A young girl gazes at the baked goods made by Jean Epp at the Meadow Lake Farmers Market opening on June 14. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

Locally Made

M.L. Farmers Market opens for the season

Jun 14, 2019 | 1:56 PM

Fresh baking, produce, jams and homemade crafts are now available at the Meadow Lake Farmers Market which opened its doors for the season today.

Jean Epp was one of the six vendors at the market’s opening on June 14 and has been selling her baking at the market for the past 20 years. Epp said she likes to see regular customers come by the market every year.

“Seeing them come back you know they appreciate what you made for them and it’s nice,” Epp said. “You have people coming every week for baking or vegetables because they can’t do it themselves. And it’s nicer than in the stores because some of the store stuff you don’t know how long it’s been or where it’s coming from. You know it’s local and you know it’s fresh.”

Vicki Cockrum has been the market manager for the past three years and thinks the market has been growing over the years.

“I think it does do a good service for our area people can come in and buy homemade or locally grown produce and baking,” Cockrum said. “You’re supporting your community and you’re supporting local. You’re buying fresh healthy local products whether it be food items or sewing items or even somebody running a small business.”

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Fresh lettuce grown by Vicki Cockrum was being sold at the market. More produce will be sold at the market when they are ready for harvest. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

Cockrum believes part of the growth is because people are more aware of the healthiness that comes from locally grown food.

“I do think that people, maybe even the younger generation, is more aware of what they eat and do want to purchase locally grown,” Cockrum said. “Part of that I believe comes from a bit of better knowledge of how things are grown on a bigger scale and the different methods that are used for weeding as opposed to picking the weeds by hand and not spraying things.”

The market will get bigger over the summer with more vendors selling a wider variety of products including jewelry, sewing and more fresh produce. Cockrum said they usually have 12 to 14 vendors at the market by mid-summer.

Cups and plates made by Laura Budd’s pottery studio, Idylwild Creek Pottery Studio. Sewing and other crafts will also be sold at the market. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

To celebrate the 35 years of the farmers’ market, Cockrum will be doing three draws valued at $35 over the summer.

“You have to spend your money here at any of the vendors but it’s a nice incentive also,” Cockrum said. “Every purchase you make you can put your name in that draw.”

The Meadow Lake Farmers Market runs every Friday starting June 14 to Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov