It’s amazing how fresh fruits and vegetables make you feel, isn’t it? Two friends recently told me about their trip to the farmers market followed immediately by a picnic at the park. They gathered with their families on a beautiful day at the market and park, plates heaped with fresh salads, fruit, and vegetables. One said, “The salad was the freshest I’ve ever had!…I could actually feel life from the food entering into my cells!”

I can guarantee you that you will never hear this said about imported food. This is the value of our city’s farmers markets – freshness, greater nutrition, vitality, life.

Life is flourishing at Vancouver’s farmers markets. Farmers tell us that this year has been a good one overall for growing, and the markets have seen perfect, sunny days for months! Attendance is on the rise, with over 7 000 people visiting our 3 markets each week. We are in the midst of another record year as the demand for local food skyrockets. Revenues to farmers, prepared food-makers and artisans are up by at least 10% over last year’s record-breaking $1.75 million.

As a non-profit society, our efforts at organizational development and fundraising are also blooming. This year Your Local Farmers Market Society raised a total of $140, 000 to help our markets and society grow. Funding has been generously provided by Western Economic Diversification, Vancity, Coast Capital Savings and Human Resources Student Development Canada.

Over the next few months you’ll begin to notice the fruits of our labour in the following ways:

• New farmers market season: Winter Farmers Market, first Saturday of each month from November to April, starting Saturday, November 4th from 10am-2pm at the old WISE Hall on Victoria at Adanac.
• New look, signage, advertising & “farmers market” merchandise (new re-useable shopping bags are already on sale!)
• New 5-Year Strategic Plan outlining plans to institutionalize the farmers markets in Vancouver
• More on-site educational resources and a continuation of great events
• New vendor recruitment and more resources for vendors including cooperative opportunities, workshops and product development  & marketing support
• New neighborhood market development citizens’ committees for you to join to boost your neighborhood farmers market!

Also, as many of you are aware, 2 of our farmers markets are situated at 2010 Olympic building sites: East Vancouver and Riley Park. We are in the process of not only looking at short-term re-location plans (on-site) but also the long-term re-developing our farmers markets at these locations, with a view toward building a multi-purpose structure to house operations on market days, and for use by the community on non-market days. At Riley Park a simple farmers market structure with parking is already situated in the Masterplan for legacy development just after the Olympics. The Masterplan process for Trout Lake is now underway and we are very optimistic for the development possibilities here. Stay tuned for more updates!

In the meanwhile with the harvest season going strong, I want to acknowledge all the tremendous continuing dedication, care and incredible hard work of our vendors, without whom our markets cannot exist. To our food and beverage service providers, entertainers and community groups I would like to send a very big thanks. And to our spectacular staff, volunteers and board of directors who keep our markets moving and improving, thank you! I especially want to thank our Supervising Market Manager, Roberta La Quaglia, who consistently goes above and beyond to bring you everything you see and do at all of our markets.

Finally, to you, our customers, thank you for your growing support of B.C’s farmers, food preparers and artisans. Now you can tell everyone that you’ve met your maker!

See you at the market!

Tara McDonald
Executive Director
Your Local Farmers Market Society

Apples
Apples should be firm and heavy for their size, with no soft or brown spots or indentations. Wash them well and just eat out of hand. To core them, cut in half, then in quarters, and using a knife make a circular cut around the seeds and seed casings. Make sure you get those little transparent seed casings out, because if you're cooking the apples in a pie or other recipe, the casings won't soften much and are unpleasant to bite.

Artichokes
If you squeeze an artichoke and it squeaks, it's fresh! Artichokes should be compact, firm and heavy for their size. A slight brown tint in the artichokes is actually desirable - it's called "winter kiss" caused by frost, and increases sweetness. To prepare, cut off the top 1" of the artichoke, then use a scissor to cut off all sharp tips, cut off the stem and rinse in lemon water. If you want to remove the choke before cooking, gently pull apart the leaves and scrape out the hairy choke. Artichokes can be boiled or steamed until the leaves can be easily pulled off.

Eating them is an art; pull off each leaf and scrape the tender bottom between your teeth. Dipping sauces enhance the artichoke's flavor.

Beets
Fresh beets should be firm, round and smooth with no soft spots. They can be roasted or steamed. If you roast them unpeeled, they can be eaten like a baked potato. The red stain from beets is permanent, so cover your work surface with waxed paper as you work. Cut off the stem and root, wash and scrub thoroughly, then cook by boiling, roasting or steaming. After cooking the skins will slip off easily.

Cabbage
Cabbages should be firm and heavy, with leaves tightly attached to the stem and the head. Wash the head, then remove the outer tough leaves. Cut or shred the cabbage as directed in the recipe. Serve cabbage raw in salads or cooked and finished with a little butter.

Cauliflower
Cauliflower is fairly perishable, so buy it only 2-3 days before you eat it. Choose firm, heavy heads with creamy white florets that have no brown spots. The stem isn't edible. Wash well, cut off the florets, and serve raw or steam them lightly until tender.

Onions and Leeks
Buy firm, solid onions and leeks with no wet spots. Leeks should have crisp, dark green leaves and feel heavy for their size. Don't store onions in the refrigerator, or they will soften. Peeling onions under water is really the only way to avoid tears. When you cut an onion, you release sulfur compounds that irritate your eyes. Holding a match or piece of bread in your mouth just doesn't work. Make sure you rinse leeks very well, as they are grown in sand and the sand really can hide in between the leaves.

Potatoes
Potatoes store very well, so buy them in bulk! Make sure to store them away from onions, however, as they each release a gas that shortens the other's shelf life.

Don't store potatoes in the refrigerator, as the starch will convert to sugar and the taste will be unacceptably sweet. Potatoes should be firm, heavy, and smooth with no soft spots or bruises.

Squash
Winter squashes are hard skinned, heavy fruits (yes, fruits!) that should be firm, with a dry, attached stem. Winter squash is almost always baked.

Summer squashes are more like cucumbers, with tender, soft skin and delicate flesh. Choose firm, small summer squashes with no brown spots. Peel if you like, wash, and slice. Summer squashes are wonderful cooked in a little butter, with salt and pepper. Varieties include yellow summer squash, crookneck and scalloppini.