Sackville farmers market to open

SACKVILLE
By Yvette d'Entremont - The Weekly News
It just got easier for farmer's market aficionados in the Bedford-Sackville area to access local produce.
Starting this Saturday, Knox United Church on Sackville Drive is hosting a weekly farmer's market. Organizers at the church started working on the project earlier this year. They're hoping the initiative fulfills their mission of providing "a fair and direct market venue for locally produced goods and services in an environment that inspires and nourishes community."
"We thought there wasn't anything similar to this in our community," said Knox United finance committee member George Savage. "We'll be starting off small because we didn't get at this until this spring ... but if our location happens to be handier than going down to the city, we expect an expansion pretty quickly."
Scotch Village farmer Cheryl Williams is one vendor who's excited about being part of the new Sackville Farmer's Market. She operates Shani's Farm and sells free-range grass-fed lamb, pork, poultry, eggs, organic produce in season, fresh herbs and homemade pesto. All her meats are from heritage breeds.
"I'm currently a vendor at the Wolfville Farmer's Market, and I truly believe farmer's markets are a great way for people to buy local and to promote local farming," Williams said. "I'd like to expand my farm a bit, which is why I chose Sackville. It's on a main thoroughfare and I thought there'd be a great turnout."
In addition to being highly visible on busy Sackville Drive, Savage said Knox United has ample parking, washroom facilities, and can host vendors both outdoors and indoors. He said organizers canvassed local residents when they first came up with the idea, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Product categories established by organizers range from meat, eggs, fish and poultry to dairy, produce, plants and flowers, baked products like bread, homemade jellies and preserves as well as arts and crafts.
There will be three classes of vendors: full season vendors will get a better rate, while occasional vendors can pay from week to week as they're available. There will also be an under-16 youth vendor category.
The weekly market will include an entertainment kiosk featuring live local musicians that Savage believes will create a festive atmosphere. Women from Knox United Church will operate a hospitality kiosk serving coffee. To help foster community spirit, there will also be non-profit community business booths that can also serve as special events and ticket booths.
"We think this will be a good core area to do this," Savage said. "It's close to the Valley where a lot of the produce is coming from, and some vendors may not want to fight their way downtown. Sackville is a good location for them and people who want to come to the market from here and the communities around us."
The market will run every Saturday from June 13 until Sept. 26, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 1 p.m.
For more information about selling goods at the Sackville Farmer's Market, contact Boyd Hunter at 865-9216.
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca