Oct 15, 2014


For the final market day of the season on Oct. 11, vendors at the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market offered up some tasty treats to their loyal customers as a way to thank them for their ongoing patronage. Given that this summer was considerably wetter and colder than most, assistant market manager Francis Wooby said that every week he was thrilled to see customers still “waiting patiently for any little slice of sun and heat on Saturday morning to get them out to the local market to get their weekly shopping done.”

A number of vendors reported that their sales this year have been noticeably consistent, likely in large part because of a number of regular returning shoppers. “Local residents and cottagers know that we are here and are now making the market part of their regular Saturday shopping routine, which has been great to see,” Wooby said.

On Saturday market goers enjoyed maple biscuits slathered with maple butter, bite-sized pieces of fresh baked corn bread, spoonfuls of fresh cranberry sauce, slices of pickled egg, cups of home made squash soup and fresh hummus. The event wrapped up another great year at the market, which since its inception continues to grow a hearty core group of loyal shoppers.

The market will be back on Victoria Day weekend in May 2015; however it will not run at Oso Hall this year during the winter months as it has in the past. Market vendor Mary DeBassecourt said that on average the market attracts upwards of 400 visitors each week and that this year the number of regular shoppers increased. While the growing season was a slower one for many farmers, Tom Waller of Elm Tree Farm near Arden said that overall it was a good year. “The heat lovers like tomatoes, peppers, squash were not terribly impressed and were not as prolific as usual and in general were slower to ripen due to the lack of heat but all in all it was good year. One nice thing was that with all of the rain we didn't have to water as much and watering can be really labour intensive. The greens did really well and by far it was the best year ever for cucumbers."

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