Youth jam making and visit to Potton market
Asmall group of youth joined Missisquoi North Youth Centre (CABMN) Coordinator, Ethan Ball and summer Assistant, Kate Eldridge for a jam making session followed by a trip to the Potton Public Market on
Saturday, July 3.
The group began at the Youth Centre preparing strawberries and then used them to make jam that they bottled to share as a gift to vendors at the market, as well as delivering some to key community people in the town. The remaining jars will be given out to seniors as a gift from the Mansonville
Agricultural Youth Organization/ Jeunes Agriculteurs de Potton (MAYO/ JAM) project being offered at the CABMN Youth Centre.
With a basket full of jars of jam, the youth and leaders found their way to the market, located in the heart of Mansonville at the Round Barn site. A first trip for most to the market, this
gave the youth an opportunity to see what the market is all about. Vendors were a little surprised when the youth approached each one with a free jar of freshly prepared jam, handed over with both pride and a smile. The MAYO/JAM project of the CABMN, a non-profit charitable organization serving the western sector of the MRC Memphremagog will have an information booth on Saturday, July 10 at the Bolton-est Market and the following week at the Potton Market to promote their programs.
“The MAYO/JAM hobby farm project has allowed the youth to partake in fun farm activities laced with a whole lot of learning,” explains Ball. “From raising chickens and sharing the eggs free of charge to Potton seniors at random to projects like jam and sausage making, the youth are learning a lot while sharing the fruits of their labour with others.”
For Eldridge who is helping Ball this summer, she enjoyed the trip to the market and being able to know that something the youth made might find its way on people’s breakfast tables the following day.
“We provide hands on experience for the youth and learning things like jam making is something we will take into our own lives in the future.”
The youth who attended the market got such a positive vibe from the vendors that they were ready and willing to go back whenever asked. Many vendors present shared their own products with the youth with one man who carves wooden cooking spoons and spatulas donating a few for the kids to use the next time they are preparing a recipe. This impressed the kids to no end and was one of the first pieces of feedback shared about the day.
The Potton Public Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and offers a worthwhile selection of produce for a weekly stop by. Syrup, eggs, meats, vegetables, plants, baking and crafts…the list of goods is complimented by entertainment and an opportunity to say hello to neighbours and friends, with all Covid restrictions in place.
For more information about the market visit www.potton.ca or the Facebook page.
For information about the CABMN youth activities visit: www.cabmn. org or the Mansonville Youth Centre Facebook page.