I hope,  dear readers, you grow not weary of my market stories. Farmers’ markets have become such a part of my world , they are slices of life, of drama and of humanity.  The dreadful frost last June,  as an example, kicked the stuffing out of many of our farmers, wineries and Christmas tree growers.  Successful, hard-working folks at the top of the manure pile were blind-sided and suffered serious losses long after most of us had forgotten about it. 

A Christmas Day storm a couple years ago took down greenhouses like  beach umbrellas – the effects – long lasting and costly. Will  these farmers continue to show up  at market?  You wanna bet they will.  I am not sure if market folks are just ornery or don’t know how and when to quit but they rarely give up or give in.

I look around at my markets and see former engineers, chartered accountants, film-makers,  and IT guys,  peddling apples, mushrooms, coffee, kefir and dreams.  Often, they have given up good steady jobs and salaries to follow their passion. I shake my head but I understand the motivation.  Debt, I know for a fact, is more effective than any alarm clock.  

Sure, there are a few hobbyists  among the group – the ones the Frenchman likes to say are “playing house” but most of the sellers are paying their mortgages, possibly employees and turning what they love to do into a full-time career with a benefits package of early mornings, old and often unreliable vehicles and a boatload of worry. That being said, a more generous lot of people you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere.  Helping each other out is a prerequisite to joining a  market family; the kindness, the shared angst , the love of local and real food and the appreciation of the customers who line up week after week to shop, make this a life like no other and one which I feel privileged to be a part of.

Did you know that Nova Scotia has more farmers markets per capita than any Canadian province. Think about that and rejoice !