Farmers market

At the Aug. 8 council meeting, the issue was referred to the Peachland Economic Development Committee to research the beneÀts of having the market, explore moving the market from Heritage Park and report back in January 2018.

A January decision would be too late for the market, according to Karen Onrait-Casper, president of the Peachland Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market, and the woman who spearheaded the start of the Peachland market in 2006.

Rather than competing with local businesses, Onrait-Casper contends the Peachland market brings people into downtown Peachland, who stay and spend money in the businesses and restaurants. Onrait-Casper was busy Sunday morning distributing information sheets including links to the Peachland council webcasts to the more than 60 vendors set up to make sure the vendors knew the facts.

The board had found out about the possible move from an item in a local newspaper.

Onrait-Casper said the market has between 80 and 100 members, 80 per cent of who are make, bake or grow vendors, with a small per cent who offer a blend of mainly bake, make or grow plus a small amount of resale items.

As far as Onrait-Casper knows, the Peachland market is the only one that employs Áaggers to control the trafÀc, hired from a Peachland company recommended by District of Peachland staff.

Sheral Rogers from Peachland was disappointed to hear about the possibility of the market moving. As a volunteer at the Wellness Centre, Rogers brings seniors to the market to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and see the lake.

She parks out front and said she has never had a problem even getting the seniors across the street.

Marline Pope comes to the Peachland Market every Sunday after church so she can stock up on fresh produce, including potatoes, garlic and carrots at a reasonable priced. While other market-goers were upset to hear the market could move from Heritage Park, Pope was not concerned.

“As long as it’s convenient, I’m good,” she said.

Moving the market would be a big loss to the community, said Tom Cross of Mountain Valley Farm in West Kelowna.

“Down here, you’ve got all the families walking, people from Penticton, Kelowna and all the tourists,” he said.

Part of the Peachland market’s attraction is the park setting along the lake.

“They’re not going to come here if they move it to a parking lot,” he said.

Cross said he gets tourists who camp nearby returning every year. They buy veggies in the morning and then cross the street to have their coffee and breakfast at a downtown restaurant.

“It’s all part of the package that helps all the businesses in the community,” he said.

Not all the vendors were worried about a possible relocation for the market.

“It doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s still a market,” said Alfred Collison of West Kelowna who sells handcrafted leather articles at the market.

BARB AGUIAR/Westside Weekly Arianna Shields buys a dragonfly screen protector from Pat Verheyden while her grandparents Kathi and Gordon Shields look on.The family stopped at the Peachland market Sunday while on a peach run to the Okanagan from Airdrie.

BARB AGUIAR/Westside Weekly Tom and Denise Cross from Mountain Valley Farm in West Kelowna say the park setting of the market beside Okanagan Lake attracts people to the Peachland market.

BARB AGUIAR/Westside Weekly Denis Huberdeau, visiting from Manitoba, buys a hand crafted leather credit card holder from Alfred Collison from A and J Leather from West Kelowna. Huberdeau comes to the market whenever he is in Peachland visiting his daughter on market day.

BARB AGUIAR/Westside Weekly Audrey Kalmacoff, 3, and sister Katherine, visiting from Calgary, enjoy a puffed wheat cake while waiting for some lemonade at the market.