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MARKET TO MARKET SERIES: North Saanich Farm Market is a fixture

The North Saanich Farm Market has become a Saturday morning fixture in the Deep Cove community say organizers
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There is always a large turnout at the North Saanich Farm Market.

This is the second installment in a series covering the variety of summer markets on the Saanich Peninsula

 

The North Saanich Farm Market has become a Saturday morning fixture in the Deep Cove community say organizers.

The only problem facing the popular weekly event is the fact that it is becoming so popular that parking is becoming troublesome.

“I guess it is a good problem to have,” laughed Chair of the  North Saanich Food for the Future Society and the market, Penny Gibbs.

She added a dream of hers is to one day have the market held on the lands at the former Sandown Racetrack.

“For now though, we love being at St. John’s Church. We love the garden, we have the infrastructure and it’s a great place to be,” she said.

The market was started almost seven years ago after the society was formed by a group of people in 2008, including North Saanich’s current Mayor, Alice Finall.

“She stepped down when she decided to run for mayor but she was really one of the driving forces behind it,” said Gibbs.

Gibbs said the mandate of the market is to support hyper-local growers, producers and sellers (almost all located in North Saanich with the exception of a few).

“Our focus really is on growing. We have a mandated ratio of food to crafts through the B.C. Association of Farmers Markets and we go by the ‘make it, bake it or grow it’ rule. We also feature a community table every week which takes in food from local growers who don’t have enough supply to get their own table, so we try to be as inclusive of local growers as possible,” she said.

Along with fresh local fruit and vegetables, Gibbs said, there is baking, cut and fresh flowers, crafts and most importantly live music.

“We have live music every week which is a huge part of the market,” she said.

There’s also a learning table every week featuring groups like Peninsula Streams who can teach locals a thing or two about where they live, Gibbs said.

The North Saanich Farm Market runs every Saturday until Oct. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s United Church (10990 West Saanich Rd.). For details and the chance to become a volunteer with the market, visit www.northsaanichfarmmarket.ca or email info@northsaanichfarmmarket.ca.

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Stay tuned in next  Wednesday’s edition of the PNR for a feature on one of the other weekly markets on the Saanich Peninsula.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com