Building community through local food – from the fields to Surrey’s Civic Plaza
With over
11 years of experience in the community since Peter Leblanc and small
group of farmers decided to launch the first ever Surrey Urban Farmers
Market, this year’s market season launches in a new, bigger and better
venue than ever – Surrey’s Civic Plaza.
The
original market was created based off of a desire to make fresh produce
accessible to the urban community, and since then it has continued to
grow and thrive with the mission of reconnecting the
city and it’s people with “local, sustainable, food sources and small
businesses.” “The market brings people from diverse backgrounds together
into a common area.
Surrey is such a large area and food
is always a common ground between individuals” explains Anna Hall,
Market Manager and Board of Director member.
This market not only gives an opportunity
to the community to try and buy some of BC’s freshest produce and
products (and meet face-to-face with the producers), but also creates an
environment for community-building with it’s performers, community
workshops, and kids activities planned each market season.
Surrey
Urban Farmers Market is a member of the BC Farmers Markets, and a
partner with the Food Nutrition Coupon Program. Made up of a five-person
Board of Directors and one staff member (Sukhman Heir – Market
Coordinator), this small and mighty group of individuals puts a lot of
work and long hours to make this market a reality year after year.
“It’s a
fine balancing act to juggle the market and all its needs while keeping
in mind that we are all volunteers” Hall reveals. The planning begins as
early as December – six-months prior to the season launch, and shortly
after their AGM.
“It’s a
collaboration (leading up to our first market day) of directors putting
in their time to make the farmers market community an enjoyable
experience for the vendors and community.”
“We believe that smiles and food are common languages” shares Hall. “This new venue is much needed for us.
While we
loved our time outside the North Surrey Recreation Centre, it was time
for us to move into the gorgeous Civic Plaza. We had issues three or
four years back being at the Plaza due to construction.
It ended
up becoming quite a problem back then, but now that the plaza is
complete, we are excited to be there. We are officially in the heart of
downtown Surrey.”
With the new location brings an increase in size to the market – translating to a larger depth and breadth of vendors!
Among
the obvious increase in size to the market, Hall lists some of the many
perks of being in the new location this year being increased
accessibility with easy transit options, free 2-hour underground parking, and a broader range of volunteers from different cultures and age groups soon to participate.
“We
have many amazing vendors this season. Earth-friendly vendors are
becoming a bigger part of the market and reaching out to us!” An example
Hall lists is Eat the Dishes – an immersive experience where you eat a delicious meal in a literally edible dish with edible cutlery.
Yes, you
are really eating the dishes – this is no joke! You end your dining
experience by having the option to wash and reuse your cloth napkin that
comes with the meal too. Now that’s what we call sustainability!
New vegan vendors such as PlantBase Food and Natural Products
and organic coffee and tea company Stephens Coffee Service will be new
additions to the market roster this year. Other long-time Surrey Urban
Farmers Market vendors such as Birk Farms from Abbotsford with their
famous non-spray berries will be present, along with the Osoyoos Fruit
Market King (bringing the southern Okanagan’s best pitted fruits such as
fresh cherries and peaches).
“We will have fresh, local veggies as well [such] as “Oh My Green” which sells delicious and nutritious sprouts and many other quality artisan items” Hall explains.
In
addition to food-based items, home good vendors or craftspeople such as
The Twisted Lemon will be bringing their natural soaps and lotions once
again for another season, showcasing their products which aim to use
ingredients that could have been found and/or made in the late
1800’s/early 1900’s.
Longest
standing vendor at the market, Moonlight Wolf, will be selling handmade
Aboriginal jewellery and dream catchers along with well-known silver
jeweller, Wisla.
Besides
the top-notch list of vendors, the Surrey Urban Farmers Market has an
amazing lineup of performers and entertainment for the market season.
In
celebration of Aboriginals Day, the market will be kicking off their
performance schedule on June 15th with a performance from the Stars Of
the North group performing in full regalia at 1:00PM with a
journey-dance,
followed by two interactive drumming/dance numbers encouraging market guests to participate.
Stars Of
the North is a contemporary, family, drum-group on a learning journey in
search of their native Aborignal cultural roots.
Showcasing
their own written music and hand-made regalia and instruments, they aim
to retell stories passed down to them by their elders to share with
their respective communities. Beyond the obvious buzz of the event
itself, this year’s market is sharing four of it’s dates with other
community events held in Central City, the Surrey Filipino Heritage Festival, Surrey Health Expo, African Heritage Festival, and a MOSIAC Seniors Event.
“We are excited about the opportunity and we are hoping this year will be a great one for the community” says Hall. Don’t
forget, an event like this cannot be sustainable without its people, so
if you are looking for a volunteer position for the summer – the market
has the opportunity just for you!
With a variety of volunteer positions
open with flexible time commitments ranging between 8:00AM and 3:00PM on
Saturdays (and Fridays to put out signs around town), there is no
excuse not to get involved.
It is too
important to mention that the Surrey Urban Farmers Market is a
registered non-profit organization which runs solely off of vendor fees
and grants from Vancity and the City of Surrey.
They are actively seeking sponsors to help the market succeed and continue to reach new limits. “Our
market is more than just a farmer’s market, we host a beautiful place
that allows people to start businesses. Lots of individuals started
their companies, hobbies, or passions first in the farmers markets”
explains Hall..
“We
would like to thank everyone who makes our market possible, from our
amazing volunteers, the City of Surrey staff, North Surrey Rec Centre
staff, and so many more.
Thank you! We look forward to seeing you at the market” says Hall on behalf of the other Board of Directors and herself.
Mayor
McCallam will be visiting the market and will host a cake-cutting
ceremony at 12:30PM this Saturday to celebrate our local community of
farmers and artisans, and the move to the new location – so don’t miss
out!
And also important to mention, the market runs rain or shine!
“The rain
during summer is a welcoming sign for farmers and adds fuel to all the
fruits and vegetables that our community loves so much.”
Running
from June 15th to October 5th from 10:00AM-2:00PM, come support the
Surrey Urban Farmers Market as it debuts at it’s new location and
promotes building community through local food.
To learn more about the upcoming
Surrey Urban Farmers Market season or how you can get involved, check
them out on their website or social media platforms:
- Email: info@surreymarket.org OR volunteer@surreymarket.org
- Website: surreymarket.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/surreymarket/
- Twitter: twitter.com/surreymarket?lang=en
- Instagram: instagram.com/surreymarket/
Robyn Freiheit
Robyn
is a status-quo disruptor, an old-soul, and has a serious passion
towards continuous learning driven by a curiosity for the unknown. A
creative and equally analytical thinker with experience in leadership,
project management and marketing strategy. When she’s not working you
can find her in the kitchen, searching for new music, or meandering
local thrift stores, antique stores, or flea markets for a unique find.
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