| | Farmers' markets are an excellent place for visitors to buy goods, support local merchants and to just have a good time meeting the locals.
"Farmers' markets offer a lot of variety for visitors and locals alike," says Elaine Stenbraaten, new venture business coach, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Fairview. "They can find all kinds of products for their fridge and pantry cupboard. There might be outdoor furniture for the patio or custom ceramic letters or numbers for their house. They might find a unique hat or custom-made clothing."
Stenbraaten recently made a Saturday morning visit to the Strathcona Market, which is located near Whyte Avenue in Edmonton.
"Live music played by local musicians wafted in the building while I wandered by stalls and stopped at the various vendors. The Strathcona farmers' market has ladies and children's fun hats, stone engravings, custom-fit easy care ladies clothing as well as great quality fruits and vegetables, organic foods and meats."
As well, says Stenbraaten, there is lots of ready-to-eat food. "There are lots of choices, ranging from beef jerky and poppy seed rolls, to homemade fudge. Customers can choose Ukrainian, Mexican, soup mixes, fresh made pasta and sauces for that quick take-home meal. They can even get some nice home-made dog treats for Fido."
Stenbraatten then made another stop just outside Edmonton at St Albert's market. It is a large outdoor market open Saturdays.
"From steel drum to violins there was music at various points in the market while we wandered the stalls along the streets," she explains. "There's lots of entertainment for children such as hair braiding, face painting and fruit popsicles. Visitors can savour samples of ethnic food, sausages, salad dressings, and hot sauces. The season is ripe with fresh vegetables such as corn on the cob, squash, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and almost anything you'd like!"
Callingwood is another thriving outdoor Edmonton market that's open for business Sundays. "A late August visit found flowers, gigantic sunflowers, buckets of gladiolas and other flowers to make bouquets," says Stenbraaten. "There were also lots of ethnic products such as Lefse, satays, and spring rolls, Korean food such as kimchee, oodles of vegetables and fruit, barn board furniture, and Italian food such as cannelloni. It was a great opportunity to try foods we wouldn't otherwise get a chance to try."
Bottom line she says, is to take the time to visit some of the farmers markets in the region you're visiting. "They are great places to purchase food, clothing, and art for your home, or as gifts for friends, as well as a great chance to meet people and enjoy the community. If you are a vendor at home it's a great chance to see how others market, showcase and display their products. You can gather ideas on how you and your market could do it different and better at home."
Times and locations of farmers' markets can be found at www.sunnygirl.ca.
Contact: Elaine Stenbraaten (780) 835-7531 |
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