Sales at the Castlegar farmers’ market are strong according to some vendors, but to attract more famers the market needs more support from the community.
The Castlegar Craft and Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday outside the Station Museum from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and while this past Saturday’s vendors reported strong sales, attendance varies, according to the organizer. There also aren’t many vendors who come out, and on Saturday, only one was selling farmed produce.
That was local farmer Ann Warren. She has been attending the market since May 13 and she says she’s seen the attendance grow.
“Every week we have almost double, so it’s really growing,” she says.
Warren leases 1.3 acres in Crescent Valley, where she grows salad greens, kale, zucchini, ten different varieties of tomatoes, purple dragon carrots, orange carrots, three different colours of beets, sweet potatoes, cucumbers and flowers, among other things.
Warren says she does almost as well in Castlegar as she does up at Rossland’s farmers’ market, where there are four farmers who regularly sell produce.
“My potatoes and peas, carrots and beets, they just flew out of here this morning,” she said Saturday.
Warren says her mixed-green salad has also been selling well.
She likes selling her produce at the market because it gives her the chance to connect with her customers.
“I work so hard. It’s fairly isolating being out on the land in the weather. It’s a lot of investment both personally and financially to set up a market garden business, you know, all the infrastructure that has to go into it. And then to come to town and have the vulnerability of bringing those things, displaying them for people to see and for them to share and for them to purchase — it’s lovely,” she says. “Because you build relationships with customers and it’s a nice social thing.”
Some even give her recipes (see below).
But Warren says it would also be nice to have more farmers come, and maybe some musicians.
Deb McIntosh, manager of the Castlegar & District Heritage Society and organizer for the market, would also like more musicians and vendors to attend.
Asked about attendance, McIntosh said, “Some days it’s good. Some days it’s not. We just simply cannot get the support of the community behind it.”
McIntosh says some people have told her to move the market, but the advantage of having it outside the museum is that Heritage Society staff are already there and market goers have access to the washrooms.
“I really believe that people just need to come down and support it,” she says.
The Heritage Society took over running a market about five years ago after a church group decided to close the market it had been running.
“No one was picking it up, so the city asked if I would consider taking it on,” said McIntosh.
Saturday’s market offerings included Warren’s produce and flowers, fresh bread, cookies, jams, Russian food, huckleberries, homemade salves and “an eclectic mix of new and used items.”
For those interested in vending at the market, tables are $10 and can be booked by contacting Deb McIntosh or Livia at 250-365-6440 or through the Castlegar Craft and Farmers Market Facebook page.
Zucchini
cutlets
1/2 c. finely chopped onions or green onions
1/2 c. finely grated carrots
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic or 2 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. rolled, unsalted soda crackers
2 heaping tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 c. finely grated zucchini
2 eggs beaten if needed
Add eggs last. If too watery, add more crackers. Fry in butter until brown, flip over, cook until done. Serve with sour cream.
Can be poured into cookie sheet and baked in oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
