he
new Sussex Farmers Market is thriving after its first season. Now
that's good news! Since May 2007 the market, situated in the centre of
town next to the post office, has been opened each Friday from 1 to
8pm. Ever since it opened, I've been impressed with the number of
vendors at the market and the variety of products they offer.
There are a number of bakeries offering
breads, pastries, pies, and fudge and many farms offering in-season
fruits and vegetables, maple products, chicken, beef, pork, eggs,
seafood, even emu and wild boar. There are vendors offering a wide
variety of jams and jellies. If you'd like hot prepared food you can
choose from Jamaican, Thai, Chinese, or German cooking, samosas,
beaver tails, pizza, and sausages. To wash it all down there's a
homemade lemonade stand, and a tea and coffee stall.
(Photo: Marcelle Thibodeau)
If you're looking to buy gifts, you're
in luck. There are knitted toques, mittens, socks; you can even buy
alpaca wool to make your own! There are jewelry makers, a soap maker,
painters, photographers, and wood carvers selling their creations.
"I like the variety at the Market.
I can come here every Friday and get most of my groceries for the
week," says Karen Neville, a resident of Lower Cove.
To top it all off, there's great music
being played for you when you walk in the door.
The variety offered is remarkable for a
market which has only been in operation for one season. Over the
years, there have been various farmers' markets operating in Sussex,
but when I moved here in 2006 the town didn't have its own farmers'
market. I was surprised at this since the region is renowned as one of
the most important agricultural sectors in New Brunswick and boasts
some of the best agricultural soils in the province. There are more
than 350 farms in the region producing a wide variety of agricultural
products: dairy, beef, hog, poultry, vegetables, blueberries.
Things were soon to change in Sussex. I
started seeing advertisements in the local paper seeking out board
members for a new farmers market in Sussex. In the fall of 2006, a ten
member board was formed and over the winter the members met to put
together a business plan. The board asked for, and received, funding
from the Town of Sussex and Fundy Enterprise to hire a consultant to
conduct a study on the feasibility of a farmers market. The results
were positive and by the May long weekend this year the market was
ready to open.
(Photo: Marcelle Thibodeau)
I spoke with board member Jack Smith in
mid-October and he said that the market is already far ahead of its
projected number of vendors and projected revenue. Each week,
approximately 1000 people from the immediate area and from Saint John,
Rothesay, and Quispamsis come to the market. During the grand opening,
over 1800 people passed through the market's doors.
The market has an average of forty
vendors per week. Vendors change throughout the season - Mr. Smith
said they currently have eighty vendors on their list, and each week
they get calls from two or three more vendors who would like to
participate in the market.
Community support is strong for the
market. Each week, tickets are sold for door prizes supplied by local
businesses; revenue from ticket sales helps to pay for the rental of
the building. The Kings County Record, the local paper, publishes a
weekly column highlighting a vendor. The Business Downtown Association
has also been a great help, sharing their office and phone line.
(Photo: Marcelle Thibodeau)
"The market has a great community
atmosphere," says Darlene Daigle of Quipamsis. "The vendors
are friendly and always willing to talk to customers about their
products."
Since items sold at the Sussex Farmers
Market have to be either produced or made locally, the market is
helping to strengthen the local economy and reduce environmental costs
by having shorter food miles. It is estimated that these days our food
travels between 4000 and 6500 kilometres before reaching our plates.
This means that an average North American diet composed of imported
ingredients can generate four times the greenhouse gas emissions in
comparison to an equivalent diet composed of local ingredients. So,
buying local not only helps the economy, it helps the environment too!
"Well I'm off to cook my supper
now - wild boar steak, buttercup squash, turnip, and pickles. All from
our local farmers here in the Sussex region. Sounds great to me!"
