Young vendors sought for Downtown Salmon Arm Farmer’s Market opening

Salmon Arm’s downtown farmer’s market will begin this May with an opportunity for youth to sell their wares.

The market reopens in the Ross Street Plaza parking lot on May 8, and will be held Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For the opening market, held the day before Mother’s Day, organizers have partnered with Downtown Salmon Arm to include the Youth Makers Market.

“It will be an opportunity for youth to experience what it’s like being a vendor,” said organizer and Shuswap Food Action Society president Serena Caner. Youth wanting to take part are encouraged to apply with Downtown Salmon Arm.

The layout of this year’s market will be similar to last year’s, with vendors kept at a distance, designated entry and exit points and hand sanitizing stations, including one at the entrance.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, farmer’s markets are an essential service and are expected to comply with hygienic practices and physical distancing to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

With the need for social distancing, Caner explained the downtown market will be largely food focused, with a couple of new vendors coming aboard for the season, including Little Mountain Farm.

As the Ross Street Plaza stage remains unavailable for use, SASCU is sponsoring a busking tent for up to two musicians to play at during market days. Caner said this might be another way for youth to participate.

Introduced last year, market organizers will again be running the Shuswap food box program, in which people can purchase a boxes filled with a variety of items by participating vendors. The boxes may be purchased on the Downtown Salmon Arm Farmer’s Market page on localline.ca. On the same website, products can also be purchased from individual vendors. Boxes and items can be picked up on market days.

Spring Cleaning Kitchen Campaign

Committed to food security and advocacy for families to have access to quality food, the Shuswap Food Action Society (SFAS), in collaboration with the SAFE Society, has launched the Spring Cleaning Kitchen Campaign to bring useful kitchen tools to households starting over and to raise awareness about family violence.

For the campaign, residents are encourged to share small appliances and practical kitchen items they no longer use with families needing to set up their kitchen.

“If you have a good working crock pot, blender, food processor, electric frying pan, rice cooker, vegetable steamer, sturdy pots, pans or casserole dishes and lightly used or new dish clothes and towels, please consider sharing them,” reads an SFAS relese. Throughout the month of April, items can be dropped off Tuesdays, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., at the SAFE Society at 258 Shuswap Street.

For more information, contact Melanie at secretary@shuswapfood.ca