To T.O.: Tourism 101

Out of all the blog posts I write, I most enjoy recounting my travel experiences. If you are a regular reader, however, you know that this category is the most neglected. Because they are the most time consuming, I tend to procrastinate on them, a habit that is becoming worse as the years pass (I still haven’t finished writing about San Francisco, a year and a half later!). I hope to turn the tide with a short series on a week-long trip I took to Toronto in July 2011 to see my sister Amanda. Mack joined me there towards the end of my trip.

This wasn’t my first time to Toronto; I visited a friend for a few days back in 2006. It was a brief stay, but I managed to hit up some of the attractions that I had on my list at that time, including the Bata Shoe Museum and Casa Loma. This time around, although it really didn’t matter where we went, Amanda was game to look at her adopted city from a tourist’s perspective, and I was able to take in quite a bit of what Toronto had to offer.

Watching the Blue Jays

I’m not much of a baseball fan, but I’d never been to a Major League Baseball game before, and tickets were cheap – rail seats at the top level of Rogers Centre were just $10. It was also a beautiful night to be outside, not too muggy, with a breeze to cool things off just right.

Rogers Centre

The view of the CN Tower

All smiles!

The Seattle Mariners were in town, but the real star that night was Roberto Alomar, who watched the game from one of the sky boxes – he was in town to prepare for his entrance into the Hall of Fame at the end of the month.

Roberto Alomar!

I loved the jumbotron, and as a non-fan, being able to keep track of the players and their batting record so far that night – it really made it easier to get into the game. The other noticeable differences between this game and Capitals games I’d been to was the lack of aggressive beer sales in the stands and no “entertainment” between innings – mascot runs or little league pitchers or the like.

Batter up!

That said, I didn’t expect that number of extended innings – after runs in the first and second, it dragged on, scoreless, until the eighth, when tie runs resulted in extra innings. Five additional innings to be exact. Finally, after 14 innings and four and a half hours, Rajai Davis stole two bases and scored the winning run.

Finally

Being Part of a Live Studio Audience

I’m never really home during the day to watch CityLine, but I knew it was a lifestyle program, and that they filmed with a live studio audience. It seemed like it would be a fun way to spend a morning.

Holding room

After a short pep talk in the holding room, the audience (99% women) was herded down into the studio. Host Tracy Moore (a bombshell in real life – it’s hard to believe she had a baby a year prior) was gracious, welcoming everyone and making sure the audience felt comfortable.

With Tracy after the show

The topics explored in that particular episode (which would be aired exactly one week later), weren’t really of interest to either Amanda or myself – children’s activities, resistance training, pet safety issues and random kitchen tips – but it was interesting to see how the production crew had to scramble to arrange the different sets in the tight space.

Filming a segment on de-seeding tomatoes

And really, it was worth our time just for the parting gifts! We each received a $50 PetValu gift certificate and Body Shop package. Thanks, CityLine!

Experiencing the Humidity

Of all the weeks I could have gone, I ended up choosing the heat wave Toronto experienced last summer. Walking out of Amanda’s basement suite on the hottest of those days (in the morning, no less!), my camera lens literally fogged up when I took it out to snap a photo.

Seriously

Given it was +48 degrees with the humidity, people weren’t only joking about being able to fry eggs on the sidewalk – they were literally doing it.

Checking Out the View from the CN Tower

The mothership of tourist attractions in Toronto wasn’t really on my radar those first few days. But after seeing the CN Tower from almost every angle over the course of the week, we decided to just take the plunge…or rather, ascent.

The glass floor

As expected, the views were breathtaking, especially on such a clear day. Given it was the hottest day of the year, the outdoor platform/wind tunnel was also not a bad place to be.

Lake Ontario

Toronto from above

Visiting the St. Lawrence Market

Named by Food and Wine Magazine in 2004 as one of the “World’s 25 Best Markets”, we knew we’d have to check out the St. Lawrence Market on a bustling Saturday morning.

Outdoor arts and crafts vendors

Their produce was a sight for sore eyes – at that time in Edmonton, we didn’t have the same variety in our markets yet.

Ontario peaches (we noticed that there was a real emphasis on “Ontario” vs. “local”)

Multicoloured zucchini

Beans

Garlic scapes

The market was spread over several buildings, and was absolutely massive. The main building featured two levels, packed with permanent vendors that would enable anyone to do all of their grocery shopping in one trip. It reminded us of farmers’ markets in Calgary – imports like cheese and olives were permitted.

Rice vendor

Seafood

Whole pig, anyone?

Peameal bacon was everywhere in Toronto!

Yum…baked goods (yes, we indulged)

Great use of QR codes – links to the vendor’s recipes

Given how the market was such a tourist attraction, it was curious that there was no information table in sight – as a result, we couldn’t locate the one vendor we were looking for: Ewenity, a dairy cooperative which sells sheep’s milk ice cream.

We also ended up stopping into the St. Lawrence Market again on Sunday. The smaller building had been converted into an antiques fair. We didn’t buy anything, but we did did peruse the tables, and came across a Lucky Strike tin!

Antique fair

We had no idea Lucky Strike was a real company (we really miss Mad Men)

Taking in a Show

Toronto stages attract some big names, actors I wouldn’t have the opportunity to see in Edmonton. One example of this was Carrie Fisher, whose show, Wishful Drinking, was playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre that week. Based on her memoirs of the same name, Fisher discusses her family, personal life, career and mental health issues.

Wishful Drinking set

Mack and I are both fans of Star Wars, and though that part of her film career was referenced quite heavily in the play (i.e. the “social contract” she signed when agreeing to put on that metal bikini being that she would remain that shape for the rest of her life), we learned a lot more about her. She had many funny witticisms and wry observations (the most entertaining portion was “Hollywood 101”), and involved the audience at times as well. Fisher had a casual way about her, and it was clear that she was very comfortable with herself, her past and her ghosts. I’m glad we were able to go!

Dining with a Celebrity Chef

Or at least, dining in the restaurant of a celebrity chef. One of the only restaurants I had bookmarked prior to the trip was Lee Lounge. In March, I was fortunate enough to be invited to an Element of Taste with Chef Lee at NAIT, during his Chef in Residence tenure. He was humble, and from all reports, was a respectable teacher in the kitchen – I wanted to see if his restaurant lived up to the hype.

We arrived a half our before our reservation (the skies opened up just as we arrived), but were seated right away – later diners wouldn’t be so lucky, as the place was packed by the time we left. The interior was very dim (apologies in advance for the poor photos), but was tastefully decorated, with red accents and a wall-sized family photo at the entrance. And yes, Chef Lee was in the house! We saw him a few times checking in on things in the dining room.

The only blemish to our visit was the waitress – she pushed certain dishes (such as the Singaporean style slaw) much too hard, to the point where we felt guilty when we didn’t order it. All it did was communicate to us that it must have been his most profitable item.

But other than that, it was a note-perfect experience. The spicy crisp tofu was our favourite – well crusted on the outside, and silky smooth on the inside. The sauce also played between sweet and savoury flavours quite well.

Spicy crisp tofu

Mack in particular was looking forward to the cheeseburger spring roll (a single one for $7). It should have been pre-cut, but was flavoured with great spices, and really, we loved the idea of simulating a cheeseburger in another form. It begged the question – what other spring roll possibilities are out there?

Cheeseburger spring roll

The asparagus and green bean salad was wonderfully balanced – the vinaigrette first presented itself as tangy, but smoothed itself out. We also liked the braised beef ravioli, with thin skins that didn’t overwhelm the beef, and a slightly sweet finish.

Asparagus and green bean salad

Braised beef ravioli

We finished our meal with a banana cake, served warm, melding the fruit and chocolate in smooth and creamy bites.

Banana cake

We would recommend Lee Lounge – there is no doubt the care that goes into the food. That said, it wasn’t my favourite meal that I had in Toronto – I’ll be writing about that in another post!

2011 Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square

The annual Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square is something I don’t like to miss, even if the weather is less than conducive for an outdoor event! Mack and I braved the cold to partake in this annual tradition.

Cold!

Earlier in the afternoon though, I trekked down to the Square to pick up some groceries from the City Market. As with the previous two Saturdays, to help tie the Market into the day’s festivities, a third of the vendors were set-up in a tent on Churchill Square.

City Market outdoors

Though I thought this location was a boon to the vendors last year, it was a much different picture then, as it was easily about twenty degrees warmer than it was today. One of the two heaters stopped working an hour in this morning, something that didn’t bode well for those positioned in that half of the tent. Over in City Hall, however, it was very pleasant, with musicians livening up the atmosphere. Many shoppers were asking about which vendors were in the Square, but didn’t seem willing to step outside to explore them firsthand. I wonder if some clear signage with a map of vendors would have been an incentive to do so? Or, because of the weather, simply have allowed all of the vendors to remain inside the Hall?

Later that evening, Mack met up with me and we sipped hot coffee in anticipation of the light-up and fireworks. Closer to 5pm, the crowd swelled to a few hundred – it’s always heartening to see Edmontonians embracing outdoor activities.

Stilt walkers wandered into the crowd

After a few Christmas songs to warm up the crowd, Eskimo cheerleaders and Councillor Jane Batty welcomed Santa Claus himself up on stage (it was pretty amusing when Councillor Batty expressed to Santa that “one or two Councillors” will be receiving coal this Christmas).

On a break from the North Pole

I was a bit disappointed that the organizers opted not to use the giant light switch that they have in the past, but counting down to the light-up itself was still a great time. The 71 foot white spruce, weighing 8000 pounds, had been donated by Millar Western. Decorations included 14,000 LED lights, sparklers and snowglobes, about 4,000 more than last year.

Tree

I look forward to the fireworks spectacle every year, primarily because it is the only show in our city that is timed to music. I wonder if it was the cold that impacted the execution of the fireworks this year, because something delayed them this time around, which meant that they didn’t end up accompanying the music. We still enjoyed them though – fireworks are always a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Fireworks

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The tree will be around to view until early January. Make sure to check it out when you have a chance!

Foodtree: an App for Producers and Consumers

One of the reasons I started doing weekly City Market Reports was so it would be easy for people to know what was in season. But now? There’s an app for that!

Foodtree is a free photo-sharing mobile app that aims to help farmers better connect with consumers, and to enable consumers to better share information with one another. Launched in Vancouver, Edmonton was added to the app in mid-September.

Given the rise of local farmers’ markets this year in numerous communities across the city, it is particularly pertinent that an app with this focus debuted this year, as it could definitely help consumers determine which market they might attend that day or week.

In order to find out more about Foodtree, I sent Derek Shanahan, Foodtree’s Chief Community Officer, some questions:

What is Foodtree?

Foodtree is a web and mobile platform that makes it easy to share photos and insights about real food with food lovers and your community. Our free mobile app is like an Instagram for food, with photos tagged with where a food can be found and where it’s actually from. On the web, anyone can upload their photos and tag the same information.

In both places a conversation happens in the comments – often about the food, how it was made (or even how much it cost), or to add insights ("I know where that’s from!").

As an example, local farmers are now taking daily pics of their harvest and tagging the produce with the market you can buy it at later that day. They’re using it to market themselves, but also to connect with their buyers and to make it easier for them to find the food they love. Some even throw prices into their photo comments.

In broad strokes we’re a company building tools to empower a conversation about food and its provenance, and doing so in an effort to empower people with information they need to eat better while providing food producers with effective tools to connect with their customers. We focused on "whole" foods early (meat, produce, dairy) because there is such a lack of attention given these foods, both in terms of how they’re marketed or branded, and in terms of how consumers contemplate them (food lovers know that a piece of beef isn’t just a piece of beef; there’s more to it).

How is this different than Flickr, Twitter, Facebook or blogs?

First of all, it’s built for the food ecosystem; food lovers and food producers. We took what we’ve learned from the explosion of social tools and applied that learning to the unique (and incredibly complex) problems that the food system presents. We’ve also integrated some of those tools and will integrate more down the line…Twitter and Facebook are tied into the photo sharing process, for instance so that users can send pics to all three at once.

Instead of replacing the value of blogs, or even established social networks, Foodtree is aiming to expand on that value…we’ll roll out a Where To Buy widget, for instance, that will let food producers quickly tell their customers and blog readers where to find their stuff. It will embed into WordPress.

We’re in a world of information overload, so we’re not trying to replace core social networks. The next generation of web and mobile apps will leverage the value these networks created, but will serve specific needs, niches, and interests. Flickr isn’t ideal for making purchasing decisions or sharing insights about how our local food communities fit together. Facebook isn’t either, and their focus as it relates to industry is in the context of their Ad Network. It’s actually a really great Ad Network, but that’s not the only way to market and build community around small and medium sized businesses. It’s our belief that Facebook Business Pages are pretty ineffective for most businesses AND us as users; especially when you have that conversation in the context of FOOD.

So in short, Foodtree’s mission is to build an open platform for the conversation about and consumption of food, integrated with today’s and tomorrow’s social networks.

What made you decide to build this app?

Foodtree’s foundation is in the challenges that Anthony faced as both a food lover and an artisan wine distributor. He’s always cared about where his food is from and how it’s been handled. He also spent a lot of time and resources trying to communicate a unique and thoughtful story about his wines to customers; the story of the farmers who handled the grape from the ground into the bottle using sustainable practices.

We built our mobile app because food isn’t something we experience while sitting in front of a computer…Foodtree needs to connect people out in the wild, while shopping, dining, and participating in their food communities. Taking photos is an easy way to participate in your food system; what are you seeing, and what do you know about the food that’s in front of you? Our app was built as a lightweight but revolutionary way to contribute to a wider conversation about food and food provenance, while empowering local food producers and great food people should know about.

What has the response been so far from farmers, consumers and markets? Have you connected directly with any Edmonton farmers, consumers or markets yet?

The response has been phenomenal. Already we have farmers and food businesses using the mobile app to promote their harvests and products in real-time…sharing photos of foods and where to buy them later that day. The farmers markets have been really great too…we’ve now talked to almost every major market in Canada, and recently expanded our app experience to include Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto. We’re constantly looking to include more markets in the database, as well as their vendors.

In addition, we’re moving beyond farmers markets based on the feedback from users and farmers. Both want to expand the Foodtree conversation into restaurants and retail, as so much of the food experience happens in these places. The app will get an upgraded that lets people use it anywhere that you can find food, while still tagging information about its provenance to the photos. The website will allow users to go even deeper.

Our userbase has also asked for even more interaction, so we’ll add "liking" and deepen our "following" feature to let food lovers subscribe to farmers or other businesses for useful updates about harvests and other related communications.

People also seem interested in some measure of reputation within the community, so we’re exploring that as well.

What is your hope for FoodTree?

We’re the crazy kind of entrepreneurs that honestly thinks what we’re building could change the world. We imagine a world in which it’s weird NOT to know where your food is from. We imagine a world in which it’s as easy to get detailed insight into what you’re eating as it is to check the history on a car you’re considering buying.

We hope that we’re an integral part of the inevitable disruption that our food system is about to experience. As Chris Dixon said, "Predicting the future of the internet is easy: anything it hasn’t drastically transformed, it will."

Best of luck to Derek and his team – in this digital world, it’s great to see tools that help make choosing and eating local just a little more seamless.

If you’re interested in learning more about Foodtree, check their website. And to download their app, head over here.

All Year Round: the City Market at City Hall

It was an interesting day downtown today – as Mack and I walked towards City Hall this afternoon, we encountered the Occupy Edmonton demonstration in Churchill Square.

Occupy Edmonton

It was peaceful but spirited, with protesters carrying a wide variety of signs and costumed as everything from V to zombies.

With so much activity in the core, we figured it must be just as bustling inside City Hall, but that wasn’t the case. I loved the irony – if even half of the protesters purchased something from a purveyor at the market, what kind of difference would that act make towards supporting small businesses and local economies? Anyway, that’s a different discussion for another day.

Protesters march

Unlike last year, when the City Market didn’t make the leap into City Hall on a regular basis until March, I was excited when it was announced that the transition from street to indoors would be immediate. With a forthcoming marketing campaign on ETS buses and LRT, this edition of the year-round City Market also seems like it will be better advertised. Still, approaching City Hall, one would be hard pressed to guess if anything was going on inside, let alone Edmonton’s oldest farmers’ market. I can imagine the politics that might be involved in proposing outdoor signage for the building, but it would definitely go a long way in raising the profile and visibility of the market.

An unmarked City Hall

Inside, there were about three dozen vendors. Having arrived around 1pm, we figured we missed the rush, but we were told that it had been fairly slow so far.

Quiet aisle

The set-up in the City Room was similar to the spring market, with vendors lining most of the first floor. We asked about the capacity of the space (given there are currently sixty vendors who have signed up to participate this fall and winter), and were told that they have the permission to expand to the second level if need be.

Kuhlmann’s and Doef’s had prime spaces

Apparently the marimba player (who would be familiar to City Market on 104 Street shoppers) had been performing earlier in the day, but had retired by the time we arrived. Unfortunately, there was no ambient music to fill the void that he left – hopefully the Market works on this next week as it felt a bit like a library beneath the pyramid.

Shoppers peruse fruit at Steve & Dan’s

We really weren’t sure which vendors to expect, knowing that many producers have chosen only to sell on select Saturdays (the list of vendors on the website is thus not that helpful). But we were pleasantly surprised at the variety – Doef’s, Kuhlmann’s, Sundog Organic and Steve & Dan’s were on hand for produce; Nature’s Green Acres, Sunshine Organic, Irvings Farm Fresh, Medicine Man Bison and Ocean Odyssey for protein; and Prairie Mill to round out the basics. We missed seeing Van Os Dairy though – it was nice to be able to get organic milk on the same trip as well!

Produce at Sundog Organic

Obviously, Mack and I are thrilled to have a year-round farmers’ market within walking distance of our home, and will continue to support this venture. However, I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – the Market needs to do a better job at informing consumers which producers will be present on which days (their advice on the website is this: “make sure you talk to your favourite vendors and find out their market schedule”). Particularly because vendors will be inconsistent through the season, I really think it would not only help shoppers plan, but help the market as a promotional tool.

Kuhlmann’s

When we approached the information table with this question, we saw they had a detailed matrix of vendors and market dates on paper. We asked why that information wasn’t available online, and we were told they were still learning how to use the new website, and didn’t have the final confirmation for some vendors. Though the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is much smaller, they’ve managed to do this, so there is precedence.

As I mentioned, we will be back next week, but we do hope some minor tweaks will be made to help make this market the best year-round option in Edmonton.

The City Market at City Hall will run every Saturday (except December 24 and 31) from 10am-3pm until May 2012.

City Market Report: Week 21

In contrast to last year, the end of the 2011 season of the City Market on 104 Street doesn’t feel as final. Although Mack and I will miss having all of the vendors and festivities just out our front door, we are comforted knowing that the market is continuing indoors at City Hall next week (they also debuted their new website this week!).

One of the signs taped to the street as a reminder

I really hope the word spreads far and wide so patrons will still think of the City Market as a new year-round shopping option. Though I know it will take some time to embed this fact, I don’t think enough has been done to promote the seamless transition to City Hall. We just ran into a woman in our building this morning, a regular market shopper, who didn’t know about the continuation.

City Market

The other half of the battle is convincing shoppers that this year-round City Market will be populated with enough vendors to make a trip there worthwhile (instead of, say, heading to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market where one would be certain of the vendors present). It is a bit of a chicken-egg argument (vendors need a critical mass of patrons to purchase their products, but patrons need a good variety to be enticed), but I really think it would have been great if even a partial list of vendors who had committed to the City Hall edition was released. Again, as I mentioned last week, I realize that the City Market still hasn’t received applications from all vendors, but I think it would help people plan their shopping trip, and create a concrete buzz for next week.

Irvings Farm Fresh will be at City Hall all winter

Regardless, as far as a wrap-up to the outdoor portion of the market year, the weather was brilliant. Sunny and warm, it almost made up for the many rainy and miserable Saturdays this summer.

Riverbend Gardens could even go without a tent!

Mack and I always love to see events that tie-in to the market, either right on the street or in the area, and the studio sale in the Great West Saddlery building was no exception. We popped upstairs to see designers Bridget Smatlan, Jessica Halabi, Gabrielle Cruz and Corinna Chow in their element. It was good to meet all of you!

Corinna and Gabrielle in their studio

As I did in my last City Market report post in 2010, I wanted to again pay homage to the dedicated producers who work to bring us fresh produce, proteins and wares week in and week out, whatever the weather. Here are just some of the producers:

Andres and Megan of Greens, Eggs and Ham

Jen of Jen’s Organic Garden

James of Sundog Organic Farm

Irvings Farm Fresh

Patty of Lola Canola (in her last market appearance!)

Rick of Barr Estate Winery

Ed of Sunshine Organic Farm

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

Thanks for a great outdoor season, and see you at City Hall next week!

City Market Report: Week 20

If last Saturday was a little burst of summer, today saw a full-on shift to fall – breezy, overcast and chilly.

Fall at the City Market

The final cultural festival, celebrating African culture, took place today, but as Mack and I were attending a wedding later this morning, we weren’t able to stay to take in the performances. I’m sure they were fantastic though!

We ducked around to pick up our week’s groceries, and of course, snapped a few pictures along the way.

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Kohlrabi from Sundog Organic Farm

Blueberries from Steve & Dan’s

Brussels sprouts from Green Valley Farm

Flowers from Kuhlmann’s

Turnips from Kuhlmann’s

Pattypan and summer squash from Kuhlmann’s

Massive zucchini from Kuhlmann’s

Gourds at Riverbend Gardens

Though next week will see the last outdoor City Market of 2011, I’m excited that the move to the indoor venue won’t skip a beat – the City Market begins at City Hall on October 15, 2011! Though I realize that not all of the vendors have put in their applications for the indoor market yet, it would be helpful to shoppers to know which vendors have already planned to continue with the City Market this fall. Some vendors like Sundog Organics and Irvings Farm Fresh have taken marketing their presence into their own hands, but it would have been great if a blackboard at the info tent could feature the confirmed list of vendors moving into City Hall (or even better, the website could be updated with that information).

Sundog will be at City Hall!

See you next week at the last outdoor City Market of the year!

City Market Report: Week 19

It’d be very easy to get used to autumn mornings like the one we were treated to today – a touch chilly in the shade, but sunny and bright and full of optimism for the season ahead.

Unlike most Saturdays, I was actually up early this morning, staffing the Downtown Edmonton Community League booth for the fall membership drive. Thanks to everyone who came by to say hi!

Chris and I ❤ yegdt! (DECL’s last day at the market selling memberships is October 8, 2011)

It was a busy day at the City Market, as the teams competing in the Edmonton International Film Festival’s annual 24/One Challenge descended on the street to sign in for the competition.

Kerrie Long, Festival Producer, was this market’s bellringer

EIFF program, anyone?

As a tie-in, the market invited vendors and patrons alike to dress up in their favourite 80’s movies characters. Though only about a half dozen people did so, it still added to the day’s festivities!

The Blues Brothers at The Bangle Box

Owen (of Prairie Mill)’s homage to Top Secret

August Studio Ceramics is Pretty in Pink

Mack and I were lucky enough to have been asked to be the judges in the competition, and although The Bangle Box, Prairie Mill and Studio Ceramic rounded out our top four, there was no doubt who had our favourite costume.

Three Ghostbusters fans, members of the Alberta franchise of Ghostbusters Canada, brought their proton packs, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Ecto-1 and their passion for the films to the market, to the delight of adults and kids alike (though I think the younger ones were just excited to see an inflatable mascot). It turned out the trio had set up at the market to entertain the crowds, but deservingly, walked away with the top prize – two VIP passes to the film festival.

Who you gonna call?

We also came across a poster that will be used in an upcoming marketing campaign for the winter continuation of the market in City Hall (which starts October 15). I love the tie-in of the transit ticket.

Hurrah for a year-round City Market!

Oh, and let’s not forget the produce!

Bok choy from Jen’s Organic Garden

Concord grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Sunflower shoots from Little Shoots Neighbourhood Farm (really worth trying if you haven’t already)

Radishes from Sundog Organic Farm

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Fairytale eggplant from Sundog Organic Farm

Garlic scapes from Sundog Organic Farm

Brussel sprouts from Kuhlmann’s

Parsley from Kuhlmann’s

Patrons attack the corn at Kuhlmann’s

It was also great to see Patty Milligan again at the City Market for the first time in a few months – she’s back for the remainder of the outdoor market dates, but then that’s it for Lola Canola! Patty will be moving on to other things – so make sure to stop by and say hi in the next few weeks!

Patty’s back!

Next week, the City Market is hosting it’s final cultural festival of the year – Africa Fest. See you there!

Road Trip: Farmers’ Markets and Festivals

We always hit up at least one farmers’ market when we’re in Calgary – this time, we visited two.

The first stop was the Kingsland Farmers’ Market, which I wrote about back in April. Since our last visit, they’ve been setting up tents outside to take advantage of the warmer weather.

Gorgeous tomatoes

Spotted the new Field Stone Fruit Wine labels – snazzy!

It’s always a treat to see Mary Ellen (of Greens, Eggs and Ham). Since they set up shop at Kingsland, we pretty much only see her when we’re down in Calgary! We also look forward to picking up Rustic Sourdough Bakery’s pretzels rolls – will someone in Edmonton make these, please?

I like the idea of a “specials” board, though this one is a little hard to read

We then drove down to the new location of the Calgary Farmers’ Market (CFM), which wasn’t quite ready when we were last down. Though I am frustrated sometimes with how Edmonton is such a car-centric city, in this instance, we do fare better – at least our two largest farmers’ markets (City Market and Old Strathcona) are situated centrally, easily accessible by LRT and/or main bus routes.

At the special City Market meeting called earlier this year to help determine the direction of the year-round venue, the consultant showed photographs of the CFM, using it as a prime example of what permanent stalls could look like. As a result, Mack and I were eager to see what it looked like in person.

Calgary Farmers’ Market

At first glance, the CFM is everything a market should be: bright, bustling, with wide aisles and clear signs. There was an expansive seating area as well, and high tables perfect for resting coffee upon while browsing. The “rustic” wood frame around each stall looked perhaps a little too polished, but I appreciated the aesthetic they were going for.

Busy place

There was also a great mix of vendors, as expected, from produce to meat and poultry, to dairy and even local grains and oils.

Great dairy case (it was a good excuse to finally try Vital Green Farms’ chocolate milk – it was delicious!)

Loved Highwood Crossing’s tagline: “Canada’s olive oil”

But walking around, it was clear the CFM didn’t have the same feel as the City Market, Old Strathcona, or even Kingsland for that matter. Between the large food court and play area, it resembled more of a shopping mall.

Food court

I’m definitely not against concessions and family-friendly spaces, but it was the first market I’ve ever come across that seemed to want to please everyone. One can only imagine such amenities would be factored into vendors’ rent and maintenance costs.

Play area

Mary Ellen explained to us in the past Calgary’s “one-stop shop” mentality, which results in farmers’ markets carrying everything from lemons to bananas beside the local produce. But at the CFM, there also seemed to be a number of resellers present. This is fine, except that it wasn’t easy to distinguish between producers and resellers – and really, isn’t the point of farmers’ markets for patrons to buy food directly from those who grew it? Sure, some consumers might ask the right questions, but ideally, it should be more intuitive than that.

Innisfail Growers – not a reseller!

In addition, we had to wonder about the viability of a four day market. There’s no question that it is convenient and more accessible, allowing consumers a place to shop for local wares Thursday to Sunday. But because we saw several examples of sad and wilted produce on tables, it seemed some vendors were having challenges ensuring product quality. Perhaps there isn’t adequate on-site cold storage for all who need it? Also, based on the discussion at the City Market meeting in April, we know some producers mentioned that staffing and refreshing a multi-day market would be difficult – for example, who would tend to the farm over that period?

Strawberries from The Jungle Farm

At the end of the day, our visit to CFM just made me think of all the facets of a “modern” year-round market. And with the City Market continuing to explore venues for their own year-round venture, it will be interesting to see what direction they decide to take.

We ended our tour of Calgary that weekend with a visit to 17^th Avenue. We ended up stumbling upon the Uptown 17 market and music festival.

Love the colourful chairs!

In the area of neighbourhood branding, we still think Calgary does a better job of that than we do in Edmonton. Let’s hope that the “I ❤ #yegdt” catches on enough for the Downtown Business Association to use it more widely!

Uptown 17 everywhere!

There is always something to do in Edmonton, but the same can be said about Calgary. We’ll be back soon!

City Market Report: Week 18 (plus Corn Fest!)

I suppose this really isn’t a City Market report so much as it is a recap about Corn Fest, Downtown Edmonton Community League’s annual fall event run in conjunction with Edmonton Federation of Community League’s city-wide Community League Day.

Corn Fest

Over 100 community leagues organized events for today, which ranged from barbecues, potlucks, carnivals, garage sales and pet pampering – I hope you had the chance to check out the activities in your neighbourhood!

DECL has offered Corn Fest for a number of years, but starting aligning the date with Community League Day last year. It serves up free corn with a side of salsa dancing.

Corn!

I had taken in Corn Fest last year, but this was my first time being on the other side. Set-up went pretty smoothly, and we had plenty of time to shuck the corn before our 11am start time.

Laurissa was a shucking machine!

Lindsey and Ian

The weather was overcast for most of the day, cool but not cold, and all in all, a great day for a hot cob of corn. Crowds were steady, but a rush of people late in the afternoon meant we ended up running out of corn early – we ran through about 450 ears of corn!

We need more corn!

Mack and Jon enjoy their corn

It’s amazing how transformational music is – as soon as the salsa music came on, people started wandering into Beaver Hills House Park to check out what was happening. Even when no one was utilizing the square to dance, it created a festive, warm atmosphere. The couples that did eventually descend on the dance floor were a treat to watch!

Just dance

MLA Laurie Blakeman was also around today to hand out the Downtown in Bloom awards. Congrats to all of the winners!

MLA Laurie Blakeman and Scott

There was a lot going on in that area today: the folks behind the Alley of Light were doing chalk art in the alley with children, and there was a performance on the corner of 105 Street and Jasper.

Walk the chalk

Performance art

And of course, there was the market! Because I was busy volunteering, Mack was responsible for picking up the groceries this week, so just a few photos here and there today.

Beautiful garlic from Sundog Organic Farm

Beets from Sundog Organic Farm

Pumpkins from Sundog Organic Farm

Baby corn from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Hope you had a good Saturday as well!

City Market: Week 17

After so many dismal market days this year, it feels like we’ve earned this extended summer. There were many people taking advantage of it at the City Market today.

City Market

We had a prior engagement in the morning, but finally made it to the market this afternoon. There was actually still a decent selection for late in the day.

Bok choy from Sundog Organic Farm

Potatoes from Sundog Organic Farm

Gourds from Sundog Organic Farm

Grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Apples from Steve & Dan’s

Corn from Riverbend Gardens

Tomatoes from Gull Valley

We missed the market last week, so didn’t see the debut of Van Os Dairy to the City Market. Van Os sells organic milk (processed by Saxby Foods), and will soon also start offering butter, yogurt, cream and cheese as well.

Van Os Dairy

It’s great that local, organic milk is now accessible at the market! You can read more about Van Os and Saxby in this article by Jud Schultz.

As a part of Community League Day on September 17, the Downtown Edmonton Community League is hosting Corn Fest over at Beaver Hills House Park (105 Street and Jasper Avenue). If you’re at the market next Saturday, come by for some free corn! See you at the market next week!

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