The Airdrie Farmer's Market
story and photo by Carl Patzel
Getting behind a shopping cart, standing in long lines to buy the weekly staples of life, can be a tedious chore at the best of times. We all accept it and expect to find what we’re looking for, maybe brightened by the odd surprise, but rarely find something new, original and creative.
These days, the personal shopping experience generally lacks imagination and inspiration, let alone much of a human touch.
That is unless you seek out handmade products, homemade foods and, most likely, a smile, a genuine thank you and a story behind what you are buying.
Enter into the picture the Airdrie Farmers Market. Right here in your own backyard you can find handcrafted products, fresh foods and something new every week. "This is more of an event than it is just a place to buy fruit and vegetables," says market manager Candice Kolson.
Looking for a place to sell her own handcrafted goods, Kolson last year took over the reins of the market, which has become a hotspot for downhome shopping every Wednesday.
"I took it over on the premise if I could get 10 vendors I would make a go of it. Then by the second day after opening week, we had 60," she says. "Airdrie really needed something. The response was there from the vendors and as well from the shoppers."
After bouncing around for years at several different locations, the Airdrie Farmers Market landed a home in 2009 at the Airdrie Legion, which has room for 80 vendors.
"Without the Airdrie Legion there is no way that this market would have ever been as successful last year. We owe everything to the Airdrie Legion," Kolson says.
Tents line the parking lot with food products and crafts and, with many more unique offerings indoors, the bazaar has become a weekly staple for many shoppers.
"It really is [somewhere] that you have to slow down and take your time and treat like an event, not just a quick run-through superstore. It's an event to be enjoyed," she says.
Topping the popularity charts for the fresh food fanatics are: Souto Farms, a family-run fruit farm; My Bread with fresh-baked products and dips; Innisfail Growers, a central Alberta produce co-op offering all types of vegetables; Tim's Gourmet Pizza with homemade crusts, sauces and even a gluten-free pizza; Dietz Meats with everything from bacon to jerky; Pearson's Berry Farm out of Bowden; Ukrainian Fine Foods specializing in cabbage rolls; Spragg's Meat Shop with free-range pork products; River Rock Fudge; Neudorf Hutterite Colony; Harrison Farms; and many more.
"The people are thrilled. They're coming for eggs, vegetables, fruit, breads and their basics," says Kolson, adding that with the recent concerns about food additives and health, there seems to be a great market for natural, unprocessed foods. "[These products] are made with fresh ingredients. There are no preserves in them. All these vendors can tell you exactly what they've put in their products to the point where some of them even know where they bought the cow."
Kolson adds that the vendors and the market also follow strict health regulations, making sure food is handled properly from the very first ingredients to the final sale.
"These people are not cooking from their homes with their five cats and dogs; they are cooking in a certified kitchen. They’ve been health-approved to cook in that kitchen and they are also approved at the market site to make sure they’re doing everything safely there."
But the buyers and merchants survive on more than just their stomachs. Several vendors use the market to sell handcrafted products including silversmith jewelry, quilts, baby products, precious Alberta stones and handmade soaps and lotions. There are also foliage growers. A local crafter creates Nana Banana Bags.
"She makes homemade silk purses that are absolutely beautiful and are one-of-a-kind," Kolson says. "We also have Val Morris, a local lady who does quilts, which is a lost art."
During its first year at the Legion location, the market saw between 1,500 and 3,500 people each Wednesday. Hoping to cash in on the welcoming environment and event-like atmosphere, Kolson says organizers would like to double the number coming through the market, which begins June 2 and runs every Wednesday until Sept. 29.
"You don't need to drive down south to go to [another] market. You can stay in Airdrie and hit your market on Wednesday," says Kolson, who is promoting the venue through the Think Airdrie campaign. "Airdrie has 40,000 people in it. There’s no reason we shouldn't see a third of them every Wednesday at their local market. When people are talking about what is there to do in Airdrie during the week, [we want] Wednesday [to be] the farmers market."
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