With Tri-City food businesses taking a beating due to inflation and B.C. farmers getting hit by unseasonably cold weather, it's time to get out and support local producers, say officials with the Port Coquitlam Farmers Market.
And this year the Port Coquitlam Farmers Market is moving to the Terry Fox Hometown Square on Kelly Avenue, south of the Port Coquitlam Community Centre.
There, the PoCo market will operate from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays from June 2 to Sept. 29, 2022. Parking is available in the community's centre's vast 425-stall underground garage off of Mary Hill Road.
"We need people to know who these businesses are and support them," said director Ava Waxman, who added that farmers markets are an important contribution to food security for local people and the region.
"If we don't support local farmers, we won't have them," Waxman warned.
Here's where to get fresh fruit, vegetables in Port Coquitlam
The Port Coquitlam Farmers Market previously operated at Leigh Square, which is soon to be renovated, so the market moved to the new Terry Fox plaza behind the PoCo rec centre, which offers ample space for about 40 vendors.
In addition to guaranteeing food security by supporting B.C. farmers, the market also provides food security for local people who like to shop at the market to get fresh, farm-picked vegetables and fruit.
Among the products available are:
- Alcohol - Beer, Wine, Cider, Liquor
- Artisans / Crafters
- Baking
- Dairy
- Food Trucks + Beverage
- Fruits / Vegetables
- Honey
- Meat
- Plants
- Preserves + Prepared Foods
Many local start-up food businesses launch at the Port Coquitlam Farmers Market, and Waxman said the market has become a way for new local businesses to get their name out to Tri-City residents.
Delish Gluten-free Bakery, in Port Coquitlam, which will soon open a café at Terry Fox Hometown Square, was a business that got its start at the PoCo Market, Fowler said.
Coupons support healthy eating in Port Coquitlam
Other local businesses that got started at the market include Infusion Soy Sauce and PoCo Soap Co., which makes eco-friendly soap, and Squish Juicery, which sells cold-pressed juices in its Port Coquitlam location at 180B - 2099 Lougheed Hwy. in the Shaughnessy Square Complex.
Market manager Ellen Fowler said the market is once again participating in the Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program, a healthy eating initiative that supports farmers markets and strengthens food security across British Columbia.
Community partner organizations provide coupons to lower-income families, pregnant women and seniors participating in their food literacy programs.
Coupons can be used to purchase vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, dairy, cut herbs, meat and fish.
Each household enrolled in the program is eligible to receive a minimum of $27/week in coupons. The community partners for the Port Coquitlam Farmers Market are the City of Port Coquitlam (apply here) and Westcoast Centre Families Society (Healthy Babies program).
The Port Coquitlam Farmers Market will also feature a musical performance each week and there will be themed activities once a month, including seniors' week, art programs, a youth vendor fair and a fruit pie fundraiser.
Other things to note, the market is family- and dog-friendly, as well as wheelchair accessible.
