It's more than food at the New West Farmers Market

Macrame feather workshops. Outdoor yoga. Naloxone training.

While these might not be the first things that come to mind when you hear the term ‘Farmers Market,’ they are some of the workshops and events you can find Thursdays from 3 to 7pm at Tipperary Park—along with fresh fruits and veggies, as well as other unique artisan offerings from vendors across the region.

Perhaps you’ve walked through the weekly event, wondering how the rows of tables featuring everything from Adobo flakes to artisan chocolates, gooey cookies, bread, and pyjamas—to name a few—are flawlessly organized.

It’s overwhelmingly volunteer run—and has just two employees.

Last year, NWFM announced it’d be doubling in size moving forward. It’s become so large that it’s had to shift around its layout to make room for the dozens of small businesses that bring their food and/or goods to sell.

What’s more, this particular Farmers Market goes beyond being a place to find nutritious food: for instance, last year, NWFM began offering naloxone training. The training is offered by the New West Community Action Team. Naloxone is a medication that can help temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose, which can make a difference in saving a life.

The training is being offered amid the backdrop of the ongoing drug epidemic. On Monday, the provincial government said another 176 people had died in May. Dying from drug toxicity is currently the leading cause of death in BC for those aged 10 to 59, and more than 12,000 in this province have died from it in the last seven years.

The Farmers Market also accepts nutrition coupons and is punching above its weight in redemptions: according to Kliewer, NWFM redeemed more than 200% of the coupons last year, as people came from within and outside of New West to find nutritious, healthy, and local food.

Formally known as the Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program, its goal is to offer options for lower-income families, those who are pregnant, as well as to those who are participating in food literacy programs. Each household enrolled in the program get a minimum of $27 a week in coupons, and the program runs throughout the summer.

“It takes a lot of teamwork for us to get organized. Sometimes groups will reach out to us, and they’re interested in coming to the market. Or, if we get ideas of something specific we want, we’ll look around within our community and see who might be able to fill those holes for us,” explains Quinn Kliewer, who manages NWFM.

“Obviously our focus is mostly on bringing in our local vendors, but always try to have that community presence within the market as well.”

Kliewer says they’ve loved being in the space at Tipperary Park, which offers more space than its former location in Uptown New West.

“People will still ask about the Belmont market, wondering when it’s coming back. I think we can fit way more vendors where we are in Tipperary Park,” she explains, adding that the market was there before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The one upside of having more of a grassy area—offered by the space available to NWFM in Tipperary Park—is there are some beautiful spots to rest and relax, or even to stretch. If yoga is your thing, then you’ll probably want to attend NWFM’s inaugural yoga event, led by Yoga at the Quay.

“Yoga at the Park has been something I’ve dreamed of since last season when I took over, and this year we finally have a date set for that,” says Kliewer, adding that it’ll be taking place on Thursday, July 27. “We’re starting with one day, and if it goes well, we’ll try and bring it back. Maybe a couple more times through the summer.”

As we wrap up our conversation, Kliewer stresses the importance of recognizing the various parts that not only keep the market going but motivates her to keep doing her work.

“I love supporting the local vendors. We have a good mix of vendors who have been with us for a long time, as well as new ones this season…we wouldn’t have a market without them,” she says, adding that the community coming to visit and support the market with donations and purchases from vendors is just as important as the volunteers.

If you’d like to volunteer to help run the market, there are two shifts available on Thursdays: 1:30 to 5pm, and 4:30 to 8pm. Volunteers must be available for Thursdays, and need to be physically present at the market.

To stay in touch with NWFM, give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for their newsletter.

You can also find them on the BC Farmers Market Trail, a tool that can be used to find a variety of farmers markets across the province.

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