The Market will re-open January 11th, 2020 at 9am
Holiday Dates 2019
Press Release: New Glasgow Farmers Market Launches Food Bucks Pilot Project in Pictou County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2019
Press Release: New Glasgow Farmers Market Launches Food Bucks Pilot Project in Pictou County
The New Glasgow Farmers Market (NGFM) is thrilled to announce our participation in the launch of a province-wide project to increase food security and support households in need across Nova Scotia. The NGFM is working with the Farmers Markets of Nova Scotia and four other member markets on the project named the Nourishing Communities Food Bucks Pilot Study. We are working with local partner organization, Kids First to issue “food bucks”, an anonymous alternative currency that can be redeemed at any vendor stall at the NGFM. This pilot project is built upon successful programming in British Columbia and an expansion of work done for three seasons at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market and a previous season at the New Glasgow Farmers’ Market.
“The New Glasgow Farmers Market is proud to participate in the Nourishing Communities Program. Making a positive impact on overall health and well-being in our community and increasing access to local food and goods is at the core of our organization. To be able to expand on this goal in such a meaningful way is very rewarding for us”, comments Kristi Russell, Market Manager of the New Glasgow Farmers Market.
Michelle Ward, Executive Director says “Partnering with the New Glasgow Farmers Market has been such a great experience for our organization and families in our community. Families are embraced as part of the Farmer’s Market family and treated with such respect. They have told us so many positive outcomes from their experiences and we are pleased to continue to be a part of this program”.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to explore just how big of an impact a farmers’ market can have for its community”, says Justin Cantafio, Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia (FMNS) Cooperative. “Farmers’ Markets are so much more than a once-a-week shopping destination. They’re social, cultural, and economic hubs and anchors in their communities.”
This project is made possible thanks to generous funding and support provided by Communities, Culture and Heritage Nova Scotia, who have indicated that a successful pilot project may mean an opportunity to expand to even more markets next year. Thanks also goes to the Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia who has organized and made this opportunity possible.
Participating partner organizations will select participants in need who will benefit from reduced food insecurity and increased social inclusion. As recently as 2014, over 15% of Nova Scotians experienced food insecurity, including 22% of children, and food bank use has been steadily increasing in Nova Scotia . A 2015 study found that Nova Scotia’s food insecurity rates were the highest in all of Canada , and seniors are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity , with 19.7% of Nova Scotian women over 65 and 14.7% of Nova Scotian men over 65 living in low-income households .
The Nourishing Communities Food Bucks Pilot Study will:
• Contribute to systematically overcoming Nova Scotia’s high rates of food insecurity;
• Provide much needed opportunities for social and community engagement for people experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and social isolation throughout Nova Scotia, and;
• Support the production and availability of locally grown and produced foods.
The Nourishing Communities Food Bucks Pilot Study has three principal objectives:
1. To provide financial support to those in need to access healthy food;
2. To provide an experience that supports physical, mental, and community health;
3. To support local producers and farmers in developing a robust food system in Nova Scotia.
Dinner by the River 2019
GET TICKETS HERE!
Here it is! Our summer farm to table event that you’ve been waiting for!
Tables and sparkling trees will line the beautiful New Glasgow Riverfront and guests will enjoy a farm to table meal in an all local experience!
You will enjoy an elegant three course meal made possible by your local producers paired with Nova Scotia wines while listening to the jazz stylings of Men About Town. After dinner, dance the night away under the stars with Mike & the MacPhersons.
A cash bar stocked with Nova Scotia wines, spirits from Nova Scotia Spirit Co. and craft beer will be available.
Tickets will be $85 and will also include a ride home with CHAD transit.
Tickets are limited and will go on sale online only June 4th at 9am. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the Market on June 8th.
**Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated but you must let us know 2 week prior to the event. After you purchase tickets, contact us at events@ngfarmmarket.com
Guests must be 19+
Atlantic Arts & Appetites
We have so many talented artisans in our part of the country. No matter where you travel around Atlantic Canada, there is always something that makes every place uniquely and beautifully its own. Besides our amazing people, it’s part of our charm.
This summer, we want to celebrate our inspiring artisans and of course, no celebration is complete without food and music. Atlantic Arts & Appetites will bring the very best of those together during a special weeknight showcase.
Visitors and locals will discover inspiring Maritime Artisans, enjoy the smells and tastes of delicious foods and listen to talented local musicians combined to make a perfect local mid-summer night experience.
There are only 3 dates, Wednesday June 26, July 17 and August 21, from 4 until 8pm.
If you are interested in becoming a featured exhibitor, you can apply online HERE. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@ngfarmmarket.com .
We are looking for a Community Board Member
The New Glasgow Farmers Market is recruiting a new Community Board Member.
The NGFM is a non-profit co-operative serving Pictou County, Nova Scotia. We are open every Saturday 9am until 1pm, year-round.
We are home to more than 70 local farmers, food producers and artisans. We provide home-grown local produce and meats, baked goods, food to eat on site & take away, and a wide variety of high-quality local art & crafts. Our mandate is to support local growers and producers by providing a low risk venue that will help promote their products.
The Board of Directors of the New Glasgow Farmers Market is currently expanding the Board by one community member. Individuals applying should have a specific skill set to provide leadership, expertise and insights to compliment the performance and operation of the New Glasgow Farmers Market.
We are looking for individuals that have a background in or passion for farming, agriculture, supporting local, familiarity with the farmers market sector or healthy living. Business and/or financial acumen is an asset. If this sounds like you, please consider joining us to assist us with our goals of providing local food and products to residents and visitors and educating the public on the economic, social and health benefits of supporting local producers and agriculture as well as increasing community engagement of the NGFM in Pictou County.
In addition to the specific skill set, we are looking for individuals who reside in Pictou County, are passionate about farmers markets, entrepreneurship, local food, food security, small business, are community leaders, have experience on governance boards and are willing to commit their time and expertise to the Board and the Market Manager of the New Glasgow Farmers Market on a volunteer basis.
If interested, please forward a letter summarizing why you are interested in serving on the Board and a resume highlighting your relevant experience and education. Business ties, personal contacts with current or prospective vendors or any other potential conflicts of interest should also be identified. Deadline for applications is noon, Tuesday April 16th, 2019 and should be submitted by e-mail to board@ngfarmmarket.com.
Request for Proposal
Deadline is April 30th, 2019.
As we approach our 2019 summer season, we are one again place the Dome Kitchen up for tender. Please see below for information and criteria.
Proposals and any questions should be e-mailed to the Market Manager, Kristi at ngfarmmarket@gmail.com
Better Late than Never!
We normally do our year in review in January. You know, when people are supposed to do them. However, maybe that’s a new resolution for next year!
We wanted to let you know what we’ve been up to and what our plans are for the upcoming year.
2018
We began the year with Chill Out, getting ready for the Winter Carnival season. Spring was a challenge for many of our farmers. We had a super late killing frost in June and crops across the province were lost. Some numbers say that up to 80% of provincial wild blueberry crops were lost. Many other crops were damaged and the growing season cut short. For the consumer, that meant a little less variety and shortened supply. We had hoped that we might be fortunate enough for a longer, warmer season at the end of the year, but unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t see it it that way and before we knew it, winter made its appearance again.
Programs
Raise the Barn
We announced our plans to Raise the Barn. We are are still working on getting a ballpark on costs which is why you haven’t heard a whole lot more on this yet. As this is a non-traditional build and we are building on the existing dome foot print, there are costs associated with taking down and re-installing electrical and plumbing, dismantling the dome etc. Once we have those costs, we can start looking for grants and kick fundraising into high gear. Vendors have donated/raised over $1200 themselves already!
healthy living program
Thanks to the Aberdeen Health Foundation, we were able to complete one of our goals of making local more accessible in our community. With help from our friends and partners over at Kids First, ten families were given $100 per month to spend at the Market for seven months. The program just wrapped up in January and we are pleased to say that it was very successful. Look for our final report on that coming soon. It is our goal to be able to run the program again this year and we are working hard behind the scenes to expand it.
THe Giving garden
The Giving Garden has morphed into an educations space. We were able to have some local camps come by as well as a youth group from the YMCA. We were able to talk about how food is grown and have an open conversation around food, the importance of the local food chain and more. They were all great kids and we are always so happy to see how engaged and interested they are in their food and where it comes from and happy to help them re-frame how they think about food.
school and Community engagement
One of the things we love the most is engaging with our youth and community. We have spoken at several local schools of varying ages. We have covered topics such as why local is important, where we fit in out food supply system, agriculture, entrepreneurship and more. We love engaging wherever we can and are always open to attending events and speaking about how the Market works and the importance supporting local has to our local economy with real life examples. If you would like us to get involved on a specific topic for your school, group or event, you are more than welcome to contact us at ngfarmmarket@gmail.com .
Friends of the Market
We had some great friends join us this past year. We welcomed yoga at the Market, a reading by Author Sarah Butland and our friends from the New Glasgow Library held a very special pop-up library where guests could even pick up their own card! The YMCA visited us often and brought Y on the Move to host activities for the kids and highlight their upcoming programs. We are very thankful to have had these activities at the Market. We look forward to hosting some more unique workshops. If you are with an organization and would like to join us with an activity, please e-mail us at ngfarmmarket@gmail.com
Events
Events are vital to our sustainability. In addition to table fees, fundraising is part of our operational revenue. It also allows us to contribute to programs like the Healthy Living Program and maintain the Giving Garden. We like to try new and different things and of course, we like to have fun!
In 2018, we hosted a Luau, the All Hallow’s Ball for Halloween and ended the season with our first event Winter Wonderland Gala. Everything was farm to table with as much as possible purchased from our farmers and food vendors and each event was highlighted with some of our amazing local musicians.
Our events compliment our other fundraising initiatives like our monthly 50/50 draws, and our annual Mother’s Day and Christmas baskets.
Keep an eye out for our 2019 events, coming soon!
Improvements
Heaters
As we mentioned earlier, our fundraising helps us to make improvements to the Market. These are funded solely with Market funds and sometimes grants. Past improvements have included new appliances, upgrades to fixtures, the Market kitchen and more. There are always little ones that happen throughout the year that you may not notice, but we have two notable ones for 2018.
This year, one of the big things was our brand new heaters. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks the Municipality of Pictou County for contributing $2500 towards these heaters. The remaining $12,000+ was fully paid for by the Market with funds that have been raised and saved over the last years. These heaters are a bit of a game changer for us. Not only did it make the shoulder season in November-December much more pleasant for shoppers and vendors, it means for the first time ever, we will be opening the dome early, beginning March 2nd this year! We have vendors waiting in the wings to join us and we cannot accommodate them because we can’t house them all in the Market building.
Even better, the heaters can be re-used in the barn and then we will have two year round buildings so we don’t have to turn would-be vendors away.
marketwurks
Another improvement we’ve made that is noticeable from all aspects is the addition of a comprehensive software designed specifically for Farmers Markets. This program is being used all across North America and we were one of the the first (if not, the first) Market in Nova Scotia to use this program.
This system allows vendors to apply online, provides for more effective organization and planning and streamlines the application process for users. From a customer viewpoint, you are able to see a real time listing of 2019 vendors and even a Market Map to give you an idea of who is where at the Market on a given Saturday. You can also find vendor profiles and contact information along with their dates of scheduled attendance.
Our partners at MarketWurks and their team of stellar software engineers are always working on making changes and adding improvements to make it a better experience for markets, vendors and patrons.
2019
What’s happening in 2019?
atlantic arts & appetites
We are pleased to introduce a new mini-series of weeknight Markets focused on Artisans and Food called Atlantic Arts & Appetites. This is aimed at giving residents and visitors to the area snapshot of local products and music. In addition to local vendors, we are opening this up to anyone across the Maritimes for these special Markets. These market will take place from 4-8pm and are currently set for June 26, July 17 and August 21. Watch for more information. If you are interested in becoming a vendor for this series, you can apply online, just pick the Atlantic Arts & Appetites dates: APPLY HERE
If you are attending only these dates, your sign-up fee is waived
Events & Fundraising
This year we will have our annual Mother’s Day Basket and Christmas Basket as well as our monthly 50/50.
We will have 2 events this year. We will have a summer Farm to Table event, details are still to be confirmed. We are also happy to announce that our Winter Wonderland Gala returns with the Kilted Chef on December 7th, 2019. We’ll keep you posted!
We look forward to an exciting 2019, stay tuned!
See you at the Market!
Market Holiday Hours
Here are the Holiday Hours for the Market for the rest of 2018. The final Market of 2018 will be Wednesday, December 19th from 4-8pm. We will then take a short break and re-open for 2019 on January 12th at 9am when we celebrate with the Town of New Glasgow’s Chill Out Event to kick off the winter carnival season.
Winter Wonderland Gala
We have often been asked if we would do a Christmas/holiday dinner where guests could wear their finest formal wear and we decided this year would be a great time to do just that!
On December 1st, the Market building will be turned into a magical Winter Wonderland, so beautiful and elegant, you won’t even know it was the same place you shopped at just a few hours earlier!
As part of the Winter Wonderland experience, guests will be treated to an elegant, three course farm to table meal created with ingredients sourced from our very own vendors. Your meal will be paired with a choice of fine red or white wine from Market vendor Sainte Famille Wines.
Following the dinner, you can dance the night away with Pictou County’s own Rabbit Town Blues band. Swing and blues music will keep you dancing into the wee hours of the evening.
We’re also doing our part to make sure all of our guests get home safely with CHAD Transit. They will take you anywhere in Pictou County, it’s all a part of your ticket.
All of this and at the same time you are helping us to Raise the Barn and expand our ability to accommodate all of our vendors year round and make the Market an extra special gathering place!
We are thrilled to offer this event with the support of Select Nova Scotia and the Farmers Markets of Nova Scotia. We would also like to thank Pantry Kitchen Catering and Rocklin Parties for supporting local and helping us to make this event a magical experience!
Tickets are $85 person and the quantity of tickets is very limited. As such, tickets will go on sale online only at 9am Thursday, November 1st. Any remaining tickets will then be available at the Market on November 3rd.
You can purchase your tickets by clicking the button below. We suggest bookmarking it for Thursday morning.
We can accommodate most dietary restrictions, however all requests must be made in advance by November 24th (this includes any vegetarian meals)
We look forward to being your hosts for this very special event!
Cannabis at the Market
We have been getting some questions at the Market for a while now about how Cannabis will affect the Market. The short answer is, it won’t.
Now that cannabis is legal, we thought it was a good time to answer some frequently asked questions. We figured this was the best way to address them.
Can I light up at the Market?
No. As with open alcohol and tobacco smoking, smoking cannabis in or near the Market will not be permitted. Visitors that light up will be asked to butt out. Those that are asked to butt out are expected to comply.
Will you have edibles at the Market?
No. Edibles are not currently included in the current legalization and will not be available at the Market.
Will I be able to light up at Market events?
No. The Market is on municipal property and the buildings are also municipal. As was the case before, we are bound by Municipal by-laws (as well as Provincial and Federal, of course).
Please understand that this is an unprecedented road we are headed down in our country and it is bound to be a bumpy one. As laws and by-laws change, the Market will respond accordingly and we will keep you posted.
We appreciate your co-operation and understanding as we continue to keep the Market an enjoyable place for all.
Please make sure you are also up to date on Federal, Provincial and Municipal laws around cannabis.
More Information:
Federal:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/laws-regulations.html
Provincial:
https://novascotia.ca/cannabis/laws/