A Black Diamond woman is spicing things up at a popular market known across southern Alberta for its abundance of locally made and grown foods.
The Millarville Farmers Market kicks off 2017 this Saturday with more than 175 vendors including local growers, farmers, makers, bakers, orchard owners, crafts people and artists. It runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Oct. 7.
A frequent shopper over the years, Laurie Rowe, will be a vendor this season selling her line of eight gourmet dipping sauces after starting her own business, Jordan’s General Store, last fall.
“The Millarville Market has such a unique flavour to it,” Rowe said. “It’s so exciting the fact that Millarville is established. You have the clientele coming, you just have to make sure you’ve got a product that is worth feeding to your family.”
Among the mouth-watering concoctions is a ketchup-like Red Coat sauce honouring Canadian Mounties and, as a tribute to Canada’s 150th, a maple campfire sauce made with real maple syrup.
“I want to appeal to the health conscious, food connoisseurs and the value-conscious consumer,” she said. “If you go into your fridge and have one pork chop, a couple of sausages and a chicken breast you can cut those into bite-sized pieces and dip them. It’s a meat fondue almost.”
The Millarville Farmers Market is a decades-old tradition that has vendors scrambling to be on the next season’s vendor list, said market executive director Lisa Lloyd.
“We had such a quality list of people trying to get into our market because it’s approved by the Alberta Markets Association,” she said. “That means 80 per cent are Alberta grown, produced and crafted and only 20 per cent can be either brought in from out of province or imported. Last year our numbers were 91 per cent.”
The market will feature its traditional fruit, vegetables, honey, baked goods and crafts again this year, said Lloyd.
“We have unique people coming in with interesting art and glass, fabrics from other parts of the world and creating interesting pieces, metal artists, some interesting new barbecue sauces and spices,” she said.
“We have lots and lots of yarn, wool, crafter type people who have all types of knitting and crocheting.”
The season kicks off this weekend with the annual Millarville “Run to the Farmers Market” Half Marathon that finishes at the Millarville Race Track, where the market is held.
Participants can either compete in the 21.1 km half marathon, two person half marathon relay or COBS Bread’s 12.8 km Cinnamon Bun Run.
Lloyd said what people also enjoy about the market is the relaxed atmosphere, beautiful country surroundings and the fun activities that run in conjunction with the market.
“We have different events that happen throughout our season like races, rodeos and the fair,” she said. “There’s lots of heritage and agricultural activities you just don’t find anywhere else. It’s not like dragging the kids to the grocery store.”
Lloyd said there is also live music at the gazebo and demonstrations of the Millarville Musical Ride, Rocky Mountain Agility Club and Foothills Archery Club.
“There is lots to do here,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful place to come to and to relax with great food and the beautiful countryside.”
Children can get involved in the shopping experience by getting a punch card to take to various vendors where they chat with local growers and makers. Once their punch card is full they can redeem it for market bucks to use at any vendor, said Lloyd.
She said the popularity of the market is growing each year, with the number of visitors ranging from 1,100 vehicles to 1,700 last year.
The cost to enter the market is $3 per car. Those with a Millarville Race Track memberships can enter the market for free.
More details about the market are available at www.millarvilleracetrack.com
