Vancouver is blessed with an abundance: fertile Fraser Valley soil brimming with produce to the east, the bounty of the Salish Sea to the west, the blessed fruits and wines of the Okanagan some 400km inland and those famous Pemberton potatoes a few hours north.
Why then do we still find nothing but New Zealand Galas in our grocery stores in the midst of our fall apple harvest? Why eat imported European cheeses when Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is only a ferry ride away? Why is everyone buying Little Brown Mushrooms when there are so many diverse wild species to dine upon?
It’s enough to make you want to just go out there and pick your own damn food. In the summertime that’s actually not a difficult task to muster. Many farms offer tours and ‘you-pick’ possibilities. Come the grey skies and damp chill of the winter months and you may wonder if there can be any escape from the clutches of a Buy Low lineup.
Enter Vancouver’s Winter Farmers Market. Now in it’s second season, and expanded to twice monthly due to demand, this one-stop fresh fix happens down at the WISE Hall (1882 Adanac) with the first of the season this Saturday, November 10th.
The market gives those with an appetite for keeping it local a place to get information, get connected and get munching! Local-eating not only puts you in touch with your community and farmers, it also gives you that direct link to your land, cuts down on transportation costs and fossil-fuel emissions, and gets you better tasting food. Of course there are many more reasons whether they be political, dietary or spiritual.
At the WFM, expect to visit about 40 vendors who can supply you with everything from honey, nuts, fish, curries, eggs, and berries to wool, soaps and glasswear. Get there at 10am for the best selection in fresh produce, squash you can squander away for the dark months, and delicious preserves to keep your sweet tooth satisfied all season long.
Pay your respects to the Granola King, bow down to Iron Maiden Seafoods, grab some of Big Don’s Pickles and charm your pooch with something from Sysko’s Supper. Head home, snap the cap off a Lion’s Winter Ale and feast away. Fireplace and roasted chestnuts at your own discretion.
Photo courtesy Cpt. Obvious from the bountiful BR Flickr Pool.
SIMILAR POSTS:
PREVIOUS POSTS: « Farewell to the Lion King | MAIN PAGE | Contest: Classified’s New Album Giveaway »
