Farmers’ market opening Saturday

Holding to tradition, the Clover Valley Farmers’ Market will be opening for its 24th season on the first Saturday of May.
And following another tradition, the first market once again is Bulk Maple Syrup Day.
Pat and Kim from Cornell Farms will have delicious bulk maple syrup, which just arrived from Weber’s Farm, north of Waterloo, Ont. Bring your own container to be filled with the sweet goodness for $5.95 per pound.
In keeping with the maple theme, Lowey’s Produce is offering free silver maple seedlings to their first 100 customers.
“Now is the perfect time to plant trees,” observed Donna Lowey, who also will have hanging baskets, potted plants, and perennials.
“All suitable as Mother’s Day gifts,” she suggested.
Deb Cornell gave notice last fall that she no longer could serve as market manager. Instead, she will be focusing on her own business and continuing to attend the market here as well as regional ones in Kenora, Thunder Bay, and Sioux Lookout.
Deb Cornell’s business, The Rainy River Elk Company, will be at the CVFM every Saturday throughout the regular market season, which runs until the end of October.
She will be presenting her usual range of quality elk meat products, plus Thunder Oak Gouda Cheese, and is hoping to have bison for sale this year, as well.
Carley McCormick, meanwhile, has been appointed as the new market manager. The 22-year-old was raised in Devlin and is well-known in the area as a former member of the Muskie girls’ basketball team.
Most of her work experience has been in retail, and she will be keeping her current position in sales at McTaggarts in Fort Frances.
McCormick is looking forward to meeting all of the market vendors and customers, and is enthusiastic about the challenge of finding ways to bring more of both to the CVFM.
She will have some tools for doing that. For instance, the market is initiating a free booth program for first-time vendors and, to add atmosphere, will be paying buskers to come and play there.
McCormick is a people person, and is looking forward to co-ordinating the weekly market themes. Watch for the CVFM events calendar fridge magnet in this week’s batch of flyers.
McCormick also will be managing CVFM’s new food box program.
Shareholders approved the business proposal that was presented by the board of directors at the CVFM’s annual general meeting held Monday in Devlin.
The program, modelled on the Healthy Living food box program in Fort Frances, will deliver food boxes throughout the region, beginning with the towns of Emo, Rainy River, and Atikokan.
Kim Cornell, a CVFM vendor and vice-president of the CVFM board, attends markets across the region selling his own farm-raised beef. He has observed a growing appetite for local foods.
“I see the food box as a perfect extension of current market activities,” he said. “It will distribute local food across the district.”
CVFM intern Josh Phillips, whose contract expired last week, has worked on contracting with growers, creating partnerships with community contacts, and other logistical details required to deliver a box of fresh, wholesome and (whenever possible) local produce to a central pick-up point in subscribers’ communities once per month.
Phillips will be missed by the directors, vendors, and customers of the farmers’ market, as well as other organizations. Anne-Marie Armstrong, with the Healthy Living food box program, appreciated his enthusiasm.
“He had lots of ideas—things that no one else had thought of—and he was very exuberant about bringing them forward,” she said.
“He was a good worker. He helped get local food into the food boxes,” she continued. “And he had big plans. He got the ball rolling on the community gardens.”
With Phillips leaving, that ball now has been passed to Becky Holden, a health educator with the Northwestern Health Unit. Anyone wishing to get involved in the community garden project can contact her at 274-9827 ext. 239.
Meanwhile, McCormick is excited about the whole thing.
“I have always tried to eat healthy. I am interested to learn about local foods how they can help me do that,” she enthused.
She will, no doubt, find many growers and market customers more than willing to teach her.
To book a table or busking space, or to learn more about the CVFM’s food box program, call McCormick at 276-0458 or visit her at the market any Saturday between now and the end of October.
District story idea? Contact rneilson@fortfrances.com