Vendors see steady flow of customers at farmers market
Keltie Butler and Michael Coolican took the plunge last year.
The couple bought a dormant farm in Scotsburn and are currently in their first year of running Small Holdings Farm.
“We went looking for land to buy, and build a farm,” said Butler, as she and Coolican worked a table at the New Glasgow Framers Market on Saturday.
She said the farmers market is an excellent way to quickly get their product to the public. “Our plan,” she added, “is to be here as long into the winter as we can. And even when we’re not vendors, we’re still buying things here.”
The market in New Glasgow has been extremely busy this summer.
Manager Kristi Russell said traffic has been up significantly in 2017.
“We’ve seen a 30-40 per cent increase in attendance,” she said.
She said the method of obtaining the data “is certainly not scientific. We have a volunteer who goes around every hour and does a count. It’s not scientific, but you do see trends.”
She said one reason among several would be a boost in tourist traffic. “I think it’s indicative of a wider trend – increased tourism across the province.”
Another reason is that people in general are becoming more interested in supporting local artisans and farmers.
There are, on average, about 60 vendors set up at the market each Saturday.
Paul Clark represents Steinhart Distillers, based in Arisaig. The company offers vodka and gin, and recently introduced a new rum that is now a part of its product line.
“The traffic has been really good this summer,” said Clark, who had his table set up inside the new farmers market building on Saturday morning. He said a community garden started on the grounds of the market had helped bring in visitors – and potential buyers – as do the “fresh” items such as produce and even flowers. “The fresh stuff brings everybody in,” he said.
Over in Pictou, Ann McGee helps organize the Weekend Farmers Market, held every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of tournaments this summer, which is nice,” said McGee, as she stood on the cement floor of the New Caledonia Curling Club.
She said there are about 20-25 vendors set up during the weekend “at peak times” and added that with a couple of exceptions, all the vendors are local.
Unlike New Glasgow, the market in Pictou, which has been going for 25 years, does not run year-round: they open in midJune and have two more weekends remaining before they close up for another season.