Wanderlust and Words

Farmers’ Markets in a Time of Covid  Farmers’ markets play such a key role in connecting local farmers and producers with consumers. The National Farmers’ Union issued a letter of support for farmers’ markets and other direct sales during the Covid 19 crisis. I was thrilled to get my shipment of goodies from the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Saturday. What a great job they’re doing at transitioning into a virtual market. BC farmers’ markets are also going online, but they’re receiving government assistance . Too bad that’s not available in Saskatchewan. Some farmers’ markets are making an effort to stay open in outdoor locations. The outdoor market where I shopped in Quillan , France, has introduced a one-way circulation system with one entrance and two exits. Only 100 people can be in the market at any one time, vendors are 8 meters apart, the physical area has been disinfected, and customers are not allowed to touch the product. Moss Street Market in Victoria has asked vend

“If we want the local food system to survive, we need to buy from local producers right now. For those who have been thinking about eating more locally and have the money to do it, now is the time to try it out.” ( Marjorie Williams )  Keep Calm and Eat  Individuals and small businesses are showing so much creativity and determination in face of the rapid changes brought about by Covid-19. It’s impossible to list every effort, but here are a few. The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market has set up an online store and pickup and delivery system. There is also a province-wide list of restaurants, caterers doing home-style meals, food shops providing deliveries during the pandemic. Others are finding safe ways to provide takeout . This is very much in line with how European communities coped during the plague: “Medieval Europeans became accustomed to locking cities down in order to contain outbreaks of plague. My favourite example comes from Miquel Parets, a tanner in Barcelona, who wrot

“Spread kindness and optimism. It’s needed more than ever now.”  Local Happenings  The Fair Trade event scheduled for March 21 has been postponed. We’re All in This Together Hey! I'm heading home and will be in Saskatoon on Friday. I expect spring (and maybe the pelicans) to arrive while I'm in self-isolation. For the moment, I feel great and am grateful for all the people who have offered their support. The Covid-19 virus affects us all, but it affects some people more than others. The elderly will have an extra hard time coping during the C-19 pandemic. This article provides some excellent suggestions for helping them by buying groceries, sharing a meal, or simply phoning them to break the isolation. I’ve just made a donation to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre and The Friendship Inn on Canada Helps because I know they will be called on more than usual during the pandemic and won’t be able to fundraise. Local businesses are going to really suffer

"Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;  And give us not to think so far away  As the uncertain harvest; keep us here  All simply in the springing of the year." ( A Prayer in Spring , Robert Frost) 

Local Happenings  Say goodbye to winter from 8-11 pm , Mar. 21 , at an evening of great food, fair trade wine, and music by Vesti and Friends at The Refinery Arts and Spirit Centre. There’s a $20 suggested donation to Fair Trade Saskatoon . Chef de Partie Catering held its grand opening on Saturday, March 7, and I was intrigued by all the different (mostly local) vendors who attended and provided samples of their products. I wish I could have attended. Two of the vendors caught my eye. Given Chef de Partie's endorsement of these products, I’m curious to sample and find out more about Steven Smith Tea (Portland, Oregon) and D é lice Baked Goods (Saskatoon). Well, the outdoor square at the old location of the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative will have a new tenant this summer as the City of Saskatoon has given Street Stall Saturdays permission to expand into the space. I used to visit the SFMC at their old location almost every Saturday, but I happily gave the Stree

Local Happenings  The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative has moved into its new home at 2600 Koyl Avenue (#11 bus or free parking). Look at all that space – no more overcrowded aisles or limitations on how many vendors can move inside on cold days! Library of Things has made free cloth bags for market customers to use. Help yourself! Be sure to take a look at the murals. They are the work of a regular market customer and were carefully moved out of the old building and into the new one. Five years ago Hal Jadetske, Red Barn Dairy , bought an organic farm, built a pasteurization/processing plant, and purchased some goats. “So, retirement involves milking the goats twice a day every day and processing the milk and then off to the farmers market which I have been a part of for the last 2 ½ years. The Saskatoon Farmers Market is a wonderfully diverse group of people who all have a passion and dedication to what they bring to the market every week and along with the ma