Why Volunteer with RCFM:

Royal City Farmers Market values the contribution our volunteers offer us. Working for an organization such as this shows not only the market, but the community that you support local farming practices and that you support “the little guy”. If you are interested in volunteer your skills to help make this market the best it can be then please fill out this form and email it to volunteer@rcfm.ca and we will get right back to you!

Perks!

• After 10+ hours of volunteering you will receive a FREE 100% recycled cotton tote made in Canada
• A special volunteer appreciation BBQ

Here are some of the volunteer positions we have available at the market:

RCFM Booth: tasks include selling t shirts, memberships, and tote bags; handing out information; and answering questions at the market itself on Thursdays from 3-7. Occasionally, we set up our booth at other community events, and would need volunteers there as well. You will be the face of RCFM on market days and this is a wonderful way to stay in touch with the community. If you love to chat and have a fun personality, this would be a great fit for you!

Vendor Services: Volunteers are required to help vendors out at the market – cover their stall while they take a brief break, bring them water or change and help to load or unload their vehicles. All of our vendors are extremely friendly and this is a good way to get to know some of the people you shop from.

Set up and Tear Down: Volunteers are required to set up our booth and take it down at the end of the market.

Signage: We require volunteers to set up the signage in the area at 7AM, and also to collect it after the market ends.

Non-Market Tasks:

Website: Volunteers are required to scan for images on flickr and tag them correctly, add images to vendor pages, maintain the website, write blog entries. Proficiency in WordPress blogging platform is required. This position is great for people looking to boost their portfolio or add to their resume. There is plenty to do for the website and blog and we welcome any of  your creative input.

Twitter / Facebook : Relevant information needs to be tweeted on our twitter account and Facebooked. An understanding of both Twitter and Facebook is required.

Outwest Ranches is a beef ranch out in South Surrey. They not only sell frozen beef from locally raised cattle, they also have eggs and seasonal nuts such as walnuts and hazelnuts. Carol Sandhoff, the owner of Outwest Ranches has been breeding and raising cattle for 25 years after deciding she wanted to sell her own quality products directly to the customer. This is a true family business as Carol’s mother has been on the farm for 75 years and Carol has been on the farm her entire life.

The cattle raised on Outwest Ranches are purebred Herefords (a type of cattle mainly bred for meat) and some crossbreeds. Carol’s daughter is involved in the Junior Hereford Association which shows the passion this family has towards raising quality cattle. “Raising beef the natural way, no growth hormones or antibiotics, free range eggs and fresh veggies, we all need to eat naturally grown products to ensure a better quality of life,” says Carol.

Carol is a regular at Royal City Farmers Market and will be at our winter market this year. She says “The market is a nice place to socialize with the customers and enjoy their stories of growing up on a farm.”

You can purchase meat from Outwest Ranches at every Thursday market until October as well as at the once-monthly Winter market this year, held on the second Saturday of the month at Holy Trinity Cathedral. She had many different cuts like ground roast as well as soup bones – perfect for making all your favourites.

I seem to always be drawn to Anne Kent’s stall at the market when I have my camera with me. Her beautiful cut flowers are definite eye candy that tempt you to take a look. I had recently written a post about Delightful Dahlias which are Anne’s specialty. I was pleased to see the beautiful flower tucked into her arrangements and proceeded to snap a few photos of these brightly coloured displays.

During my last visit to the market I asked Anne what she enjoys most about being at Royal City Farmers Market and she cheerily replied “the atmosphere is great as well as the other vendors.” Anne has been selling her blooms at the market since the tail end of last season and every market this season. Her Secret Garden business is run out in Bradner (near Glen Valley Organic Farm) and is 7 acres filled with assortments of florals such as perennials and of course, Dahlias. Her cheery attitude makes her a delight to speak with should you have an questions about her flowers. I even came home with an arrangement of Dahlias which now sit on my office desk as a cheery reminder of the beauty nature has to offer.

Anne Kent is at every market from 3-7pm until October 7th. Feel free to ask any questions about her flowers as she is very passionate about them and make sure to buy a couple stems because they really do add a bit of cheer to any area of your home.

This week I was privileged enough to spend the morning and early afternoon at Glen Valley Organic Farm out on the border of Abbostford. Glen Valley Organic Farm is 50 acre certified organic farm run as a co-operative. Currently, Jeremy and Chris are the two main farmers. You may have met them or Rob, an apprentice, at the market on Thursdays. They and their families live on the property. I arrived on the property at 7:30am — this is a very early start for a self-proclaimed night owl and was anxious to see what the day would have in store for me. Read more

The City of New Westminster recently declared that August will be Farmers Market Month. To view the proclamation play the video below:

This is exciting for both RCFM and the community. We hope that this will bring more people to the market to educate them on the importance of purchasing sustainable products as well as promoting a sense of community. There will be 4 markets during the month of August, so we hope we see you at them all!

One of my favorite parts of summer is when our beautiful Dahlias start showing their colourful blooms around the garden. This tuberous perennial is extremely popular amongst flower enthusiasts and are often grown just for judged shows. The Dahlia is native to Latin regions such as Mexico and Central America and was used by the Aztecs for food and even for decorative purposes.

Now I don’t use my Dahlias for bragging rights at a flower show, nor do I use them in some primitive ceremonial ritual. To me they are there for sheer eye candy inside and outside of my home. I marvel at the vibrant range of colours they produce and will often traipse into the garden with my snips in hand so I can capture their exotic colouring to display on my nightstand or in my bathroom. These little punches of colour awaken my senses on the most tiresome of days. It is amazing what a little floral therapy can do for the soul.

Dahlias come in a variety of “types”. We have some beautiful Art Deco and Adelaide Fontane varieties on our garden this year. Each kind of Dahlia has a unique shape of bloom such as a round Aurora’s Kiss or a flame-like Akita. Because these flowers come in so many different shapes and colours they are very popular amongst seasoned and newbie gardeners. They are quite easy to grow, just be sure to plant in mid-April to May (about the same time you would plant your vegetable garden) and plant them in an area where they will recieve 8 hours of sun a day. We planted ours in a large planter in the front yard under a huge bay window that gets most of the day’s sun. Our Dahlias are watered once a day and are inspected for pests such as slugs quite frequently.

These showy flowers are in season and available at RCFM right now. Why not grab a couple stems while buying your staple items at the market? These darling Dahlias are perfect for adding fresh colour to your home.

What's On

On July 1st I had my very first visit to Royal City Famers Market. While the weather was less than ideal for Canada Day festivities, I was very surprised to see a fantastic turn-out at the market. As I walked towards the action I could see vendors setting up shop for the day. There is a certain frenetic energy at the beginning of market day while everyone seems to get their stand set up like a well-oiled machine. I turned on my camera to snap some photos of all the action as the smell of savoury beer brats stirred a rumble in my stomach.

Beer Brats

There were many items to light-up the senses. The dixie-land jazz trio, Razzmajazz, played in the background while shoppers tasted items from various vendors. Although I am a vegetarian, I was enticed by the scent of Bison dogs on the grill from Maluma Health Foods and almost succumbed to the decadent, yet lean meat. There were samplings of delicious dips and spreads from Con Amore and tastings of various types of hummus from Bean Boy Creations - I especially enjoyed the smoky chipotle flavour.  I also wandered over to A Bread Affair’s stand and drooled over the selection of delicious organic artisan breads.

A Bread Affair

Everyone milled around the market with a smile on their face despite the mild rainy drizzle and dark ominous clouds looming above their heads. Some people stopped by Harmony Works Chair Massages to get the kinks worked out of their trouble spots, while I watched and wished I brought more cash so I could indulge in such a holistic treat. There were also plenty of activities for those young at heart, including a scavenger hunt and kid’s fishing derby.

The market is definitely a treat to the senses. The smell of fresh food being grilled on the BBQ, the sound of local bands playing in the background, the sight of all the brightly coloured produce and floral arrangements, the feel of hand-made soaps and textiles and the taste of all the delicious samples create a wonderfully inexpensive outdoor activity. I really enjoyed my first visit to Royal City Farmers Market and look forward to spending my summer being inspired by this weekly gem of a place.

Finishing Set Up

Sometimes I look at eggplants and think, what on earth can I do with this thing in the kitchen?! While the oblong and purple squash-like creature may look cumbersome to cook or eat, it is actually used in a variety ways. You can grill it, bake it, chop it, puree it and even kabob it. I love to use eggplant as a meat alternative when making lasagna and even the pickiest of eaters can’t taste the difference.

Did you know that eggplants are actually part of the Nightshade family and are related to the potato and tomato? Because of this it was thought of as poisonous and unedible for many years. It is native to far Eastern countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Bangledesh, Nepal and Pakistan. It is not a vegetable but actually a fruit and is botanically classified as a berry. They can vary in appearance with some varieties being small and round (as used in a lot of Thai cuisine) or oblong like a cucumber/squash.

In keeping with the dip theme I had in the previous post, I have a simple and delicious recipe for Baba Ganoush. This is an Arabic dish using mashed eggplants with various seasonings. The most popular way to prep the eggplant is to roast it on the BBQ and bake in the oven to give a smokey flavour and soft pulp. The eggplant is what gives this delicious dip its unique taste.

Remember that when you store eggplant keep it away from other veggies and fruit as it emits ethylene gas which will spoil other produce in your fridge.

Ingredients:

- 3 medium eggplants
- ¼ cup of tahini (roasted sesame paste)
- 1 ¼ tsp of course salt
- 3 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
- 1/8 tsp of chili powder
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- a half bunch of picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

2. Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)

3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.

4. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.

6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary.

Be sure to chill this dip for a few hours before serving. I suggest pairing this dip with some delicious artisan bread from A Bread Affair.