04.08
SHE SAID:
What do you do on a Saturday morning to relax and unwind from the hectic week? Some enjoy a cup of coffee, some watch cartoons, some lay in their bathrobe all day with a good book. All of these are acceptable Saturday morning activities, but for me, going to the farmer’s market is not one of them.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the thought of supporting local farmers and artisans, but my mind cannot deal with the maze of produce stands and hoards of people lined up for Bavarian double smoked bacon at 7am (though it is very tasty).
I could get past that, though, if it weren’t for the disorganized maze of a layout that is our local farmer’s market. I can’t stand that all of the produce people aren’t together in one spot and the bakery people in another. It drives me nuts to pay 2 dollars for a tomato at one stand and then happen upon a tomato for 1 dollar further along the maze. Can I afford the extra dollar? Yes. Do I want to pay the extra dollar? Not really. I will gladly spend more money on a bunch of carrots at the market knowing there’s a cheaper version at the grocery store, but if there are three farmers at the market, heaven knows the farmer with the cheaper tomato is getting my business. End rant.
My saving grace was the German Bakery and its honey almond apricot croissant with icing sugar on top. It was by far one of my best uses of a Toonie in a while. I have no idea where it’s located amidst the chaos, but I do remember stairs nearby leading upward. I also found some really delicious honey apricot bread, but again, have no idea who makes it or where it exists. Once I had those two things in my possession I bolted and went home to continue my more familiar, less chaotic version of a pleasant Saturday morning.
HE SAID:
I, like Susan, have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the farmer’s market. It’s a wonderful and romantic idea (not in the Valentine’s Day sense) in theory, but it never fully lives up to my expectations.
You see, I am a morning person. I enjoy getting up early and getting out of the house while most people are still sleeping away the day. However, I am not a crowd person, and it seems like I can never get to the market early enough to beat the crowds.
So lets break down this love/hate relationship:
LOVE:
1.) I love the idea behind the market. The thought of a leisurely walk on an early Saturday morning perusing local goods is very appealing to me.
2.) Most of what is being sold looks very interesting, whether it’s food, clothing, or anything else.
3.) I love where our local market is located. Winding through the various nooks and crannies of the market is a lot of fun. It makes me feel like I’m in a Hobbit house or something, I love it. There are lots of interesting things to look at.
4.) Despite the busyness of the market, we were able to stop and check out one booth in particular that grabbed our attention. It was shared by Geordan Moore of Who Stole My Bike and Anna Stowe of Good Day Studio. They sell some locally made, unique looking t-shirts. There were plenty of interesting designs to choose from, and I was very tempted to buy one
5.) I love hearing random musicians playing their instruments throughout the market. I could sit and listen to some of them all morning. I especially enjoyed the people playing something other than acoustic guitar, like the guy playing his accordion, or the girl playing a ukelele. This is easily my favourite part of the whole experience.
HATE:
1.) I really, truly cannot deal with the crowds of people. I’m sure some people love it, but I don’t. I always felt like I couldn’t stop to check anything out because I might get trampled. I wish I could have found a nice open area to sit down, have a coffee, and people watch. I’d be all for the crowds if I could just watch them instead of being in them.
As you can see my loves outweigh my hates, but unfortunately it’s still just not for me. That said, if you’re a morning person who isn’t bothered by crowds, your local market would likely be right up your alley. I know the fresh food alone is worth it for a lot of people so don’t let our dislikes keep you from checking out the market. Every time I go I see people who are genuinely having a great time, and I like that. It’s also a great date idea if you’re looking for an excuse to hold that special someone’s hand and not let go. You know, so they don’t get lost in the crowd or anything…
Personally, I’m a fan of the farmer’s market as it is, but it might be more up your alley when they make the big move to the Pier. I look forward to seeing the changes.
Yeah, we will definitely check it out then and see if we enjoy it a bit more.
my girlfriend loves the farmers market in Stratford. She gets up in the morning, chats with everyone she runs into. She gets her vegetables, a cup of coffee and a bacon-on-a-bun sandwhich.
It’s a nice little saturday morning.
I typically bartend during the summer months and hardly get the chance to be up and at ‘em much before noon. If I do manage to get out and join her I do enjoy myself because, given my summer profession, any opportunity to socialize with people who don’t drink on a regular basis is an opportunity I like to take.
I like farmers markets, but I also like the chaos of used bookstores, consignment shops and large, locally owned video rental places.
Thanks for the lovely comments about our table. The crowds get to me too, that’s why it’s nice to be behind a table. If you can get in and out before 10 it isn’t too bad.
Best,
Geordan
I agree that I don’t like crowds but where I live there aren’t a ton of farmer’s markets, and the ones we do have are small. YAY!
When he lived in NB, my husbands favorite weekly activity was raiding the Dieppe Market of fresh breads, speciality meats and apple cider. He would get up early every Saturday morning and do this routinely, even enjoying an inexpensive, homemade breakfast there.
We spent the morning of our first date at this market, which was the perfect start to a date since it was low-key, no pressure and I was getting a glimpse into his real life, (rather than spending 100′s of $$ on dinner, which would in time, cease to happen).
Despite being the type of person who gets antsy and annoyed if someone is walking too slow infront of me, I love the Dieppe Market in NB. I find the markets here in Edmonton over-crowded and over-priced. I’m sure it’s no less crowded than the one in Dieppe, but the feel of “Home” in the Maritimes keeps my interest. I like that my husband knows some of the merchants and we can make this part our weekly routine!
Ya gotta go to Halifax Farmer’s market at 7 or 7:30….it totally rocks then!
And it is SOOO worth getting up early for.I have a friend that goes every week all year then and gets everything except a few items at grocery store there.
And when I had supper at his house last week….darn those veg tasted better than anywhere else….the fish,the beet greens…..I’m sold.Back to the market I go!
So many people don’t have a market of this calibre in their towns .We are soooo lucky.(I would never go to the market after 8 am though-no patience!)
Definitely will be less crowded at new locale, but I LOVE the nooks and crannies and character of the Brewery and am very sad about the move actually,crowded or not!Wah!
Just seeing this now! Thanks for stopping by our table and giving us this great shout out. Hopefully the new Seaport Market will relieve some of the crowd issues and still keep the market charm. I am always happy to be able to hide behind a table at peak market hours.
Cheers,
Anna