Calgary may soon be losing its only year round farmers market. No offence CFM, but when you look at the list of farmers who have not committed to the new location it’s looking like the new spot isn’t going to look much like the current one. I suppose that’s up for debate, but that isn’t the purpose of this post. It’s the impetus.
I’ve been working on a few projects lately – culinary tourism, a new chef’s collaborative, a chef/producer round table – and I’m finding that there are indeed a lot of exciting things going on in our local food movement. What is lacking though is a common vision that all of these efforts can come together under. A broad vision for local sustainable agriculture and how that is integrated into the lives of the people of Alberta. I’ve been trying to think of a way of collecting my thoughts on this but it seems so big I wasn’t sure where to start. How about this then? Let’s start in the future, at a Farmers Market in the not so distant future.
This new market was purpose built to be an efficient space to deliver locally grown and raised products into the hands of urbanites. It is an economic, educational, and social institution. It was designed by a local architect firm and they included many green features like solar power, grey water collection, and recycled materials. It even has a teaching garden on the roof along with a greenhouse that draws warm air off of the bakery. The building was a collaboration between all levels of government and the corporate sector and it was built on land that was sitting idle. It is centrally located and has great public transit access along with ample parking. This is Calgary you know and most people don’t seem to mind parking for a toonie. The market is run by a group of citizens from various backgrounds and also has a vendor advisory group that works with the market to ensure smooth operation.
The first thing that strikes you when you walk into this market is the natural light that streams in. Not being able to experience the outside environment creates a disconnect with the season so the architects added skylights and large windows that actually also support heating and cooling of the space. The stalls are designed for multiuse purposes. Some are occupied by anchor vendors that can operate year round and others are designed for daily use. This gives new farmers an opportunity to get their products to the co-producers while they develop their businesses. Along the outside of the building there is space for outdoor market stands and the atmosphere spills out into the warm summer air during the months when supply is most abundant. In the winter the outdoor space can be used for a skating rink and festivals.
The key to this market is that it is sustainable. It operates as a not for profit and the bulk of its operating expenses come from the seasonal out-of-province fruit and vegetable stand run by the market, its food service industry delivery business, corporate donations, government, and annual fundraisers like the Harvest Dinner. Other income comes from the full list of cooking classes and presentations that are run out of the market’s education centre and demonstration kitchen. During week days the education centre is usually full of school children that get to experience and learn about local food and agriculture. There is also a small amount of money raised in the production kitchen that is booked by vendors and producers to process local ingredients into other products. This means that food that normally may spoil can be turned into jams, sauces, and ready to eat meals to also be sold at the market. Ultimately this keeps the rental costs to the farmers very low and they are able to pass on that savings to the consumer.
This market is a central piece of the province’s new Farmer Development Program. There has been active recruiting for the last few years for the next generation of farmers. A program of education, mentorship, land access, financial support, and marketing options means that new young farmers are producing a variety of new products for consumers. What finally got the program off the ground was escalating health care costs. As part of a way to counteract them, the province recognized that we would have to start to focus on prevention and not just treatment. Eating locally produced, more nutritious foods was just one of the creative ways we started to get healthier as a province.
These new farmers along with the new urban agriculturists now have a province wide system of distribution centres (markets) that can distribute out to smaller community markets. The new market in Calgary in the anchor store that keeps the supply flowing year round and it is part of the other seasonal markets that are being run in mall parking lots, rec centres, and community halls. These markets work together and not against each other and their success it ultimately driven by the citizens of Calgary who clearly want access to good, clean, and fair local foods. They have also clearly shown that they want all Calgarians to eat well so the Market is teaming up with local social groups to bring these same ingredients into the soup kitchens and support facilities. There is a plan to break ground next year on a restaurant next to the market that will help with rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals. They will be given jobs and responsibilities at the restaurant to be overseen by guest chefs from local restaurants and SAIT.
OK, maybe this sounds like a little more than a simple Farmers Market, but that’s what I think a true Farmers Market should be. It should be an institution and an asset to the city and its citizens. It needs to be the link between the rural lands where our food is grown and the people who grow it. We have the opportunity to shape and form what our local food system will look like in the years to come. Is there anything other than water that is more important than food? I’m not sure what will motivate each person to act on a vision like this, but there are thousands of things that can. We just need to find our common grounds, decide that it is important, and then start working towards the realization of our vision.
the tour, sampling our second oysters of the morning, when the farmer reached under the dock and pulled out a fist full of live sea urchins. He proceeded to crack them in half and offered us the freshest possible uni you can get. Being a uni virgin I was eager to try it. It was smooth, creamy, rich, and had all the best flavours of sweet lobster. I get it now. The problem though is nothing will ever be the same after having these ultimate experiences.