Market gets a weather break; becomes what it was intended to be: a place to buy local produce and chat with neighbours.

 

 

By Walter Byj

BURLINGTON, ON May 20, 2013.  The official opening was a bust – snow in May – but the second Sunday opening of the Centro Farmers Market took place on a cool, sunny morning.   Located on the small compact private parking lot at the rear of Centro Garden, the market slowly came to life as the 10 vendors set up shop and customers strolled in.

This is the second year for this market.  The first worked through all the problems that something new runs up against.  Last year closed with one of the most adventurous “restaurant” events in this city.  They got rained out last year – hopefully Barry Imber, Impresario of this event, will pull together another Chef’s ShootOut.

The place is meant to be social, a place where you take the time to sit and talk with people and look over the organically gown produce that follows the seasons. When Russell Gibbs shows up with his honey – it will be gone in a couple of hours – always sells out.

Kathy, who was a customer last year when the market was open on Friday’s,  was back eager to patronize the local vendors who grow organic. This is one of our goals said Barry Imber, who along with his wife Leslie, is the driving force behind this market. A downtown Burlington resident, Imber wanted not only a market that stressed locally grown organic food, but also a location that would become a  gathering place that brought people into the core.  Imber stressed that “this market is based on a voluntary spirit where the vendors do not have to pay for their booths and where no public money is required.  Being a relatively small market allowed both vendors and customers to create friendships among themselves and who looked forward to reacquainting on a regular basis.”

Nearby Andrea was slowly sipping her coffee,  just purchased from the Tamp Coffee Company that had set up a small booth.  A first time visitor, she was drawn by the fact that this market offered locally grown organic food and was enjoying the atmosphere and vowed to become a regular customer.

Best espresso in town – great way to start a Sunday morning at the Centro Farmer’s Market

Tamp, by the way brews one of the best Espresso’s you will ever find in this city.  And when Russell Gibbs  shows up with his limited supply of honey – get to the market early – he always sells out.

I approached the vendor from Baba Link Farms, Pat Kozowyk, who mentioned that her booth offerings would change week to week as the various fruits and vegetables came to fruition.  A certified organic farmer, she promised that her small 10 acre farm would supply a large variety of offerings over the summer. Nearby, chef Damian Wills of Farm to Table Meats, was offering frozen organic meats such as chicken, beef, pork and bison. Damian has established a relationship with a number of farmers in the Waterloo area and represents their product s at the market.

Vandenbroek Farms, The Wandering Locavore , Terra Teas and Days of Harvest were other vendors selling their unique product.

I left at around 10:30 am when there was a steady turnover. Many seemed to be from the immediate area, others arrived from other parts of Burlington.  Shoppers such as Darlene emphasized that the organic aspects of the produce was her main draw. But I noticed that there is a bit more than that. This was a social, friendly meeting place.  People were taking their time. It is the kind of place where the kids are welcome.

Will this atmosphere continue throughout the summer? That remains to be seen; I for one will pop down later on in the year to observe if and how this market continues to develop.

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1 comment to Market gets a weather break; becomes what it was intended to be: a place to buy local produce and chat with neighbours.

  • Shannon Gillies

    What I love about this market is how local businesses came together and just made it happen (without a pile of reports, meetings, and consultations, unlike City Hall and council who, for some reason, found the challenge of starting a downtown farmers market too formidable.