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Bancroft Farmers’ Market open for business

June 25, 2015

By Sara Gottardi
On Friday, June 19 the once “up in the air” Bancroft Famers’ Market was set for this summer, reconfirmed to be taking place within Millennium Park. The initial setup was a small and intimate gathering of vendors selling fresh, locally grown and produced goods. An inviting sight for passerby’s from the main road to stop and take a gander under the multiple tents set up with fresh goods displayed simply but beautifully around.
The market has been a hot topic of discussion around town for a while as people wondered if the market was going to take place and if so, especially, where it would be taking place. It is refreshing to say that it has been well grounded and set at the Millennium Park for this summer and is being looked after by Ervin Weber and the Township of Bancroft.
Very much alive, the market even in its humble beginning had a total of eleven participating vendors that day that came together to help kickstart the market on this new summers excitement for the town, cottage goers and town visitors.
Weber said, “Many people come from the Maynooth market,” as they want to do both and just like the Maynooth, Bancroft’s market will increase and decrease in size each year depending on how many people choose to come out as well as the amount of vendors deciding to participate that also meet the Farmers’ Market Association of Ontario regulations.
Located on the main street making it easily accessible with ample space for parking as well as being visible to passerby’s, they will also be sharing the park with other events scheduled for the summertime such as the Mineral Capital Concerts in the Park and other events. Being such a spacious space there is also room for picnics and other kid friendly fun activities for families to join in.
When it came to finding a place for the market, Weber said, “We wanted room for children, pets and space for parking,” and having such a great area [Millennium Park] to be the home of the market was also in favour as people can go for walks along the trails off the side of the park and come back to browse and shop for a bit at the market before heading home or back into town.
Having looked at multiple places to hold this year’s market, places like the parking lot behind McKaskies and Cenotaph Park were up for debate but neither had such versatile space options as Millennium Park offers. Signs have been made for the market as well by Councillor Mary Kavanagh to help in directing and advertising the new market.
Weber expressed deep gratitude towards the Township of Bancroft helping warrant the Farmers’ Market to come to life as they recognized what they were wanting to create and accomplish with bringing the market into the heart of Bancroft: a healthy and open way of living with locally grown and produced products.
Every vendor is passed through the Farmers’ Market Association of Ontario to ensure all rules and regulations are abided by in qualifying for being a part of the market. The expectation is that everything sold at the market is locally grown and produced. For that fact, there will ultimately be lesser overt vendors contributing to the more aesthetic side of the market and the arts and crafts side of sales. Along with the arts and crafts products, produce must also must be completely local and produced by the vendors and not resalable items to qualify.
“We have to have our own producers, they have to make their own products and it has to be local. It can’t be resale at this market.” The number one thing about the farmers’ market is the producers as Weber reminds us.

         

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