There are three sleeps left before Saturday morning. That’s when the bell is going to ring right at 10 o’clock sharp, letting everybody know that they can revel in the start of another summer season – the 36th – of the St. Albert Farmers’ Market.
Jennifer McCurdy, president & CEO of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce, said that there will be space for 280 booths with the new extension down St. Thomas Street. On a peak day last year, they saw attendance upwards of 20,000 people walking through the market.
It’s no wonder that it is billed as the largest outdoor farmers’ market in Western Canada.
“There are some Saturdays that it’s just packed on all three streets,” she said. “Sometimes people say to me that they’re upset because they go down for one thing and come home with an armful of things and they spend a long time down at the market. It’s great. Even though we have our seasonal vendors, each week we also have our weekly vendors so there’s always something new and exciting.”
Some of those new vendors that feature alcohol will strictly be for the over-18 crowd. McCurdy is very optimistic about the potential for greater variety of market products since the Alberta government changed the regulations to allow Alberta craft beers and spirit vendors during farmers’ markets. For opening day, some of the new vendors coming to St. Albert will be the Strathcona Spirits Distillery (with its Edmonton-based vodka and gin offerings) plus Red Deer’s Troubled Monk and its craft beer, soda, and spirits.
Saturday's festive atmosphere also includes a preview for St. Albert's National Aboriginal Day Festival which is June 24 in Lions Park.
“We are so excited about our market and the opening this year. We have worked really hard to make sure that we are a sustainable market and that we’re giving back to the community. In the last couple of years, our vendors have given thousands of pounds’ worth of fresh produce to our food bank. We hosted a group of new residents to Canada to help them learn how they could take their culture and their heritage and share it with other people and make money doing that,” McCurdy said.
St. Albert Farmers’ Market won Tourism Alberta’s Alto Award for outstanding sustainable tourism in 2017.
She noted how this year’s buskers would be donating to a scholarship fund for young artists and musicians who can’t afford their own lessons.
“We’re always looking at ways to bring another component to the market. It’s easy to be the largest. We’re also working really hard to be the best. I think we’re well on the way with that. We have a great market and we’re really excited about what 2018 is going to bring,” McCurdy said.
In addition to the live music from buskers, there will also be a selection of food trucks and family fun on site.
The Landrex Park ’n’ Ride is back on – thank goodness – since parking downtown is at a premium during the crazy crowd rushes. Instead, park your vehicle at the Village Transit Station and get a free bus ride down. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday from June 9 to October 6 rain or shine. For more information, visit www.stalbertfarmersmarket.com.
Speaking of what’s new
Have you ever heard of a micro-creamery? You’re about to when you stop by new vendor Black Mountain Creamery and its small batch ice cream products with fresh local ingredients to support area farmers. This allows them the freedom to create new flavours on a whim, like vegan toasted coconut. They’re launching their wares on Saturday.Rohan Dhawan said it was the reputation of St. Albert's market that led him (and partners Aiden Di Curzio, Tristen Di Curzio, and St. Albert native Anna Bodnar) to choose to come here. The St. Albert market was appealing because many new creative ideas come to St. Albert, which has a large variety of vendors.
"We thought that was good considering our product is quite distinct. There’s not a lot of ice cream vendors at farmers’ markets. We thought St. Albert would be one of the better places to showcase that. Also, St. Albert’s one of the biggest. The bigger, the better,” Dhawan said.
Black Mountain has partnered with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and a portion of all of its revenues will go to the cause.
Other brand new vendors coming on Saturday include Market Pizza, Camola-Sustainable Bakery, and Name Puzzles.
There’s lots of oldies and goldies too
For the last few years, Dandy Joe has had a booth to entice people with its coffee and tea replacement beverages. “Replaced with what?” you might ask. Roasted dandelion roots, since you asked. The business was spawned by one couple's battle with the beleaguered weed that just wants people to love it.At one point, John Feddema said to his wife, Irene, that he had heard of roasting dandelion roots for something to drink if you're desperate while camping. She seemed dubious so he took on the task just to get it out of his head, he said.
“I was amazed when I roasted dandelion roots. I haven't battled a dandelion since,” he said.
Now, the Feddemas are co-proprietors of the 27-acre Strome area business where they get plenty of free raw materials for their products. Even better, their business has been well-received and is still on an upswing.
“It’s something that has grown with time. We’ve got customers calling from everywhere, even Americans calling me now,” Feddema said.
It was during last year’s market that Sohail Zaidi, proprietor of Edmonton’s Remedy Cafés, struck up a conversation with the Feddemas to sell Dandy Joe products at his shops. Their teas and coffees are great replacement products for those who want to get away from caffeine. They taste pretty similar too.
They originally tried to be occasional vendors at the Strathcona Market, a busy venue with a very limited number of stalls.
“We decided to try the St. Albert market. We sure like St. Albert.”
Lots of familiar faces in the crowd and in the vendor stalls
The Feddemas and the Black Mountain Creamery team aren't the only ones who love the St. Albert Farmers' Market. If you stop by Peas on Earth, you could congratulate them for being the only vendor that has been at every single St. Albert Farmers’ Market over the last 35 years, and it’s still going strong. Fellow produce purveyors Riverbend Gardens and Erdmann's Gardens and Greenhouses have also been going strong for 35 and 34 years respectively, while Dixie Farrell has been offering doll clothes for 34 years as well.There are more than a dozen produce vendors including Morinville Colony Farms, Doef's Greenhouses, Ardrossan Greenhouses, and Heart Acres (not to mention the aforementioned gardens and greenhouses above). The market boasts of a wonderful blend of the familiar with a healthy dose of new faces. With that many booths, it's impossible to mention them all. Guess you'll just have to go down and see them all for yourself.
