Farmers markets are essential for bringing the community together and the Esquimalt market is no exception.
This year, between April and December, the Esquimalt Farmers Market put on 24 markets at Memorial Park, 12 at the Gorge Pavilion and 13 indoor markets at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre through the fall.
In total, they hosted 155 local vendors and hosted a roster of 36 musicians and bands who played 75 performances throughout the market season.
And these are just some of the successes the Esquimalt Farmers Market has to celebrate as it closes another season. This Thursday, December 14th, marks the last market until April 2024.
“It really felt like a hub,” said Melanie Langdon-Wilkins, Executive Director of Esquimalt Farmers Market. “The market felt like it was a part of everybody’s weekly routine this year.”
“We’re seeing the same faces week after week to get their food truck dinner, sit down while kids are playing in the park and everybody’s buying their staples and shopping—it just felt like the community was really back at it in full-force.”
Langdon-Wilkins told Victoria Buzz that a couple stand out accomplishments of the 2023 market season were the uptick in nutrition coupons used by people who need affordability assistance as well as having a volunteer bring any leftover produce and other food to Victoria’s Community Fridge.
The nutrition coupons are a government funded endeavour by BC Farmers Markets, which provides coupons to individuals with low income, seniors, families and other folks who need affordability assistance.
These coupons allow those who receive them to have $27 every week through the summer to spend on nutritious, local food sources.
“We just noticed a massive increase in the use of those coupons,” she said.
“It goes to show the state of things and how food insecurity is at an all time high and having the market really helps facilitate that.”
This year, Langdon-Wilkins says that around $48,000 in coupons were given out as compared to last year’s $31,000.
With Community Fridge Victoria, a representative would be at the market weekly to gather up any vendors’ leftover food to bring to Rock Bay where people who can’t afford to eat have access to good food that would have ended up in the landfill or compost.
“Preventing food waste and making sure healthy, fresh food that’s still perfectly edible is getting to people who really need it,” Langdon-Wilkins explained.
Another highlight for the entirety of the community was this year’s triumphant return of the pie bake-off that got nixed in the COVID-19 years.
“This was the first year we brought it back,” Langdon-Wilkins told Victoria Buzz.
“People were excited, like the participation levels were huge—we had like 18 pie entries, we had three elected judges and three guest judge spots which we opened up to the public.”
She says after the contest was over the remaining slices of pie were sold by donation, with all proceeds going to Esquimalt’s Rainbow Kitchen.
The Esquimalt Farmers Market is funded in part through grants but Langdon-Wilkins says that without their generous sponsors and donations, it would not be what it is today.
For instance she says that without the sponsors they had, they may not have been able to host so many local musicians, which has elevated the atmosphere considerably.
Of all the 36 talented musical acts the market hosted, she says she had many favourites; however, local singer-songwriter, Rob Fillo stood out as a new artist she and many community members were able to discover through the market
“The first time he performed, we were just blown away,” said Langdon-Wilkins.
“Rob Fillo is really up and coming, amazing and he just put out a Christmas album actually.”
The Esquimalt Farmers Market will be back next year in April at Memorial Park, June at the Gorge Pavilion and autumn at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre.
Last Esquimalt Farmers Market of the year
- Where: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street
- When: Thursday, December 14th, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Admission: Free!
