Feeding Change – raw coconut cakes, ganaches and decadent desserts

Coffee & Snacks

  • Handworks Coffee – hot and cold pour over coffee
  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – kettle corn (traditional and caramel)

Food Trucks & Eat On Site

  • Gypsy Trunk Gourmet Fare – vegan burritos sausages and more!
  • The Pepper Pot – fusion Caribbean and Vancouver flavours
  • D-Original Sausage House – sausages, bratwurst, salamis, pretzel buns
  • Country Village Market – delicious pakoras
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – salmon burgers
  • Rocky Point Ice Cream – locally made ice cream by the cone or pint

Prepared Food (Dry Goods & Seasonings)

  • Greendale Herb & Vine – Nuts (hazelnuts), Muesli, Infused Vinegars, Popcorn Kernels, Herbal Teas, Dried Lavender
  • Simply Delish Soups & Salads – delicious mixes for soups and more!
  • Sidney Smoke House – locally made jerky

Prepared Foods (Pantry Staples)

  • Anne’s Gallery – jams, chutneys and preserves
  • BobAli – hummus, olive tapenades and delicious spreads
  • Lilise Applesauce – gourmet applesauce
  • Chanthorn Orchids & Thai Sauces – tasty sauces for authentic Thai dishes

Jewelry & Artisan Crafts

  • Anne’s Gallery – hand knit Irish sweaters
  • Bits & Keys – funky jewelry and fun crosstiches
  • Lighten Up Jewels – timeless pieces made by Holly

Wine, Beer & Spirits

  • Blind Tiger Winery – Lake Country wines
  • Dragon Mist Distillery – locally made vodka and gin

Special Thanks to our Music Stage Sponsor Roland Kaulfuss:

rolandkaulfuss logo

Filed Under: Blog, Buying local, Community, Featured, Next Market, Uncategorized Tagged With: families, Farmers, farmers market, food trucks, local food, New Westminster

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!

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 March 19th 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
  • Snowy Mountain Acres – Apples, pears, carrots, dried fruits
  • 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.
  • Urban Digs – sausages and pork products all made locally
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods –  Seafood pasta, crab cakes and frozen fish

Eat and Drink On Site 

  • Big Red’s Poutine – hand cut fries drizzled in gravy with cheese curds
  • Gypsy Trunk – vegan and gluten free burritos and quesadillas, vegan sausages too
  • 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
  • Simply Scones – hand made scones that will transport you back to England
  • Half Pint Pies – frozen hand pies to bake at home
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Bakery – Caters to Vegan, Reduced Sugar, Gluten Free and Egg Free diet restrictions
  • Samaya Delights – tasty baklava made by Tamara
  • Olga Capone Cannoli Company – fresh made cannoli’s just like grandma made

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
  • 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
  • Jam Shack Preservery – Jams jellies marmalades, chutney
  • Simply Delish Soup & Salad – dry soup and salad mixes to make at home
  • James Lewis Foods – tasty granola bars packed with goodness
  • The Salt Dispensary – salted caramels, smoked salts and pepper mixes
  • KICS Lemonade – refreshing lemonade syrups and marmalades
  • Vegan Pudding & Co – delicious gourmet dairy free puddings
  • Mindful Eating – frozen made from scratch samosas
  • 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

Local Artisans and Crafters

  • Quality Oak – hand crafted quality cutting boards

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Next Market, Uncategorized Tagged With: Belmont Street, easter egg hunt, farmers market, food trucks, local food, New Westminster, uptown New west

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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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