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Back to HomeFeature Article - February 16, 2012 Frontenac Farmers Market re-opens for winterby Julie Druker

Photo:  Victorian era cotton bloomers like those worn by Queen Victoria courtesy of Lynne Hutcheson and Lois Grant of the Portland District and Area Historical Society

Area shoppers on the hunt for local goodies should count themselves as some of the lucky few. The Frontenac Farmers Market may just be the only market in Frontenac county that offers consumers access to local produce, prepared foods and crafts in the winter months. On Feb. 11 area vendors were back at the Verona Lions hall from their January hiatus, greeting shoppers who were out looking to enjoy some of this home grown bounty and to support their local producers. Typical market fare in the winter months includes a wide selection of meats, cheeses maple products, honey, a wide assortment of baked goods, preserves, prepared foods, organic coffee, winter veggies, fresh and dried herbs and herbal based products, and crafts.

Debbie Harris, who manages the market, said the winter months can be challenging since local producers are not yet able to offer fresh produce. “That being said there are still a lot of great products for consumers to take advantage of. We are hoping to expand and grow both our vendor and consumer base by offering some awesome products from great farms and great people with great products, ” Harris said.

Harris listed just a few of the products, which include, in the meat department, ecological and organic beef, lamb, pork, goat, rabbit, and other items like non-GM popping corn and organic spelt flour.

Also of interest to shoppers is the market's community booth, which offers a venue to local organizations and groups looking to get out information on their specialized topics. This last week members of the Portland District and Area Historical Society had on display, perhaps in celebration of Valentine's Day, a wide selection of Victorian era cotton undergarments including petticoats, bloomers, night gowns, slips, caps, camisoles and corsets. Many of the items were from the personal collection of Lois Grant and included garments of her ancestors. One item of note was a pair of humungously wide cotton bloomers, which Lois informed me are “in the style of those worn by Queen Victoria”.

In efforts to meet the specified farmers market regulations, which state that 51% of the vendors present must be farmers selling their own farm grown produce, market organizers are still looking for local vendors to participate in order to continue meet this quota. This will in turn open up the market to other non-farmer food producers and other local vendors. Local farmers interested in applying as future vendors at the FFM can visit the website at www.frontenacfarmersmarket.ca and click on contact/membership. The market runs every Saturday from 9:00AM-Noon and is located at the Verona Lions hall at 4504 Verona Sand Road, Verona.