A different farmer’s market experience is coming to Whitecourt this summer

Attention all artisans, farmers, bakers, jam aficionados, meat smokers, cake makers, jewellery designers, veggie growers, egg suppliers, knitters, herbalists, brewers, cooks, artists and everyone else who bakes, makes, or creates. This summer, the Whitecourt & District Chamber of Commerce is bringing a Saturday farmers market event to the community. The Fresh Community Market with kick off on June 24 and run for fourteen Saturdays through the summer before ending on September 23 and will take place in the Staples parking lot.

Chamber President Louise Meier said she is excited to get things rolling and hopes to see a packed parking lot come June 24. “It was on our radar and has been for probably four years. The feeling was there was this missing link with farmer’s markets. Typically, they are on Saturdays, and we didn’t have that here.”

She said this new farmer’s market isn’t meant to take away from the Tuesday market held at the Whitecourt Legion. Instead, Meier said it compliments it because it gives producers another day to sell their products. “It gives them another day, another opportunity to market their product and get in front of residents,” said Meier.

The idea was born from a couple of local producers who had set up booths in the Staples parking lot on Saturdays last summer. “They had great success doing that.” The two businesses, Shinning Moonlight Gardens and Twin Acres Greenhouse, had an arrangement with the property owner, Northern Developments, to use the space in the Staples parking lot last year. The pair approached the Whitecourt Chamber about putting on something more significant.

“Residents have been asking for it. The response has been tremendous. People say they can’t wait for the market to start. It’s surprising how many producers there are in the County. We hope they will get in here with their stuff and sell it,” said Meier.

She said they would use the Staples parking lot area this summer but that next summer, they might change things up. “If we could’ve had it in Rotary Park, then we would’ve been there in a New York second. This was our second choice.” Road construction at Rotary Park this summer was a deterrent, but Meier hopes they can use Festival Way as the market grows.

Meier explained that the market would be given an 80/20 split to keep things as local as possible. “Eighty percent has to be locally grown, produced, or made. Just because you have a home-based business doesn’t mean it’s a local product. That eighty-twenty split has to be solid.”

A recently hired Market Manager will see that everything comes together smoothly and will handle all the behind-the-scenes intricacies. Sasha Stang, said Meier, will ensure everyone does what they need to so that the market runs efficiently. “The big part of what we want to do is promote our local producers. It’s not a criteria to be a Chamber member to be in the farmer’s market, but we certainly encourage it as there are a lot of benefits to being one,” explained Meier.

The Whitecourt Chamber created a Facebook page for the event. Google forms are available there to apply. The forms are also on the www.whitecourtchamber.com website. Meier said that to keep the market orderly, vendors need to apply and be approved beforehand. She said there are also AHS requirements that must be followed. “If you are selling food, for instance, you must meet AHS’s criteria. There are some rules and regulations that we need to follow so that we don’t lose our license.” All pertinent information will be provided to applicants.

Meier has experience running a farmer’s market in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, and is a big fan of the St. Albert farmer’s market. She said her goal is to bring some of that experience to Whitecourt and help showcase the area’s rich agricultural lands and the producers that call it home. She said musicians could even join and play for attendees. “There’s lots of potential growth for something like this.”

The Fresh Community Market will run from 9 am to 1 pm every Saturday through the summer starting June 24. Vendor fees are $15 for a full spot and $10 for a half, with the option of purchasing a seasonal spot and saving a bit of cash. Storefront businesses can also get booths as long as they sell local products. “For example, Sagitawah Brewing Company could bring their products to sell, for consumption later, because they are made in Alberta. The market would enable them to market themselves differently, maybe even to a different audience.”

Meier said that’s the kind of thing they want. “They are local and produce a local product, so, of course, we want them here. The bit of time, energy, and a little bit of cash it would take to set it up would be well worth it when you think of the volume of people that have the potential to go through. How many campers whip through this area through the summer on Saturday morning? Perfect time to come by, grab your fresh vegetables, throw them in the fridge and off you go.”

Another aspect of the event will be the opportunity for non-profit organizations to make some money. “We are looking for non-profits to host barbeques every Saturday,” explained Alyssa Calliou, the Chamber’s Executive Director. “Non-profits must be a Chamber member to apply for that, but that barbeque could pay for the membership in one day.”

The Whitecourt Chamber plans to hold a ribbon cutting on opening day. Anyone interested in nabbing a spot is encouraged to join the Facebook page, The Fresh Community Market, and fill out an application form. “This market is going to be the place to be on Saturday morning in Whitecourt,” smiled Meier. “I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.”