Signs of Spring
By Wendy Vogels

It's a sure sign of Spring in the Comox Valley when the ever popular Farmer's Market on Headquarters Road emerges from hibernation. This year's first market day occurred on Saturday. Luckily for the vendors, the sun came out for awhile, offering a brief respite between two storm systems. Although the wind was still a bit chilly, plenty of prospective customers showed up, eager to throw off their lingering winter blues. And what better way to do so than by poking through the many booths offering bedding plants, baked goods or unusual food items such as emu or natural cheese products, all the while being serenaded by the Old Time Fiddlers, a local group of musicians.

One of the great things about the Farmer's Market is that one doesn't have to spend a lot of money (or any) in order to enjoy the atmosphere. You can just spend some time looking at what's available, sample some wares or even just plunk down on a bale of hay or one of the picnic tables and enjoy the free music. You are almost sure to run into someone you know so it's a good time to catch up on news or share some gardening tips.

I personally didn't spend any money this visit but still had an enjoyable time sampling a dip made from wasabi (a plant new to the valley with a taste similar to horseradish) and cream cheese, chatting with a lady from a local farm about the best kind of tomato plants for container gardening and investigating the antique tractors and farm implements on exhibit.

I'm looking forward to the first baby carrots and other local vegetables to arrive in coming months and to the opening of the downtown Farmer's Market in June. I tend to use the downtown market on Wednesday mornings to stock up on vegetables and the Saturday morning markets mostly for the social aspect. This year I have promised myself that I will check out the markets in Comox and Cumberland, just for the fun of it. (originally written in 2005, reproduced with permission)

Events 2006

Economic And Community Impact Assessment Recently a survey was taken with the customers of the Farmers' Market. The preliminary report (requires Acrobat Reader) presents the findings from two assessments completed for the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market, one on Saturday August 5 and the other on Wednesday August 9, 2006. Highlights of results: The estimated economic impact of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market on the local economy is approximately $1.48 million annually The estimated number of market customers on assessment day: 1,968 customers on Saturday and 468 on Wednesday Over 600 people participated in the flip-chart surveys Average (weighted) customer spending per visit: $18.63 55% of respondents at the Saturday market visit either ‘regularly’ (almost weekly) or ‘frequently’ (2-3 times per month) 35.2% of respondents at the Wednesday market visit either ‘regularly’ (almost weekly) or ‘frequently’ (2-3 times per month) Read the full 17-page preliminary report here. September 2, 2006 Customer Appreciation Day ...the liveliest Farmers’ Market day of the year! Todd Butler performs at Farmers’ Market Saturday Food in abundance, wildly wicked humour, magical music and friendly spontaneity will characterize the Farmers’ Market this Saturday as customers and vendors alike enjoy the market’s annual Customer Appreciation Day. With the Valley’s own Todd Butler on the stage, free corn-on-the-cob for all to chow down on, and the vendors’ stall piled high with the season’s finest produce, all who come will enjoy a rollicking good Saturday morning to mark the last great weekend of summer. And there will be a draw for a free composter to encourage all to recycle their kitchen waste. Unlike last weekend when parking had to be shared with those attending the Fall Fair, making it hard to find a spot near the stalls, this weekend ample parking will be available on the field south of the market, beside the curling club, along Headquarters Road and along the road and into the parking lot at Vanier School. Every year seems to get better for the Farmers’ Market. This year, sales have surpassed last year’s record by over 25 percent. As people become increasingly aware of the value of supporting local production that is not dependent on long distance transportation, they have shown that support by their continued patronage. The farmers and bakers of the Valley want to express their great appreciation for the support given to local agriculture. Many will have gifts to give or special sales to show their gratitude. A recent survey conducted by the University of Northern British Columbia showed that 55% of those asked, shop at the Farmers’ Market two to three times a month. One individual, who had just moved to the Valley from England, was the first to participate in the UNBC survey. In answer to the question "How much do you plan to spend today at the market?" he had answered $20. After doing the round of the stalls, he came back and said, "Change my answer to $200." Unlike almost all similar markets in the province, the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market is predominantly a food market with sidelines of flowers and plants and cosmetic products made from herbs and flowers. Everything sold in the market has been grown, baked, made, caught or gathered by the vendor. This is the cardinal rule defining this market. From eggplant, onions and tomatoes to chicken, bison, pork or venison, from wild mushrooms to wild salmon, from apple pies to cinnamon buns, all represent the labour of your neighbours in this Valley. That is one of the reasons why the Farmers’ Market has become one of the elements that defines this as a close and vibrant community. It provides a significant source of income for over eighty farming families as well as guaranteed nutrition for hundreds of other households. Many tourists visiting the market this summer have said how they wished they had a similar facility available in their home towns. The market will continue at the Exhibition Grounds venue up to and including Thanksgiving weekend, October 7th. It then moves into the beautiful setting of the Native Sons’ Hall at Cliffe and Fourth. The Wednesday market continues through to the end of September from 10 am to 1 pm in Simms Park opposite the Lewis Centre.
June 24, 2006 - Kids’ Day at the Farmers’ Market There is not a kid around who does not like food. While children are welcome at every market day, this coming Saturday will be their special day at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market at the Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road. The market runs from 9 am until noon. For the kids, there will be a treasure hunt where they will chase down clues that test their knowledge of food and farming with prizes at the end. For parents and grandparents, this will be a great chance to help your young people understand where healthy food comes from and the kind of work required to put it on the table. Music is always a great feature at the Saturday market and this week it is designed to be particularly appealing to the kids. Unfortunately, Rafi was not available for a personal appearance, but the mystery musicians are likely to be just as appealing to the young while providing their elders with a great musical accompaniment to their morning. The farms and gardens of the Valley are now overflowing with bounty. Fresh produce is coming into its peak season with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, peas, chard, kale appearing alongside the spring features of lettuce, radishes and spinach. The meat and fish are always locally raised or caught. The breads, cinnamon buns and cakes are freshly baked while the jams, jellies and pickles entice with their flavours. The Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning is always a great excursion for the family and a wonderful spot to take visiting friends and relatives. You can truly feel the friendliness and up-beat spirit that accompany life in this Valley. Even dogs are welcome but their owners are asked to keep them on a short leash and away from the vendors’ stalls. Vendors are required to maintain a high standard of hygiene. Many of the market’s regular customers will now have experienced shopping at the market’s Wednesday location at Simm’s Millennium Park opposite the Lewis Centre. The park is a gorgeous location for this market with vendors and customers both expressing their appreciation for its relocation there. The Wednesday market’s hours run from 10 am to 1 pm providing people another good reason to enjoy strolling around that beautiful park over their lunch break. The market welcomes new vendors. Products must be closely related to farming or gardening and produced in the regional district by the person wishing to sell them. All enquiries should be directed to the Market Manager, Glenn Miller, at 218-0321. Check the weather forecast on the Home page.
The Manager with the President extolling the new "2006 Growers Guide"
Sept. 2, 2006 Customer Appreciation Day Free local corn on the cob! Our way of thanking our customers for their generous support. See below to read about last year's event.
Oct. 7, 2006  Final outdoor market Last Day outdoors at The Exhibition Grounds. Thanksgiving.
Oct. 14, 2006 First market inside First day inside the Native Sons Hall.
Two happy Farmers' Market shoppers	Recent winner of a free draw gets congratulations by manager, Glen (right).

A Festive End to a great Farmers’ Market 2005 Season

December 14, 2005:
No location serves better for a festive Christmas market than Courtenay's famous Native Sons’ Hall. And that is where the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market will be in full swing this coming Saturday December 17th, from 9 am til noon.

The giant Douglas fir and cedar beams provide a warm, old-fashioned background to the sparkling lights, festive boughs, and red and green streamers that deck the hall. The air is redolent with the fragrance of cinnamon buns, Christmas breads of all kinds, hot cider provided free to all customers, and coffee. The blue-grass and country music of RNR, interspersed with seasonal melodies, bring smiles to peoples’ faces as they greet friends from across the valley.

For the Farmers’ Market has always been about much more than food. During the summer months at the Exhibition Grounds and now in the winter season in the Native Sons’ Hall, it is, for many, the social highlight of the week. People know that they will always meet friends, and newcomers to the Valley quickly become part of a community that loves wholesome food and the strong sense of place that comes from supporting local farmers and bakers.

Just about everything you need to furnish a groaning holiday table can be found at the market - venison, poultry, beef, pork, salmon - great winter veggies - exotic mushrooms and herbs picked from the region’s forest - gorgeous pies, Christmas cakes and cookies, breads of all kinds, even chocolate truffles - jams, jellies and pickles - and to finish the meal a wonderful selection of cheese from the Valley’s own nationally awarded cheesemaker.

But there is more: beautiful home-made wreaths and decorations to grace your front door or holiday table, and a wide array of gifts for those of discerning taste all crafted by local farmers. For all goods sold in this market is made, grown or baked by the vendors who must be residents of the regional district. So this is truly where "buying local" comes into its own.

Everything about the special Christmas Market will lift your spirits and prepare you and your family for a wonderful holiday season.

This is the last market of the season and it ends the best year by far for the Farmers’ Market. Next spring, vendors will be back at the Exhibition Grounds in early April with spring vegetables, bedding plants, meats, baked goods and preserves.

Anyone seeking to be a vendor or wishing more information about the Farmers’ Market should phone Glenn Miller at 218-0321

September 3, 2005 - Customer Appreciation Day: the Liveliest Farmers’ Market of the Year

Imagine the late summer sun streaming across the fields, Todd Butler’s wicked and witty lyrics celebrating the joys of being free and Canadian, freshly picked corn on the boil for everyone to enjoy and dozens of farmer vendors showing their appreciation with special gifts for those customers who make the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market such an outstanding event.

Those will be the ingredients of the Farmers’ Market’s annual Customer Appreciation Day this Saturday at the Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road between 9 am and noon. And, in addition, there will be a draw for a free garden composter, courtesy of the Regional District. Customer Appreciation Day has become the most popular market day of the year with loads of parking available on the field south of the market, along Headquarters Road and along the road and into the parking lot at Vanier School.

The vendors’ stalls will be laden with produce from the farms, gardens, kitchens and forests of the Valley (and the surrounding seas) as we reach the peak of the growing season. Everything sold in the market is guaranteed to be grown, raised, baked, picked or caught by the vendor so that accountability for quality could not be closer.

And there will be special giveaways by many of the vendors to demonstrate their appreciation for the faithful patronage of their hundreds of customers. Among those being offered are Organic Acres (the Jam Lady) and Alderlane Farm with baking samples and Hazelmere Farm with wasabi goodies and a draw. Kirby Road Farm starts their "green sale", with all the green tomatoes you can stuff in a bag for $2.00. Tannadice Farm and Rankeillor Farm will each offer a meat draw.

Tsolum Farm will give away aromatic organic garlic. Wild Flour Organic Bakery will hold a draw for a basket of special breads. Deroda Farm will raffle a pie and Island Dahlias will sponsor a draw for a basket of dahlias while Seal Bay Farm will sponsor a "lotto tomato" where you win your tomato purchase if you guess right. Gram’s Goodies offers "Blackberry Days" with special prices on blackberry pies, crisps and jam.

Come a visit all the stalls to choose your favourite foods and see what the farmers make available to express their appreciation for your support.

And, it is true. Todd Butler, perhaps the Valley’s favourite satirist and musician will be back to entertain the festive crowd. And fresh corn with butter and salt will be available free for all those visiting the market.

It has been a great year for the Farmers’ Market, the best ever, and the farmers and bakers who sell their produce week after week invite all their customers to come an enjoy a lively morning. The market will continue at the Exhibition Grounds venue up to and including Thanksgiving weekend. It then moves into the beautiful setting of the Native Sons’ Hall at Cliffe and Fourth. The Wednesday market continues in downtown Courtenay at the corner of Fourth and Duncan through to the end of September.

News August, 2005

What's current and ongoing with vendors at the market...

Warwick Dahlias is now at the market every Saturday selling 300 varieties of cut dahlias. Make up your own bouquet, great colours !!!

Kirby Road Farm is getting ready to promote their annual "GREEN SALE" -- only $2.00 for a bag of tomatoes!

Simply Divine organic beauty products, bath and body creations.

Human Eats, try their variety of fresh salsas and Mexican ice teas.

Wild Products Network has fresh white chanterelles for sale.

Emerald Acres, certified organic apples are beginning to ripen and be harvested for sale. Great fall eating . School is starting soon. An apple a day, don't forget !!

Cortes Sourdough Bakery offers all organic, all sourdough products. Nine varieties of bread.

Shirley Wright has beautiful ever-bearing strawberries for sale every Saturday and Wednesday market, until frost.

Ron Holst-Larsen has his beautiful dinner plate dahlias at the market to be "oohed and awhed" over as well as bouquets to be bought.

Pet Treat Bakery for locally made and produced pet treats.

Tsolum Farm, certified organic, has fresh garlic, beans, beets and sweet onions at their stand as well as all the other great produce they grow.

Bite Size preserved foods is offering a wide range of pickled and preserved food products and offers 13 kinds of pepper jellies from mild to extra hot!!!

Hazelmere Farms, certified organic, has a refreshing treat called "WOO" pop, an organic carbonated drink in raspberry and mixed fruit flavours. They have fresh edamame (soybean), heirloom tomatoes and fresh wontons. These are great and need to be tried if you haven't already.

Twigs Artisan Gourmet Loaves, Zelda offers a great display of baked goodies. Something tasty for everyone.

Ironwood Farm (certified organic) has just completed the last of its fall planting for the winter market. First of the winter storage squash will be available soon. Heritage tomatoes, new crop of green onions and lots and lots of beans. Green, yellow and purple varieties. Let us know if you need quantities for pickling.

Lang of OnLine Farm gets the last word in this news update. Lang says, "He's still cynical and paranoid but STILL FARMING ." Way to go Lang !!!!!

Submitted by Barbara, August, 2005

(Older news below...)  back to top

News July 27, 2005

Here is what's up and coming and current at the Comox Valley Farmer's Market.

Vendors are presenting a great variety of new products as well as fresh produce that is ready (or almost ready ) to come to market.

Certified organic blueberries are featured now at Nature's Way.

Dragonfly Farm reports to have English peas available at the next market.

Good Earth Farms has Armenian cucumbers.

Dennis at Seal Bay Farm will have his famous hot peppers for sale soon.

Red Fish Greens is already featuring heritage variety tomatoes and sweet peppers.

Kirby Road farm has tomatoes, sweet peppers and Kirby Road Sweet Heart cukes coming on .

Sequoia at Wild Products is featuring some great new products. He has 3 seaweeds available in dried and packaged form. They can be used in place of salt for cooking and are high in potassium and B vitamins. I have tried some and it is an excellent tasting product.

Lang at OnLine Farm always has something great to say. He tells me the squash is busy propagating . This is a good sign. Along with his great assortment of certified organic greens , he has celery available now too.

Grantham Farm now has red potatoes ready and available.

Steve at Rock Bottom is going to have cilantro ready for all the salsa makers . He is also taking orders for bulk basil.

Tsolum Lavender, the ladies have some new products to feature .They now have a lavender body gel and a lavender/ rose body scrub.

At Ironwood Farm they have 3 kinds of certified organic kale and collard greens which are potent anti-oxidant vegetables. Basil is ready and available in small or larger quantities.

 Andy will have chickens ready for sale at the next market.

On a last note Mom's Awesome Muffins will be away over the long weekend. Everyone needs a holiday, she will return the following week.

Have a good week (or two) everyone !!! The market and vendors and product look great!!!!!!! 

Written by Barbara, July 27 2005.