It's finally here! The spring market season has begun and I am so glad.
It's not that we don't have some excellent markets all year but, from now until Halloween, you can find a market in the Lower Mainland five days a week. From Squamish through to Chilliwack and everywhere in between, hundreds of farmers, bakers, artisans, staff and volunteers are putting the finishing touches to schedules and site maps so you can have the very best experience at market.
Walk with me through the initial set-up and learn just what is involved in putting on a weekly market such as the Coquitlam Farmers Market that kicks off its season Sunday Mothers Day in the parking lot at Dogwood Pavilion (corner of Poirier and Winslow).
Application forms for markets typically go out in January and February. While managers wait for the applications to arrive, they set out a map of the market space; this tells them how many spaces are available.
They then have to determine how many vendors from each category are needed. First and foremost, a farmer's market is about farmers, so upwards of half of the vendors are primary food producers, and farmers, seafood and meat vendors get priority over all the other vendors.
After that, it's about ensuring a good mix between secondary food producers and artisans. New vendors are juried by an panel of staff and board members who look for quality, proper labelling and contact information, and whether the prospective vendor offers something new to the market.
Once applications have been received and new vendors have been juried, the fun really begins.
Who goes where and how many dates do they get? Seniority rules at most markets, with longtime vendors being given first choice of dates. Then it's fill in the blanks, which can be daunting. No market wants or needs to have six bakers or skincare vendors or jewellers at one time. It is a delicate balance between choice and consistency, and the market staff take it all very seriously.
Think it all ends there? Not a chance.
Along with the vendors, there are all the other events that make the market special: chef demos, pancake breakfasts, salmon barbecues, kids' crafts and markets the list goes on and on. Each of these events requires additional planning, staffing and permits.
Once the master list is in place, the paperwork starts. Each vendor is contacted with his or her list of dates and an invoice so there is all the bookkeeping that goes along with that. And that bookkeeping also involves creating financial statements that need to be presented to the board of directors at the monthly meetings.
So now the vendors are taken care of, the staff need to focus on staff. There may be new staff to hire, grants to apply for to fund those new staff and plenty of meetings to bring everyone up to speed. Once the market opens, it should be a well-oiled machine. Sure, there are a few hiccups, but for the most part, it's business as usual.
Karen Curtis is the Lemonade Lady (www.kicslemonade.ca and kicslemonade.blogspot.ca) at the Coquitlam Farmers Market. Her column runs monthly.
RECIPE: make PESTO & PRESTO! PIZZA
Speaking of business as usual, this column wouldn't be complete without a recipe.
Take advantage of fresh garlic scapes to make these delicious pizzas.
PESTO PEPPER PIZZA PRETZEL
Garlic Scape Pesto
12 garlic scapes (rough ends trimmed), cut into 2? pieces
1/2 cup basil leaves, lightly packed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup freshly grated aged cheese (try Rathtrevor from Little Qualicum Cheese)
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Combine the chopped garlic scapes, basil leaves and walnuts in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add the cheese and stream in (or gradually add) the olive oil until you have reached the texture that you desire. Season to taste with the kosher salt, and enjoy.
Pizza
1 cheese pretzel from Gesundheit Bakery
2 tbsp garlic scape pesto
2 tbsp roasted red pepper
2 tbsp grated cheese
Spread pizza with pesto, and top with peppers and cheese. Bake at 400 F till cheese is melted and lightly browned.
MORE INFO
For more info on Coquitlam Farmers Market, which is open Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at Dogwood Pavilion (624 Poirier St., Coquitlam, access off Winslow Avenue), visit makebakegrow.com.
