The Newsletter of Vancouver Farmers MarketsLast Weekend at the Summer Markets! Roberta LaQuaglia |
Winter Market Starts Nov 6: New Location & Weekly
Yes, you read that correctly - we are going weekly with our Winter Market on Saturdays, and we're going to be bigger and more accessible than ever before!
You can find us in the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot located at Ontario St @ 30th Ave every Saturday from 10 am - 2 pm from November 6 until April 30 (except Christmas and New Years Day). It doesn't get more central in Vancouver than here!
We hope that our dedicated shoppers who visited our Winter Market at the WISE Hall will continue to support the market at our new location. As cozy as the WISE Hall was for our winter market in the beginning, we were bursting at the seams last year trying to squeeze everyone in, and parking for vendors and shoppers was a challenge.
This year we have more farmers who want to come to the Winter Market and now we have the space to accommodate everyone - a win for both farmers and shoppers. You can look forward to an easily accessible market full of produce, meat, fish, cheese, bread, mushrooms, preserves, crafts, hot prepared food and drink, as well as music and entertainment. 
Plus, there is so much to do in the immediate area before or after you visit the market! There's the new Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park, the Millennium Sports Centre, the Riley Park Community Centre, Queen Elizabeth Park and The Bloedel Conservatory.
The new location at the Nat Bailey Stadium is located near multiple bus routes, the Canada Line, the Ontario St bike route and there is ample parking for those who need to drive.
Thank you for your wonderful support and we look forward to seeing you on November 6!
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Holiday Market - December 11, Croatian Cultural Centre
While its not quite the holiday season yet, its never too soon to mark your calendar and start making plans for gathering the goodies you need for festive celebrations. The Holiday Market is the perfect event to cover off all those hard to buy for friends and to stock your pantry and fridge with the best in entertaining foods and yummy gifts!
Check out our website soon for a list of all the vendors attending and more information will follow in the next issue of Market Share.
Harvest Festival Apple Pie Bake-off - The Winners!
It was a fine showing of baking artistry at the West End Market's Harvest Festival on Oct 2. Everyone stopped to watch with envy as judges sampled and graded eight very different homemade apple pies for the Apple Pie Contest.
1st Place! - Hazelnut Apple Pie by SaraJane Kramer
SaraJane is a passionate amateur baker who works in the local film industry. Her winning pie was completely vegan and used hard apple cider from the Okanagan, local Pink Lady apples, and a toasty topping of BC hazelnuts. The judges raved about its "perfect texture with just the right amount of sweetness," "great texture, fresh flavor," and "innovative use of hazelnuts." With 44 points out of a possible 60, SaraJane definitely used her baking skills to show us the Best of BC!
2nd Place! - Proud to Be Apple Pie by Mitchell Morse of the Pastry Gang
The Pastry Gang are a young group of graduates from the pastry program at the Culinary Institute of Vancouver, and they are some serious contenders in the world of baking! Their "Blueberry Haze" muffins won our Blueberry Muffin Competition at the Main St market back in July and they came back to test their skills again! Their very creative and definitely delicious apple pie was a conversation starter at the market - with old cheddar cheese grated on top it was an unconventional yet intriguing entry. The judges commented on the "perfect amount of spice and sugar with apple shining through - well balanced," "excellent contrast of sweet and savory," and the "great apple flavor." We look forward to seeing more from the Pastry Gang at our events next year!
3rd Place! - Sweet Pie o' Mine by Daniel Oong
Daniel is a familiar face around the market and we're happy that he entered his classic lattice-topped pie. He's fairly new at baking, with his winning pie being only his second attempt at pie-making ever! The judges commented on the "lovely glossy appearance" of his pie and commended him on his "excellent execution of a classic." We hope Daniel will keep it up and perfect his pie-making skills!
Thank you very much to everyone who entered! Every pie was delicious, well-crafted and beautifully presented.
And thank you to our judges - Karen Dar Woon, Jane Mundy and Erin Nichols - who were firm but fair in their assessments, who were thoughtful in their comments and criticisms, and who managed the difficult yet rewarding job of tasting eight delicious pies!
October Fun in the Fields
The month of October is a great time to visit farms in the lower mainland. Many offer apple/pumpkin picking, corn/hay bale mazes, tractor rides, petting zoos and lots of scary haunted happenings for Halloween. Here is a list of just some of the farms in the area that you can visit. Remember to call ahead to confirm.
AppleBarn Pumpkin Farm Ltd.
Apples, pumpkin patch, hay bale maze, snacks and refreshment stand, kids play area, picnic area, hayrides, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo
333 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford / 604-853-3108 www.applebarn.ca
Willow View Farms
Apples, plums, pears, pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, and sweet corn
288 McCallum Rd, Abbotsford / 604-854-8710 www.willowviewfarms.com
Maan Farms
Pumpkin patch, corn maze, haunted corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, honey from hives on the farm, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, petting zoo
790 Mckenzie Road, Abbotsford / 604 852 5722 www.maanfarms.com
The Apple Farm
Apples, pears, plums, fresh cider or press your own
4490 Boundary Road, Yarrow / 604- 823-4311 www.applesandstuff.com
Download our Fun in the Fields flyer [ PDF ] for more destinations and fun attractions!
Vendor News
Winter CSA Opportunity
Klippers Organic Acres will be offering a Winter CSA again this year. If you are interested in receiving a bi-weekly basket of goodness from their organic farm in Cawston, sign up on their website. Additionally, egg shares can be purchased to supplement your fruit and veggies.
More info: http://klippersorganics.com/jointhefarm-sign.html
Events in the Community
Justice for Wild Salmon Rally Oct. 25, 11:00 am, Vanier Park
The Cohen Commission opens on Monday Oct. 25th. Come to Vanier Park at 11:00 am, across the Burrard Bridge from downtown Vancouver, to join a lunch time rally on the same day. For too long this fishery has been mismanaged. Now is the time to correct this. Please join us in in letting the commission know that we want justice for Wild Salmon.
The full schedule for the day:
10:00am Flotilla gathers in Vancouver Harbour
11:00am Stand Up for Wild Salmon march from Vanier Park, across Burrard Bridge to DFO’s Vancouver office and then outside the Cohen Commission at the Law Courts
12:30pm Rally for Wild Salmon at Vancouver Art Gallery.
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A Growing Chefs! Harvest Kitchen Party
Monday, October 25th
The Dirty Apron Cooking School
540 Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC
Doors: 6:45pm
Begins: 7:00pm
Silent Auction
Hosts: CBC's Margaret Gallagher and Fred Lee
For tickets call 778.885.1308, email admin@growingchefs.ca or purchase online.
Celebrate BC's local product and talent in support of Growing Chefs!
We're bringing together some of the city's most prominent chefs and mixologists and the region's best growers and producers for a fun night of cocktails, canapés, B.C. wine and beer pairings, and tasting stations!
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VanDusen Gardens October Events:
25 Monday -- Film Screening, The Man Who Planted Trees presented by the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival with special guest, VanDusen Garden Director Harry Jongerden in Floral Hall at 7 p.m. Considered to be the finest hand-rendered animation ever created, this Canadian Oscar- winning film by Frédéric Back portrays Elzéard Bouffier’s life’s work transforming barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems brimming with wildlife. Using extraordinarily detailed impressionist watercolour paintings of forests, trees, and birds, this enchanting film describes the potential for one person to influence permanent change in the world. Experience the power of trees to restore the environment as Mr. Jongerden offers a brief commentary on the value of trees and horticultural projects benefitting environments and communities. Please reserve your seats ($5 each with popcorn) at info@vcbf.ca and pay at the door.
30 Saturday – Jack O’Lantern’s Spooky Stroll, 5 – 7 p.m. and suitable for families with children age 9 and under. Follow the pumpkin path to view more than 125 carved and lit pumpkins in the dark and arranged in a circle route through the Garden. When you’re done, join WestCoast Families Editor Anya Levykh in the Glasshouse for story-telling. Rain or shine, dress for the weather. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Advance tickets available in The Garden Shop starting Oct. 1. Tickets also available at the door. Prices: Adult (19 – 64): Member $5.50, Non-member $7.25; Seniors (65+): Member $4, Non-member $5.25, Children & Youth (2 – 18): $5.00.
For more information visit: vandusengarden.org
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Women and Food: A Vancouver Historical Perspective
Tuesday, October 26, 7pm - 8:30pm City Hall Council Chambers, 3rd Floor
Free Admission
Hosted by Councillor Ellen Woodsworth with Special Guest Speakers:
Andrea Reimer, City Councillor
Cease Wyss - A First Nation's perspective
Meeru Dhalwala - Women and Indian Cuisine
Tracey McDouglal - Hogan's Alley's Vie's Chicken and Steak House
Edith Turner - Gulf of Georgia Cannery
Shirley Chan - Eating Stories
Devorah Kahn - Women and Farmers Markets
Info: www.herstorycafe.ca
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A Fresh Event: A screening of the movie Fresh by Ana Sofia Jones
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. Join us Thursday November 4th from 7:00pm - 9:30pm at the Ridge Theatre. More details.
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Museum of Vancouver - Home Grown: Local Sustainable Food
On until January 2, 2011
Home Grown is a photographic exploration of local food production and sustainable farming in Vancouver and the surrounding region, presented by MOV and FarmFolkCityFolk.
In photo-journalistic style, 39 stunning images by photographer, Brian Harris, contain a call-to-action for individuals and communities to reclaim control of local food systems and to think carefully about the ethics of food consumption decisions that are made everyday.
http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/
Food and Beers Speaker Series
Presented by Tides Canada
Hosted by David Beers, editor of TheTyee.ca
How Do We Compare to Other Cities?
Renowned authors of The 100 Mile Diet, James McKinnon and Alisa Smith, return from their travels to share ten local food ideas being trialed in other North American cities.
November 25, 2010, 7 pm at the Museum of Vancouver, tickets $15 and include Home Grown exhibition
Pumpkins - not just for carving
Not all squashes are created equally. Some are intended for delicious meals and others, like the millions of standard orange pumpkins, are grown just to be carved into a glowing jack-o'-lantern decorations for Halloween. But you can eat these pumpkins too! Roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious and filled with magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and protein. They're also great to use in baking. And your jack-o'-lantern's flesh has a mild and subtle flavour that works surprisingly well in a pie or soup - scoop out most of the flesh with a sharp spoon BEFORE you carve it and use it in your recipes.
Making Pumpkin Seeds:
Remove seeds and rinse away the stringy stuff
Let them dry on paper towel
Some flavoring options include: coarse sea salt, cajun seasonings, ginger powder, pumpkin pie spice, garlic salt, curry powder, chili powder, cinnamon, vinegar and salt.
Bake the seeds on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (single layer thick) in a 250-degree oven for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes
And if you don't have time to cook up and eat your pumpkin after Halloween, do try to compost it.
Here are some fun Halloween pumpkin carving templates to download. [ TEMPLATES ]
Happy Halloween!!
Food For Thought
Can Vancouver Feed Itself?
As part of the Food and Beers speaker's series (see events section for more details), on October 14 a panel of experts, including Amy Robertson, who is the board chair of the Vancouver Farmers Markets, discussed how Vancouver can feed itself and came up with suggestions for a healthy local food economy. Do check out this article summarizing the evening by Colleen Kimmett for The Tyee. [ARTICLE ]
