After over 40 years of housing some of the greatest local art, fresh produce, and more, the Cassidy Farm Market (now known as Stray Moat Farm Market) went up in flames on October 4th.
After the fire was put out, the new owners, Whirly and Sabrina, had a devastating reality to face—the fire had engulfed the building and burnt most (if not all) of the products inside the day before their fall ‘thank you’ sale.
To subsidize costs and assist the current owners, a long-time employee at the Cassidy Farm Market has launched a GoFundMe page and urges anyone who can to donate.
The community, owners, and supporters are all devastated by this news and are hoping to do whatever is necessary in order to bring the building back to life.
“Whirly and Sabrina…are stuck with a massive loss of unique local art, produce, equipment, and many other items. That, as well as winter quickly approaching, has left them in an extremely difficult spot financially,” said GoFundMe organizer, Taelyr McLeod.
“Any money donated will first be used to pay back local artists for their lost work, and then to support their continued journey to bring real Island food to the Vancouver Island community.”
This local community hub has been running since 1979. The original owners began with a goat and hosted a market called Johnson’s Farm Market. After running the market for 22 years, they passed it onto the Fong’s.
The Fong’s took over operations as the Cassidy Farm Market and Deli until 2022—passing it onto Whirly and Sabrina, who were renting out the building from the Fong’s. Their business, the Stray Moat Farm Market, had been their continuation of this iconic market.
This was their first year running the market, bringing their passion, drive, and dedication to fresh food and locally crafted goods to the community.
Stray Moat Farm Market is entirely women owned and operated, and is also a family business. It is a nod to the coast’s beauty, the market’s legacy, and the people that have supported them.
To donate and leave words of support, you can visit the page here.
