Ilona Schachner, photo by Mario Bartel, used with permission

In June of this year, long time market supporter and vendor, Ilona Schachner, passed away after a battle with cancer. Ilona was well known for her authentic Viennese delicacies like strudels and meringues. But many people were unaware of Ilona’s amazing contribution to the foundation of RCFM.  When the first rumblings of organization started up in 06/07 here in New Westminster, board president Andrew Murray approached Ilona about coming on board as a vendor, and soon she was helping lay the groundwork for a successful market in general.

Ilona provided wise guidance and solid, realistic advice. She and another local vendor, Laila Axen from Arila Apiary, would go to other farmers markets and encourage vendors to give us a try.  She believed in what we were trying to do and her knowledge was contagious. Without Ilona’s tireless efforts, RCFM would not be what it is today. We simply would not have had the amazing support and foundation in the early days without her.

This week’s market is a celebration of Ilona Schachner and what she brought to the market both as a vendor and as a part of the organization. We’ll be erecting a tent in her honour, and encourage you to share your memories of Ilona. We’ll also be collecting donations and will forward them to the Canadian Cancer Society in her name. This special market is not a sad occasion. While we were stunned when Ilona passed, we will remember her for her delicious baking, her wit, and most of all, her valuable contribution to creating the community we are today. Please join us at the market this week and enjoy in her memory.

Music, sponsored by our friends at the Heritage Grill (where there’s live jazz, blues, folk, Latin, and funk 7 days a week!):

Kids’ Entertainment:

Community Group:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Lamington Heritage Farms – lamb kebabs as well as grilled lamb sausages on a bun. Plus, frozen cuts of lamb and duck, as well as fresh chicken eggs.
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!
  • Westvan Foods – Hot tasty local roasted corn!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

Pumpkin Mania!

Even though autumn doesn’t start for another few weeks, many people view the end of August as the beginning of autumn. For many people school is just starting, and for the most part, summer holidays wrap up. But here at the market, we are still going strong! This week also marks the introduction of some new produce being harvested – squashes with their plump, sweet bodies are starting to be spotted all over the place, and some of our favourites, like blueberries, are starting to taper off. From the BCAFM, here is a list of what you can find in season locally in September: Apples, Basil, Beans, Beets, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Vegetables, Chives, Cilantro, Corn, Cucumbers, Currants, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Leeks, Melons, Onions (sweet), Onions (cooking), Pears, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radish, Raspberries, Rosemary, Sage, Salad Greens, Shallots, Spinach, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash.

Here’s what else is happening this week:

Music, sponsored by our friends at the Heritage Grill (where there’s live jazz, blues, folk, Latin, and funk 7 days a week!):

Kids’ Entertainment:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening


Chard!

There are so many wonderful things to eat at the market – wonderful tasting and wonderful for you! But, we realize that sometimes it can be a little daunting to see things you’ve never seen before, and to try and figure out how to make something tasty and simple. Our vendors are experts at what they sell – don’t be afraid to ask them for recipes or tips. And, special this week, we’re offering a free Nutritional Walk and Talk introducing you to some of the nutritional powerhouses at the market! The Walk and Talk is open to all market goers, and will be led by volunteer Kelly Kiss, RHN. Please meet at the RCFM info tent at 6PM. The walk and talk is casual and informal so pre-registration is not required.

What else is on this week?

Music – sponsored by The Heritage Grill:

Entertainment:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

Artichoke versus Eggplant

One veggie to rule them all

This week we are asking you to pick sides. Are you on Team Artichoke or are you on Team Eggplant? Tell us and get a free button to show your pride and represent your side! Make sure you bring your button if you already have one.

Here’s what’s on this week:

Music – sponsored by The Heritage Grill:

  • Market favourite steel guitarist Ross Werlick from 3-5PM
  • Bringing the blues from Delta, Delta Blue from 5-7PM

Entertainment:

  • Allyson Grant, Face Painting
  • Kids’ Freeplay Zone

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Beer Brats – Beer. Brats. Brilliant.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

Services

Photo: Will Tomkinson

Photo: Will Tomkinson

Since it’s still Farmers Market Month – and is all of August – we’re planning special events at every market to help us celebrate! This week, we’re featuring free cupcakes for the first 100 people to come to the RCFM info booth after the market starts at 3PM. These cupcakes are delicious white vanilla cupcakes made from market regular Blackberry Hill, made with real, fabulous ingredients, a generous serving of love, and a dash of colourful sprinkles. You can pick up your volunteer application or membership form at the same time, as well as lots of information about healthy eating, other local foodie/farmie events, and your copy of the hot-off-the-presses issue of Edible Vancouver (while supplies last).

For kids of all ages, we’re pleased that Allyson our face painter is returning to add a bit of flare to your face (or arm!). She’ll be sharing the spotlight this week with market favourite award winning balloon twister Korki the Clown. Take a break in the kid zone or check out some of the fantastic art in Art in the Park.

Here’s what else is on this week:

Music – now sponsored by our friends at the Heritage Grill:

  • Buskings – local boys Joey and Jake churn out some tunes on violin and accordion 3-5pm
  • Jeff Huggins – lead singer of local band The Knots supplies some of his solo work on guitar  5-7pm

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • they’re back! Creperie La Boheme – Mouthwatering crepes!
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

The City of New Westminster recently proclaimed it Farmers Market Month in the Royal City. We are absolutely thrilled! We’re kicking off a month of special planning and have some tricks up our sleeves. You’ll have to come and check it out!

Did you know that RCFM offers a kids’ toy area at every market? We have selected a number of creative, free play, safe toys for kids of all ages with the help of toy experts and RCFM business supporter, Pedagogy Toys. These toys are available in the grassy area just east of the market as long as it’s not pouring.

We also offer free drinking water at every market at our info tent at the top of the market – clean, wonderful, New Westminster tap water is free for the taking. We encourage you to bring your own container, but if you forget, we do offer compostable and recyclable BioCups.

This week at the market:

Entertainment:

Community Groups:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Beer Brats – Beer. Brats. Brilliant.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

Services

Photo by Harry Pehkonen

Who doesn’t like a good treasure hunt? We’re feeling a little sneaky this week and we want to play a fun game. We’ll be hiding a little eggplant friend we call “Tick Tock”  somewhere in the market, and we invite you to keep your eyes peeled as you make your way through the market to pick up your goodies. When you spy Tick Tock, leave him undisturbed, and head to the RCFM booth. Write down where you saw him and provide us with your name and a way to contact you – all correct Tick Tock finders will be entered to win a little market prize pack that includes: Tick Tock himself, an RCFM 100% recycled cotton tote made in Canada, and a $10 gift certificate that can be spent at any market vendor. RCFM members who play along receive two entries to the draw just for being a member (please bring your membership card) – and you can pick up a membership that day – they’re just ten bucks!

As an added bonus, everyone who enters will receive a coupon for a free zucchini from Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm with a minimum $10 purchase!

Here’s what else is going on at the market:

Entertainment:

Community Group:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • No coffee truck this week – but RCFM will be serving coffee by donation – courtesy of local coffee joint The Village Coffee Lounge! Check out the info tent for drip coffee.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, frozen take home meat pies and frozen ready-to-eat dinners
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening


Perennial Madness!

We’re reaching the middle point of our season for the next few weeks and this means full harvests, lots of great (we hope) weather, flowers, plants, and food food food. Our cookbook swap from last month was quite popular and we’ve been asked to do it again, so this week we’ll be resurrecting the cookbook swap! How does it work? Simple!

Bring a cookbook from home that you’re tired of and have a look through the books on our table and swap it up for a similarly sized book! Or, if you are looking to downsize, we will gratefully accept cookbook donations for our next swap. And finally, if you don’t have a book to swap, you are welcome to buy books for a minimum $3 per book donation, which we will happily pass on to the good folks at the Food Bank.  Please note, due to storage issues, we can only accept cookbooks.

What else is going on this week? Have a look…

Entertainment:

Community Group:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Beer Brats – Beer. Brats. Brilliant.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, as well as frozen take home meat pies and ready-to-eat dinners
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening

Services

Photo by Graham Ballantyne

We are taking the show on the road this season! You’ll see a mini version of RCFM at a few different community events, with a small and rotating selection of vendors as well as our info booth serving up their regular wonderful goodies. Our first event is Summerfest this Saturday July 17th from 4pm – 8pm at Grimston Park.

Summerfest is a new community festival celebrating a very unique park in the West End of New Westminster. The special day will feature free activities for the whole family,  food vendors, community tables, crafts, and information, as well as th grand opening of the brand new playground. The wading pool will also be open all day as well. At 9:30PM, festival organizers will be showing the classic “E.T: The Extra Terrestrial” on a giant outdoor screen and encourages people to bring blankets and enjoy a picnic in the park. RCFM vendors will be on hand as well (please note, there is no ATM at the park) to pick up hot foods, produce, smokies, crafts and hand crafted breads.

RCFM vendors participating in this mini market are:

As well, fan favourite Allyson Grant, our talented face painter, and market musicians Ross Werlick, steel guitarist; Chris Messytone, accordion; and Ron Ulrich, classic guitar will be there (among others).

For more info about Summerfest or a map to the park, check out Tenth to the Fraser.

Stay tuned for information about our next mini market.

This week there are over 40 vendors for you to choose from to pick up amazing ingredients to blend together in a masterpiece of yummy. Produce, fish, meats, breads, sweets, dips, spreads, pasta, dairy, cheese, produce… oh wait? Did we say produce?

If cooking’s not your game- although we prefer the term “food mixologist” because not everything needs to be cooked – then consider the market for a tasty fresh hot snack! Try craft-beer infused smokies from Beer Brats (the Red Racer is a winner), unbelievably tasty bison dogs from Maluma Bison (we recommend the Brie smokie), or delectable hot vegetarian samosas served with a fantastic homemade tamarind chutney from Copeland Foods. If you’re headed down after dinner, come for dessert! Choose traditional baked sweets from Blackberry Hill (our pick: the date squares) or try gluten free baked yummies from Eat It Up - including fresh made GF pies both in mini and regular sizes.

Pair your food finds with one of a kind crafts and artisan products made locally by your neighbours. Don’t miss the Art in the Park open air art gallery and bring a blanket for some down time communing with Mother Nature in gorgeous Tipperary Park.

As always, parking is available for bicycles at a rack at the south end of the market, and for cars on Royal, Queens, and in the City Hall parking lot after 4:30. We offer free drinking water – the nicest tap water this side of heaven – and kids’ activities.

Here’s the fresh sheet for this week:

Entertainment:

Community Group:

Vendors This Week : (not all vendors come to every market, so check this list if you’re looking for someone special – they are arranged categorically. Want a complete listing of all the vendors, even the ones not here this week? Here it is!)

Eat On Site

  • Beer Brats – Beer. Brats. Brilliant.
  • Copeland Foods – hot vegetarian samosas, and frozen meat pies and frozen ready-to-eat dinners
  • Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
  • Maluma Health Foods - Bison hot dogs, bison smokies, bison chili and bison ribs and take home packages too!

Produce

Dairy

Meat & Fish

Bread & Baking

Delectable Treats

Local Crafters

Gardening