Royal City Farmers Market » Events

Fundraiser Menu and Ticket Sponsors

Jen — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:00:53 +0000

We couldn’t exist without the support of sponsors and donors to contribute to our annual fundraiser. Thanks must go to Wild Rice for generously letting us take over for the night on May 31st and going above and beyond to let us have things our way. If you have not yet been to Wild Rice, this is a perfect evening to go!

As we mentioned in our post announcing the details to the fundraiser, Head Chef Todd Bright is creating a special menu for ticketholders to choose from featuring local foods – which aligns with our overall market goals. To help offset the cost of the gourmet menu offerings without raising the ticket price for our loyal supporters, generous sponsors have stepped up to the plate and I wanted to point out their generosity and support. The menu includes:

Barbeque pork with steamed vegetables and jasmine rice – sponsored by the fine folks at Re-Up BBQ who are opening their brick and mortar store at River Market very soon and who have donated the pork for the dish.
Mushrooms with crispy tofu on jasmine rice (vegan) – sponsored by the New Veganminster Project, who promotes vegan food by putting on events and gatherings in New Westminster and specializes in food-that-doesn’t-taste-vegan-to-omnivores (trust me, I know!).
chicken with red peppers, snow peas, and bok choy on Shanghai noodles – sponsored by Rockweld Farm – a returning farmers market vendor who have generously donated the chicken to be used by the chef. They are BCSPCA certified and feed their chickens organic grain.

We are also thrilled to be able to produce our own tickets at a reduced printing cost because of local design firm Of Desks. Of Desks has donated the design for our tickets instead of us having to pay a ticket service with lots of hidden charges!

We are still seeking donations for our silent auction and would love to hear from you if you have something you can donate. Please get in touch with us at marketmanager@rcfm.ca.

There are still some tickets available although tickets are going fast! To buy online, you can check out the right sidebar and follow the link to Paypal. Get in touch with us at 778-928-7236 or info@rcfm.ca to buy in person.

5th Annual Fundraiser

Jen — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:24:07 +0000

Oh my are we ever excited to be sharing this!

Our 5th annual fundraiser has been finalized, and this year we are so pleased to be teaming up with the lovely folks at Wild Rice to celebrate the amazing foods British Columbia food producers have to offer. Mark your calendars for May 31 (one week before our summer season starts up!), and join us to kick off our summer season. Festivities start at 6pm on at Wild Rice, located in River Market at 810 Quayside Drive.

Early crowds at last year's event

Like previous years, ticket holders get a meal and an adult beverage, and the very talented Chef Todd Bright has developed unique dishes just for our fundraiser that feature some of the best our vendors have to offer. We are drooling just typing this! Ticket holders may choose from:

Barbeque pork with steamed vegetables and jasmine rice
Mushrooms with crispy tofu on jasmine rice (vegan)
Rockweld Farms chicken with red peppers, snow peas, and bok choy on Shanghai noodles

Wild Rice is creating a specially featured, seasonally-inspired cocktail to pair with the meals and it is included in the ticket price. (You can opt for a draft beer, highball, or specially selected red or white wine if a cocktail isn’t your thing).

The silent auction table from last year

As at our past fundraisers, we will feature a silent auction and 50/50 draw. We are currently seeking donations of goods and services and if you are willing to donate, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us to arrange pickup.

Tickets are just $24. We suggest buying now to avoid disappointment as we have sold out the past three years and expect to again.

Update! Tickets are now available for purchase online! Just hit up our home page, and look for the link in to top right sidebar.

If you’re interested in buying tickets, please email us at info@rcfm.ca. We can arrange to hold tickets for you at the door. We can take payment via good old fashioned cash, or credit card using paypal. We can also mail you tickets if you’d like. They do need to be paid for in advance.

Please note this event welcomes families with kids to attend – just be aware it is likely to be loud and busy.

Please help us kick start the 2012 summer season and join us May 31 at Wild Rice.

Bringing the Okanagan to New Westminster

Charmagne Yeung — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:11:19 +0000

RCFM is excited to sponsor Naramata on the River, a night of fine wine dining, as part of the 11^th Annual British Columbia Cultural Crawl at the River Market in New Westminster.

Naramata Bench Wineries can be found near Penticton in the Southern Okanagan. It’s not enough that they get less rain and hotter weather than us New Westminsterians, but Naramata Bench also gets to sit on sand cliffs with views of mountains, vineyards and Okanagan Lake with a fresh glass of sun-soaked wine.

The one big perk with Naramata on the River is that you don’t have to drive the five hours to get to the wine: the wine is coming to you. On April 24, 2012, the River Market at the New Westminster Quay will be hosting Naramata Bench Wineries from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Plan a Tuesday night in the town and walk, bike or skytrain to the River Market to taste test new wines.

Rest assured there will be no shortages of red or white wine choices between the 21 members associated with Naramata Bench, including Laughing Stock Vineyards, the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards gold medal winner for Syrah 2009. A full list of the participating wineries is located at the bottom of this post. The Spring wine releases will be paired with dishes from Vancouver restaurants, including the Hamilton Street Grill, Hagensborg Chocolates and Naramata’s personal Hillside Bistro to complete your wine tasting experience.

As if dining by the River listening to live music by the Sarah Kennedy Jazz Trio and New Westminster singer and songwriter Gillian Hobbs isn’t enough, you will get the chance to meet and greet Naramata winemakers and bid on silent auctions for Naramata wines, Naramata Wine Country Getaways, Behind the Scenes Wine Experiences and Canadian artworks.

This event promises to be an evening of fine wining, dining and spending quality time with family and friends.

Participating wineries:

Black Widow Winery
D’Angelo Estate Winery
Elephant Island Orchard Wines
Hillside Estate Winery & Bistro
Kettle Valley Winery
La Frenz Winery
Lake Breeze Vineyards
Laughing Stock Vineyards
Misconduct Wine Co.
Monster Vineyards
Moraine Estate Winery
Nichol Vineyard & Estate Winery
Perseus Winery
Poplar Grove Winery
Red Rooster Winery
Serendipity Winery
Therapy Vineyards
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery
Upper Bench Estate Winery
Van Westen Vineyards
3 Mile Estate Winery

Click here to order tickets online.

Visit www.bcculturalcrawl.com for tickets or more information on Naramata on the River.
Visit www.naramatabench.com to learn more about Naramata Bench Wineries.

Date set for Annual General Meeting

Jen — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:06:45 +0000

Did you know that Royal City Farmers Market is a non profit society under the BC Societies Act? We’re required to have an Annual General Meeting each year and elect a volunteer Board of Directors that guide the operation of the farmers market. We also think that an AGM is also an excellent opportunity to touch base with our members and highlight the year just passed.

This year we are pleased to host guest speaker John Gibeau, from the Honeybee Centre in Langley. John is a New Westminster resident and is going to share his expertise on honeybees, why they are so critical to world food supplies and how to identify wasps and what to do about them.

The AGM will take place at New Westminster Public Library on January 26th. Doors and registration is at 6:00pm, and the evening will get underway at 7:00pm. Memberships are available to purchase at the AGM for just $10, and membership is required to vote in the election of our new Board of Directors.

Please join us!

Circle Farm Tours

Allie Davison — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:43:37 +0000

Do you ever feel like ditching the big city life of Metro Vancouver for an afternoon, or even overnight, and exploring one of the wonderful farm countries in our area? But maybe you just don’t know where to go? Circle Farm Self-Guided Tours could be just thing for you!

To sum it up, Circle Farm Tours are a collection of road maps in five farming communities around Metro Vancouver. There is Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack, Agassiz/ Harrison Mills and Maple Ridge/ Pitt Meadows. There are brochures available for each of these places, included in the brochure is a road map and a list of places to visit. There are farms, with farm-gate vendors, open air markets, delicious local restaurants and cafes, heritage sites, fairs and special events. Check out the list bellow to see a more detailed report of what you can expect in each place.

Abbotsford

The Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour has thirteen year round stops, and three seasonal ones. There are restaurants (Restaurant 62 designs their menu to be in sync with the season), an Antique store (Granny & Grumpa’s Antiques has possibly the largest personal collection of antiques in BC), farms and dairy’s (Goat’s Pride Dairy produces organic goats milk, yogurt and cheeses), a winery (Mt. Lehman Winery produces delicious organic wines) and more! Special events coming up for the Abbotsford Circle Tour are Grandparents Day at Maan Farms (July 23^rd), Abbotsford Agrifair and Might Fraser Rodeo (July 28 – Aug. 1^st) and the Annual Free Family Fun Day at Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery (Aug. 20^th).

Langley

Langley’s Circle Farm Tour has fourteen year round stops. Places include four wineries (Township 7 Wineyards and Winery opens their winery for art shows, live music, wine seminars and more!), farms and dairy’s (Driediger Farms specializes in all of the different berries BC has to offer!), the weekly Langley Farmers Market (every Wednesday, 2 – 4pm), and more (don’t forget to visit Fort Langley!). Events coming up in Langley are the Farmers Feat at Krause Berry Farms (July 17^th), Driediger Farm’s Langley Eats Local (Aug. 28^th) and Art in the Vines at Township 7 Winery (Aug. 28^th).

Chilliwack

The Chilliwack Circle Farm Tour features ten year round stops and three seasonal ones. There are plenty of place to buy souvenirs here (Rustic Soap Co. specializes in natural, herbal soap), farms and gardens (Minter Country Garden is an 18 acre plot that has plants from all over the world), restaurants (Hofstede’s Country Barn can fill you up with a homemade lunch or dinner), and come fall don’t forget to check out the Chilliwack Corn Maze! Upcoming events in Chilliwack are the 9^th Annual Classic Car Show at Minter Gardens (July 17^th), the 3^rd Annual Slow Food Cycle Tour (July 24^th) and the 6^th Annual Greendale Country Sampler Tour (Aug. 20^th).

Agassiz/ Harrison Mills

There are eight year round stop and two seasonal stops on the Agassiz/ Harrison Mills Circle Farm Tour. Their stops include farms and a dairy (Canadian Hazelnut produces a variety of different kinds of hazelnuts), a historical site and museum, a pottery studio (as well as being a pottery studio The Back Porch also roasts their own coffee!), and the Sparkes Corn Barn(enjoy some tasty handpicked corn and strawberries!). Don’t miss these events coming up soon in Agassiz/ Harrison Mills: the Harrison Festival of the Arts (July 9^th – 17^th), the Agassiz Slow Food Cycle Tour (July 23^rd) and the Sts’ailes Art in the Garden (Aug. 6^th).

Maple Ridge/ Pitt Meadows

There are twelve stops on the Maple Ridge/ Pitt Meadows Circle Farm Tour. This Circle Tour features markets (Bruce’s County Market specializes in fresh and smoked salmon, produce, grocery items and even dinners!), farms (Heather Hills Farm Society has plenty of fresh cut heather, hazelnuts and vegetables), a winery (Blue Heron Fruit Winery has a variety of table and dessert wines for you to pick from!), and a few fun stops good for the whole family (Honeyland Canada will introduce you to the world of bees!). Events upcoming in the Maple Ridge/ Pitt Meadows area are: Country Fest at Memorial Peace Park (July 23^rd & 24^th) and Golfing in the Dark at Heather Hill’s Farm (Sept. 24^th).

There are lists of all of the activities for each for the tours available on the Circle Farm Tours website: http://circlefarmtour.com/

The brochures (which include a map and list of stops) are available by pdf.

July 14

Allie Davison — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:11:59 +0000

: Photo Credit

This week we will be having a special market to support the fabulous non-profit organizations in New Westminster. With over 15 non-profits attending – each one will have their own booth set up – this market is sure to be a blast! Come join us and learn about some of the non-profits in your neighbourhood, attendees include (but are not limited to!): the Wildlife Rescue Association, Fraser River Discovery Centre, Royal City Gogos, FortisGas, BC Hydro, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, Abreast in a Boat, and many more!

We will of course have all of our wonderful vendors in attendance, as well as Art in the Park and out Kids’ Craft area – sponsored by Derrick Thornhill. Music this week will be provided by the wandering jazz duo, Quinn and Ogilvie. The Heritage Grill continues to support all of our entertainment at the market. My Garden Footprint will also be in attendance this week, and they will be giving out prizes!

You can reach the market via transit by taking the 106 bus or the Skytrain to Columbia Street Station and walking to the market at 4th and Royal. Parking is available in the neighbourhood or at City Hall’s lot after 4:30. Please respect our neighbours. Our bike rack has temporarily gone missing, but you can drop your bike off to the fine folks at our info desk at the top end of the market.

A list of vendors attending the July 14 market is below, but remember to check back for cancelations and updates!

Non-profits attending this market:

Vendors:

Eat On Site

Samosa Guy – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home samosas
Eli’s Serious Sausage – handmade pork sausages grilled to perfection
Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
Ovenmonkey Bakery – selling fresh Langos – Hungarian fried flatbread

Produce

Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm – Peppers, tomatoes, apples & pumpkins
Canwest Farms – blueberries in 5 and 10 pound cartons
Celyddon Farms – Certified organic produce from Delta
Felix Farms – Guichon Farms - produce from Delta
Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm – organic produce, eggs, and beef
Glen Valley Organic Farm – certified organic produce from a farm located only 50km from New Westminster
Golden West Farms - Okanagan fruit grown in Summerland, many certified organic
Maan Farms - assorted locally grown produce
Nature Village Farm – Asian produce, potted herbs, and mushrooms grown in Richmond
Red Barn Plants and Produce – assorted locally grown produce

Dairy

Greendale Herb and Vine – Cheddar cheese, cheese curds, herbs, nut butters and honeycomb
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks – High quality cheese from Vancouver Island

Meat & Fish

Outwest Ranches – beef raised locally and fresh eggs
Port Hardy Seafood - BC caught fish and prawns
Rockweld Farm – BC frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs

Bread & Baking

A Bread Affair – Breads
Blackberry Hill – squares, cinnamon buns, and old fashioned yummies like crisp rice squares
French Made Baking – French-from-France baking.
Sunrise Pita Company – pitas, chips, dips, baklava and and banana bread
Sweet Thea Cake Company – tarts, pies, cookies, and cakes

Delectable Treats and Prepared Yummies

AJI Gourmet Products – sauces made using aji spice
Amber’s Choice – soups, salad dressing and cookies
Anne’s Gallery – Jams, jellies & knitting
Gary’s Kettlecorn – Kettlecorn
Gourmet Savories – antipasto and pesto
Jane’s Honey Bees – honey and other bee products
Nonna Pia’s – balsamic reductions
Simply Delish Soup Co - layered soup mix, rice pilaf mix, and spice rubs
Take a Fancy Chocolates and Sweets – handmade chocolates right from scratch

Local Crafters

Black Bamboo Artisans – hand made glazed pottery and knitting
Ildiko Jewelry – hand forged sterling silver jewelry
Quality Oak Accents – handmade wooden cutting boards and small furniture
Scentimental Creations – Soaps, lotions, hand made cosmetics

Gardening

Secret Garden – cut flowers and hand tied bouquets

Services

Harmony Works Chair Massage – on site chair massage

Food From the Ground Up – July 1st

Jen — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:00:10 +0000

We are pleased to be associated with a very special event coming up this Canada Day. Food from the Ground Up! is a special one day festival at River Market (formerly Westminster Quay) celebrating the artistic, sustainable, and delicious nature of food. Food from the Ground Up is the brainchild of Laura Vladamirova, who won a community grant from River Market to put on her event. Mary Forstbauer of Forstbauer Farms, Doug Lowe of Greendale Herb and Vine, and Training Wheels Farm will be there with products to sell and the fine folks at Glen Valley Organic Farm will also be contributing. Check out the photo gallery, sample delicious goodies, and a celebration of food origins. Food from the Ground Up is from 11-3 and is a part of Canada Day events at River Market.

Check out a New Westminster NewsLeader article here for a little bit more info. You can email eattheseeds@gmail.com or check them out on Twitter. Hope we see you there!

Seven Sensational Summer Food Events

Allie Davison — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:58:50 +0000

There is always a lot to in the summer. The weather is warm (hopefully!), the days are longer, and generally good times are had. There are music festivals, farmers markets and festivals to go to. With all of these hip happening things going on, it’s hard to keep track. In hopes of helping ease the stress of all that event coordinating, I have developed a list of the top seven food events happening this summer, enjoy!

Royal City Farmers Market Fundraiser

May 26th, 6-10pm – Heritage Bar & Grill, New Westminster

The Royal City Farmers Market fundraiser is a key necessity in keeping the market running. With tickets only $20 (includes a burger and drink) it’s a steal of a deal for a great cause!

Tofino Food and Wine Festival

June 2 – 5, various times – various locations around Tofino

Now in its third year, the Tofino Food and Wine Festival features amazing (and delicious!) events such as an Epicurean Showcase, Bienvenue! A taste of BC Bubbles, The Cocktail Show, and, their main events, Grazing in the Gardens —located at the beautiful Tofino Botanical Gardens. Tickets to the festival differ per event.

EAT! Vancouver, Food & Cooking Festival

June 10 – 12, various times – the new Vancouver Convention Centre, West Wing

Eat! Vancouver is a massive event that gives people the opportunity to learn about different food, and different ways of cooking. Chefs from restaurants all around Vancouver will have samples of their best dishes available for a small charge ($1 – $2.50). Venture over to the Grapes and Hops Stage to try out wine and beer from all over BC. Adult tickets are $16.

BC Shellfish Festival

June 17 -18, various times — Comox, BC

The BC Shellfish Festival is the largest seafood festival in BC. This year it will have exciting events such as a Chef’s Dinner (tickets – $120), and two main stages (tickets – $5) featuring cooking demos, an Oyster Shucking competition and a Chowder Challenge, and live music! The event promises to be fun for the whole family!

Canada Day Pancake Breakfast

July 1, 9 – 11am — Krauseberry Farms, Langley

Come out and celebrate Canada Day and contribute to a great cause — Breast Cancer Research. There will be hay-rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, live entertainment and, of course, a delicious pancake breakfast. Entry is by donation (all proceeds go to Breast Cancer Research)

Outstanding in the Field

July 10, 4pm – Glorious Organics, Aldergrove, BC

Outstanding in the Field is a traveling culinary adventure that moves around North America trying to reconnect food eaters with the food they eat. This year Outstanding in the Field will take place at the Glorious Organics farm, who is a major distributor to restaurants throughout Vancouver. Tickets are $190.00.

Annual Farmers’ Feast

July 17 – Krauseberry Farms, Langley

This year will mark the 6^th Annual Farmers Feat. Come out to Krauseberry Farms and meet the local farmers and business people in your community. This is a great oppurtiunty to learn some new things about farming and the business behind it. There will also be tasty food, live entertainment, hay-rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting and a petting farm!

4th Annual Fundraiser

Jen — Sun, 08 May 2011 21:52:47 +0000

We can’t wait to see you all at the 4th Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on May 26th from 6-10pm at the Heritage Grill. The event will feature live music and a silent auction full of amazing donated goods. Your ticket includes your choice of pasta primavera or beef, chicken, veggie, or lamb burger with fries or salad as well as a glass of house wine or draft beer. This event will sell out – please don’t wait to get your tickets.

We thank our very generous supporters for their donated goods. Please check out this page for a listing and support those who support us. Goods include a artist signed and numbered framed Carl Brenders print, a two hour social media strategy consultation, pet sitting services, gift baskets, produce, gift certificates and much more!

Tickets for the fundraiser are now available online through Eventbrite for a small fee to cover the administrative costs. You can also call us at 778-928-7236 or email at info@rcfm.ca to have us set aside tickets at the door.

FYI: French Choir Concert

Jen — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:13:58 +0000

While this may seem unrelated to farming, we did want to let you know about an upcoming music event that one of our familiar volunteers, Alex Stark, has brought to our attention.

Alex writes:

To all those with a passion for music, I would like to invite you to an exciting evening of ballads, lullabies and other folk songs by my choir les Echos du pacifique. It takes place Saturday, April 30th, please see the attached poster for more details. Tickets will be 12 dollars at the door but I am able to sell them directly to you for 9 dollars. Feel free to contact me at (604)522-1110 should you wish to purchase some tickets.

Here’s the poster. Click to embiggen.