UBC FARM MARKET OPEN FOR THE SEASON
(Directly From the press release)
It's finally that time of year again - the first market of the season is this Saturday, June 23rd!
What: the UBC Farm Market - selling local, organically-grown produce from Vancouver's only remaining working farm
When: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, every Saturday through October
Where: at the UBC Farm, 6182 South Campus Road (see
http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/contact.php for directions)
The cold, rainy spring weather has been hard on local farmers this season, and crops are a few weeks behind where they were last year. We're at a bit of a climatic disadvantage here at the farm compared to the rest of the Fraser Vally, but in spite of this, things are picking up and we'll have some real treats for you this Saturday! Our strawberry season is almost in full swing and they look gorgeous, not to mention their great taste. Look for lots of greens at the market, it's that time of season - salad mix, lettuce, chard and turnip greens are all making appearances.
Love garlic? You're in luck - we'll harvest some early to provide you with green garlic, which can be used much like green onions - tops and all. And it's also time for
garlic scapes, the funky, curly tops of a garlic plant. Great raw or stir fried, with the taste of garlic but less bite, don't miss this early season crop! Another specialty we'll have for a limited time are pea shoots, which are the young tips of pea plants. With their light, sweet pea flavour, pea shoots are common in Chinese cuisine. Best consumed as soon as possible after harvesting, we have the freshest around! And don't overlook the radishes and pac choi - it's their time to shine. Thanks for supporting us as we gear up for another exciting season!
Market details: Parking: We ask that customers please park outside the farm gate or along South Campus Road. As parking space is limited, it's even better if you can carpool, bus, bike or walk to the farm!
Shopping baskets: We do not currently have shopping baskets available for use, so if you plan on carrying a lot of produce, consider bringing your own bags/baskets to aid you in your shopping. Keep your eyes open in the next few weeks for UBC Farm canvas bags to make an appearnce at the market.
PlasTax: Inspired by vendors at other farmers' markets, we are implementing a 5 cent tax on each plastic produce bag used. (these are the clear plastic roll-bags we're talking about, NOT the recycled grocery bags we have available at the tills). This initiative is an attempt to reduce our consumption of plastic and lessen the ecological footprint of our market. We realize these bags are handy and even necessary for some items, so once you've acquired a few, we encourage you to bring them back and reuse them and let our cashiers know this. Thanks for your support in this effort!
Eggs: Egg quantities are limited (the hens can only produce so much!) and so we will continue our limit of one dozen eggs per family to be fair to all those who come and wait in line early to get eggs. Many other items are also limited in quantity and we recommend you come early to the market so you have a wider variety to choose from.
Lineups: The demand for some items is such that line-ups during the first hour of the market seem to be inevitable. We realize these line-ups are inconvenient, and we are trying to attend to customers as quickly as possible. We greatly appreciate your patience with this matter!
Payment information: Although we prefer cash, we will accept cheques and Visa or Mastercard for purchases over $40. Sorry, we aren't able to process Interac transactions. Many vendors only accept cash, so make sure you are prepared for the day!
UBC Farm produce available this week: Baby Swiss chard
Garlic scapes
Green garlic
Lettuce heads
Pac choi
Pea shoots
Radishes
Salad mix
Strawberries
Turnip greens
Assorted herbs (basil, mint, savory, lovage, licorice mint)
Eggs
Other BC organic produce we'll have:
Crimini brown button mushrooms from Richmond Specialty Mushrooms, Aldergrove
Green and red butter lettuce from Meyers Farms, Aldergrove
White nugget potatoes from Fraserland Farms, Delta
Also at the market:Moody Bees will be back with their honey products including local honey, soap and beeswax lip balm
Baked goods: "Seeds of Plenty" whole foods products are 100% unrefined and made for maximum digestibility. Our products go Beyond Organic as we use the highest quality organic ingredients that are prepared in way that will nourish your body as well as your soul.
Granola King products - including Gourmet Granola, Omega Mix, Almond Butter and Hazelnut Butter.
The Mayan Garden group, with produce from their demonstration garden at the UBC Farm and traditional Mayan weavings. Don't miss their talk at 11:00!
Music will be provided for your enjoyment by Abby & Don, who will play their musical boquet of contemporary and traditional folk, a little alt-country, and a little swing.
Please support our vendors and musicians
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2) Mayan presentation at market
The Mayan group will be at the markets again this season, and at our first market this Saturday, they will be giving a talk at 11:00 about their traditional vegetables and weavings. Don't miss this unique learning opportunity!
3) Student project exploring the nutrition of local, seasonal foods
As part of a second year class in Food, Nutrition and Health, three students have conducted a project, identifying tasty, kitchen-tested recipes that employ UBC Farm produce, and analyzing the nutrient breakdown of each. The students have produced recipe cards for Market customers, which contain the full recipe on one side, and the nutritional analysis on the other. Look for these recipes throughout the summer and fall on the produce stands.
This Saturday the students will be conducting a customer response survey to assess the desirability of increased nutritional information at the Markets, and are asking for your feedback. The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete - look for them at the table with the nutrition poster!
4) Winter Gardening Presentation, June 23rd, 4:30-6pm, in the Farm Centre
Dr. Linda Gilkeson of Saltspring Island is joining us this Saturday to present on her area of expertise - Winter Gardening on the coast of BC. There is still room left for this interesting and super relevant topic. Please email Sarah B. if you would like to register: ubcfarm.interns@gmail.com. Registration is by donation for UBC Farm volunteers, and $10 for the general public.
Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm
t: 604.822.5092
f: 604.822.6839
ubcfarm.market@gmail.com
http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/ 