That's right. Pretty soon Farmer's Markets across the lower mainland will be pitching their tents around the city and offering up local fare for fabulous (usually...) prices.I love Farmer's Markets and am incredibly excited about the season that's set to start soon. In the past I've had some great experiences picking up fresh and tasty vegetables (thank you Courtenay Farmer's Market) and sightseeing in the open air of the market (Ladner and Kits Farmer's Markets).
Perhaps the keenest part about the whole experience is that it gives us urban dwellers a chance to taste (eat your heart out Costco sampling booths) and purchase produce, meat, fish, and honey (honey seems to be the main staple of almost all the markets I've been to). In fact part of the beauty of the whole experience is that everything is seasonal and you'll never know quite what sort of food will pop up that weekend.The experience certainly beats the Safeway shopping sojourn and even (gasp!) the East End Food Co-op grocery run.
Nothing is more fun than trying a small piece of smoked salmon in the open air of Steveston as gulls crow about in the distance and the fisherman who caught the fish stands proudly near by.
So, without further adieu, here's a little list of some of the market's springing up this summer:
Trout Lake Farmers Market Saturdays, May - October
9am - 2pm each week
May 16 - October 10
15th Avenue & Victoria Drive in the Parking Lot of Trout Lake Community Centre
Map of Market LocationWest End Farmers Market Saturdays, June - October
June 6 - October 24
9am - 2pm each week
1100 Block of Comox Street across from Nelson Park at Mole Hill
Map of Market Location
Main Street Station at Thornton Park Wednesdays, June - October
June 10 - October 21
3pm - 7pm
Thornton Park across from the VIA Rail Station and near the Main St Skytrain Station
Map of Market LocationKitsilano Farmers Market Sundays, June - October
June 7 - October 25
10am - 2pm each week
10th Avenue and Larch Street, Parking Lot of Kitsilano Community Centre
Map of Market LocationWinter Farmers Market Alternate Saturdays, starting November 8, 2008 - April 25, 2009
November 8, 22 December 6, 20
January 3(cancelled), 17, 31 February 14, 28
March 14, 28 April 11, 25
10am - 2pm
WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac Street at Victoria Drive
Map of Market LocationHoliday Market Saturday only Annually in December
Saturday, December 12, 2009
11am - 6pm
Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive *new location*
To get more info - check out Vancouver farmer's market site...
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3 comments:
Farmer's markets are the only place I've ever been able to find Garlic Scapes - the sprouts that grow from garlic. Most grocery stores toss 'em but Market vendors are savvy to its savory secrets - poach them in a splash of stock - add a little butter and you're in heaven.
A big shout-out to Roberta LaQuaglia at eatlocal.org for the retweet!
Great post, Kurt. Farmer's markets are certainly neat events; some might even call them necessary. I like the ambiance and performances (last summer I was lucky enough to catch the BC Clettes dance their hearts out) of Farmers Markets.
The purpose and produce at 'em, sure, is great, too; however, I continually find a lack of variety (ie. soooo much honey) in, well, everything when I go to Farmer's Markets. I mean, how many different kinds of local goat cheese can a guy eat? And kitschy crafts are great for a lot of people, but, in my humble opinion, the world has enough stuff - homemade or otherwise. For this reason, I go for the ambiance, and maybe a unique treat, but, when it comes to food, few places provide better goods than our own East End Food Co-op - www.east-end-food.coop. It's mostly the same price at a better value.
But, at the end of the day, that's not why you go to a Farmer's Market, is it?
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