Northbrook Lions Farmers Market a good place for “human contact”

Craig Bakay | Jul 28, 2021

Weather-wise, last Saturday was one of the best days we’ve had this ‘summer.’

So, it should come as no surprise that going into the final hour, the Land O’Lakes Farmers Market had notched almost 100 visitors (99 actually).

“And that doesn’t include the people that just came for the Lions canteen,” said Lion Betty McKittrick, who was welcoming people and keeping track. “Fifty-six is capacity but we haven’t had that many here at one time — probably no more than a dozen.

“People come in by twos and threes.”

This market has been running on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Lions Hall in Northbrook since June 5 and the plan is to go until the long weekend in September (Sept. 4).

The market is actually the brainchild of new Lion (and community member) Carol Kavish, who, along with her husband Derek McAleer, runs Kavaleet Smallhold. They offer smallpatch seasonal offering along with specialty jams and jellies including a killer strawberry jam and some hot pepper jelly that my best friends have quickly become fond of.

“This is our first year,” said McAleer. “We saw a need because I don’t think there’s another market within 45 minutes.”

“Like all farmers markets, we have to have 51 per cent agriculture and the rest are artisans,” said Kavish. “Our artisans tend to alternate because some of them can’t commit to an entire season.”

But there was a good variety of things you might expect at such things including maple syrup and maple products, jams and jellies, beef, homebaked goods and fresh flowers. (By the way, the maple syrup lady makes a helluvan apple pie.)

“And the Lions put on the canteen, where they also sell donated produce,” said Kavish.

Kavish and McAleer are actually “downtown Toronto” transplants who came to the area to establish their ‘smallhold’ which is a nod to the old-time freehold concept, where they grow things and make their jams and jellies. They expect to be home to three alpacas shortly.

“We joined the Lions to meet people and to give back to the community,” she said. “But because of covid, we haven’t had any meetings so we’ve only recently become official members.”

She said she enjoys meeting people at the market and there seems to be a mix of locals and cottagers.

“People just want to get out of their house and have some human contact and this is good for that,” she said. “We’re really hoping we can keep this up every year.

“We feel like we’ve been here a lot longer than we actually have.”