46 Night market fills gap
by EMILY BULMER SMITHERS – Local
producers and vendors in Smithers are as busy as ever selling their local goods with the newly created Tuesday Night Market. “The night market is a place where people can connect with local farmers and businesses once a week and stock up on their grocery shopping, meet local artisans and craftspeople, pick up a hot dinner, socialize and hear some music,” says Jannine Kellar, the event’s organizer. “It is everything that you could do at a typical market, except it’s on a Tuesday night.” Kellar organized the new
market in response to a decision by the Bulkley Valley Farmers' Market board not to run the Saturday farmers' market from January until the end of March. “Some of the vendors got together and decided to start another market because there are people who rely on the farmers’ market for their shopping, and there are vendors who rely on the farmers market for their sales – that's their only source of income,” Kellar says. By taking place on a
weeknight, the event also reaches customers who might be at a ski hill or engaged in other activities on Saturday mornings. The market runs every
Tuesday evening, 5-8 pm, until March 28. The response
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MARCH 2017
Be ready to face the unexpected
As I pen these words, we’re enjoying a brief lull
between dumps of the white stuff. In fact, for nearly a week, it’s been both snowing and freezing beyond our West Coast levels of endurance. That’s not supposed to happen here on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Wannabe Farmer
by LINDA WEGNER
A truer picture of our winters is that we should be delighting in our customary and somewhat arrogant habit of
regaling Prairie family and friends with tidbits of weather information. This is how the conversation is supposed to go: “It’s warm, overcast yes, but not wet enough to stop us from gardening. Oh yes, crocuses and primroses are blooming...blah, blah, blah.” It’s true. Those flowers, plus the rock garden heather,
are in bloom, but these days they are snow-covered to a degree that I’ve not seen in our 13 years of living in this clime. In fact, I’ve been told this part of the Sunshine Coast has not experienced this kind of winter weather for approximately 40 years. As a result, I’ve been restricting my phone calls to the prairies because, well, it’s downright humiliating to confess that some days we can’t go anywhere. As I write this piece, the streets in our part of town
Jannine Kellar saw an opportunity to meet the needs of farmers and their customers by creating a weekly night market in Smithers this winter. EMILY BULMER PHOTO
from the public to date has been excellent, Kellar says. “The first market it was -30 and it was really busy. The second Tuesday was the day the school buses were cancelled because it was so icy, and it was still really busy,” she reports. In fact, the feedback has been so positive that the
group is looking for a larger venue so more vendors can participate. In addition to expanding the number of vendors from 16 to 25, Kellar is considering moving to an outdoor venue in April if she can find the right space. “We are in the process of
talking to the town about potentially moving to Bovill Square,” she says. “We will move to an outdoor night market and then we'll invite all kinds of food trucks and have a band play on the stage. It could be something really great.”
• BCFC On-Farm Research Manual • BCMA Manure Spreading Advisories • Weather-based Farm Calculators
Kellar hopes to post updates at the market’s Facebook page, Smithers Tuesday Night Market. She can also be reached at [
tuesday.nightmarket@
gmail.com].
FARM EQUIPMENT Spring Consignment AUCTIONS
SATURDAY, MARCH 18 SATURDAY, MAY 20
TRACTORS • TRUCKS • IMPLEMENTS
MERIDIAN EQUIPMENT CO., INC. 5946 Guide Meridian, BELLINGHAM, WA PH. 360.398.2141 • email:
meridianeq@msn.com
have not been plowed, city buses aren’t running and it’s not even a smart idea to try walking, let alone driving. Yesterday, we were told by meteorologists that snow was expected but we semi-sneered. “Not here,” we said. “It doesn’t happen here”. Well, it did and our world is white. To boot, the lull isn’t scheduled to end until tomorrow afternoon. A quote from a Vine Publications and Productions TAO
Facebook post sums it up well: “Seasons mean adjusting ... We must always be prepared to adjust because seasons come and go.” No problem in adding an ‘Amen!’ to that one.
Changing circumstances Adjusting to changing circumstances, even positive
changes, brings its own set of challenges. I make no claim to be a medical anything (other than a recipient of much life-saving input administered by doctors I greatly appreciate) but some online research provided the following advice when facing the stress or trauma of life- changes: research a known, upcoming change; eat healthy foods and try to get enough sleep as well as exercise; take time to relax (even when that may seem impossible to do); try to limit the number of changes taking place at the same time; and, share your feeling and/or fears with someone you can trust or even better, with a professional who can provide solid information on dealing with your situation. Sounds like good advice, if you know that a change is scheduled. To those who are dealing with the unexpected, I wish you every good thing.
There’s been some stress here, apart from the weather,
as the two long-time Powell River farm organizations become one. I visited two different camps of thought as I’ve researched this story. Some folks are excited and happy; some, well, not so much. In a happier vein, a pleasant interruption into everyday
farm life came to several small farms operating in the Regional District of Powell River. Two years ago, the local Chamber of Commerce added an agricultural award to its roster of presentations and this year’s runner-up award went to Funky Beets Farm and the major award to Myrtle Point Heritage Farm, both owned and operated by young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs. Great recognition for lots of hard work. Well deserved, folks, and hearty congratulations. In closing, I admit that I’ve rarely looked forward to spring more than I am this year. You, too? Above all, however, I wish you safety in the iciest of conditions, success in the face of changing international conditions and the solace of loving family and friends in every and any situation.
meridianeq.com
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