Vendor Spotlight: Rockweld Farm

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SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE: This Sunday at the Poirier Street Farmers Market Rockweld Farm will be offering a special deal! Stop by their tent on Sunday and ask for the SPOTLIGHT DEAL: 20% off boneless skinless breast strips. (This deal has now expired.)

Q. Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because the rooster saw a hen on the other side…ha ha

Q. Why was receiving SPCA certification important to you?

We became BCSPCA Certified 13 years ago because the care of our chickens is very important to us and having a third party to audit our farm once a year insures that we are maintaining those standards (check the BCSPA website)

Q. What is your most popular product?

Our most popular product is our whole boneless skinless chicken breast.

Q. What is the most commonly asked question in your truck and what is the answer?

“Are you Certified Organic?”
Answer: “No we are not Certified Organic BUT our chickens are FED Certified Organic Feed, and we are BCSPCA Certified. They do not go outside but they have double the square footage, twice the feeders and waterers and 8 hours of complete darkness. (AND we play country music for them…:)

Q. Why do you think farmers markets are important in the community?

We think farmers markets are very important because it makes it possible for the community to buy local, healthy products. Also because they are FUN (going to the grocery store is not fun).
And it’s great for kids to see where their food is coming from. They make people in the community feel like they are a part of something – supporting the local farmers and growers. Local…Healthy…Ethical…is our motto!

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Vendor Spotlight: Delish Gluten Free

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SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE: This Sunday at the Poirier Street Farmers Market Delish Gluten Free will be offering a special deal! Stop by their tent on Sunday and ask for the SPOTLIGHT DEAL on muffins – 2 for $5.

Q. What was your inspiration behind starting Delish Gluten Free?

My grandma was diagnosed with celiac in 1962. Growing up, I’ve always been aware of celiac disease and how hard it was finding good tasting gluten free goodies. Before I opened my own business, I worked as a baker and saw a growing demand for gluten free celiac friendly products.

Q. What are your most popular items at market?

Our quinoa bread and quinoa flax are very popular as it is difficult to find a good tasting and texture gluten free bread. Our vegan oreo cookies are our most popular treat followed by vegan quinoa carrot cake muffin.

Q. What makes Delish Gluten Free treats so special?

Baked with love!! All of our bakers are super passionate about what they do. It’s very satisfying giving people with gluten allergies/celiac disease the pleasure of eating treats again and feeling normal.

Q. What is next for Jenna and Delish?

This year is our second anniversary of our retail store. We are starting to get into more savory items and celiac friendly catering. A second retail store is most definitely in our plans.

Q. Why do you think farmers markets are important in the community?

Farmers markets are very important because it encourages people to eat locally, meet the people who bake/grow their food. It’s also great for kids to pick their own food and learn the produce doesn’t always come from the grocery store. I like to incorporate local dairy, produce and anything local into our products. It’s a nice relationship to have between farmers and gives the market a sense of community.

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Vendor Spotlight – Ripple Creek Organic Farm

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SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE: This Sunday at the Poirier Street Farmers Market Ripple Creek Organic Farm will be offering a special deal! Stop by their tent on Sunday and ask for the SPOTLIGHT DEAL on plant starts: cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers – a combination of any 3 for $10. (This deal has now expired.)

Q. How long have you been farming?

My wife and I met on an organic farm in Virginia nine years ago and have been involved in farming in some way since then. My wife also studied agriculture at university in Ecuador. She was exposed to farming by her grandmother, who had avocado and mandarin orchards, and grew many different types of fruits and vegetables.
2014 was the first year that we had our very own farm business.

Q. What is the Yarrow Eco-Village and why did you decide to farm on that land?

The Yarrow Eco-Village is a co-housing community in Chilliwack, that apart from 33 households, also has 15 acres of farmland, some of which is leased to different individuals or businesses. More information can be found at www.yarrowecovillage.ca. We chose to farm here because the land is beautiful and the community is very supportive. So much so that when Ana went into labour on a harvest day last summer and our second child was born, many neighbours came together to harvest and process our vegetables and even went to the Abbotsford farmers’ market the next day to sell them!

Q. What is your favourite vegetable to grow?

I get satisfaction from growing all types of things, there’s nothing like harvesting a perfectly ripe strawberry or salad mix in its most tender and delicious stage. But my favourite vegetable to grow is the cherry tomato!

Q. You received your full organic certification this year (congratulations!), why was that process important to you?

We have always been dedicated to farming organically, but chose to go through the certification process so that new customers can be confident that they are buying a product that is grown in an environmentally responsible way and consuming produce that is free from harmful chemicals (and hopefully tastes great!)

Q. Why do you think farmers markets are important in the community?

Farmers markets enable a connection between people and their local food source. Supermarket chains that provide imported produce throughout the year with little to no seasonality have a tendency to disconnect people from that source. Customers that shop at farmers markets are rewarded with a product that is generally fresher, tastier and more nutritious than what is offered at a supermarket.

They also provide an opportunity for farmers to meet the people who are eating the product of their many hours of labour. It is much more gratifying for a farmer to interact with a customer, and see their excitement about buying a head of butter lettuce, than sell that lettuce to a wholesaler and never know where it ends up.

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Vendor Spotlight: KICS LEMONADE

KICS_SpotlightSPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE: This Sunday at the Poirier Street Farmers Market Grand Opening, KICS Lemonade will be offering a special deal! Stop by her tent on Friday as ask for the SPOTLIGHT DEAL and you will get $1 off a single bottle of lemonade

Karen Curtis from KICS Lemonade has been with the farmers market for almost 15 years and her lemonade has become a market must have for many families. Karen previously sat on the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society Board and writes a monthly column for the Tri Cities News – Market Fresh!

Q. You have been doing farmers markets for a long time, how did it all start? 

15 years ago I suggested to my mum that we try selling my granny’s lemonade syrup at the Coquitlam Farmer’s Market. I remember the first sunny day we had in July and we sold 77 bottles! We were so excited. I bought a portable dishwasher with the profits that year. I am still using the dishwasher! Mum passed away in 2007, and the business is now her legacy.

Q. First it was lemonade, and then came marmalade and salad dressing/marinade – what’s next? 

Don’t forget the lemon curd! Those products were created out of a desire to work this business all year round. Lemonade isn’t the biggest seller in the winter after all. I am thrilled with the response to the salad dressings (which use the lemonade syrup as a base instead of vinegar) and hope to continue to create new flavours in that line.

Q. You are known for using your products in creative recipes, what is your all-time favourite way to use your lemonade syrup?

I don’t really have a favourite recipe, but I am always looking for ways to add the syrup to an existing recipe. Honestly, I just love to drink it!

Q. What is the best thing about being the lemonade lady at the market? 

The sense of community. I have met the most amazing people at market, and forged some very meaningful relationships over the years. While I am at lots of other markets now, Coquitlam is my heart market. It is where it all began.

Q. Why do you think farmers markets are important in the community? 

Farmers markets are the lifeblood of the community. They are so much more than a place to buy food. In this world where we can get whatever we want, whenever we want, we have lost sight of how our food and other products are made. A vibrant market educates people about the importance of a sustainable food system. A dollar spent at market provides a direct economic benefit to artisans and farmers that in turn benefits the economy with far greater impact than a dollar spent at Walmart. Your dollars are not being sent offshore. They stay in the community to help build the place we call home.

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