Fresh, Local + In Season: How BCAFM Is Challenging British Columbians To Support Local This Summer

With farmers’ markets blooming across the province, the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) has launched a new 5-step summer challenge to help British Columbians turn good intentions into action. Through their Tasting Passport App, the initiative encourages locals and tourists alike to shop, explore, and connect with the small businesses, growers, and makers that define BC’s food culture. In this Q&A, we chat with Melissa Maltais, BCAFM’s Membership & Programs Manager, about the inspiration behind the campaign, the evolving role of farmers’ markets, and how small actions can make a big impact. —Noa Nichol

What inspired the creation of the 5-step summer challenge, and how do you hope it will deepen people’s connection to BC’s farmers’ markets?We were inspired to create the 5-step summer challenge back in March when the tariff’s were being announced. We saw online how everyone was excited to try to shop local more and to see what we grow in BC. Often times a barrier to going to the farmers’ market can be because it’s only on a certain day or time, we wanted this challenge to inspire community members to invest not only their spending dollars but the time to go and meet their farmers and shop at a BC Farmers’ Market.

Each step in the challenge encourages simple yet meaningful action. Which of the five steps do you think has the biggest impact—and why?Planning your visits! When you download the Tasting Passport app you have a chance to set your goal for how many farmers’ markets you’d like to go to this summer. If you start making it a habit to shop from farmers’ markets and local producers then that action will trickle down into having the biggest impact. It all starts with making the plan and starting those shopping habits!

How has the BC Farmers’ Market Tasting Passport App helped enhance the visitor experience and community engagement?Yes! It’s so exciting to work with our tourism partners across the province. We really want to highlight all the wonderful things to “Taste and Do” around the Province. Culinary tourism has a large target audience and if we can showcase the best farmers’ markets, restaurants and drinking establishments in communities around the province then we can tailor those visitor experiences to delighting their tastebuds. Also personally I really like the “get directions” button in the app that helps me find the market faster. So simple!

For someone new to farmers’ markets, what makes shopping at a BCAFM member market different from buying local in a grocery store?The variety! Did you know there are literally hundreds of tomato varieties? How many do you see at your local grocery store? 3 or maybe 4. You have the chance to buy the tastiest, nutritious food found in our Province AND speak directly to the people involved in growing it. To me that is super exciting. I can talk to the tomato vendors for hours. Also, anyone that sells strawberries, this early crop literally tastes like sunshine.

With over 145 member markets, what are some standout vendors or new additions you’re especially excited about this season?There are so many! Some of the standout vendors we are seeing are those who have a deeply personal story to go along with their product. Like Alfajores By Griselda at the James Bay Farmers’ Market on Vancouver Island. Alfajores By Griselda was born out of the pandemic when she was missing that connection to her friends and family. So she decided to start making sweet desserts that she spent her childhood making with her grandmother. Now she gets to share them with her community!Lil’ Inksters at the Haney Farmers’ Market in Maple Ridge saw how hard it was for teens to get part time employment so they decided to create their own company, buy a tattoo printer and create temporary tattoos for folks to buy at the market. This kind of ingenuity is what farmers’ markets are all about.Also vendors who see something delicious in other parts of the world and then bring them to our Province. Pastry Love NY Cookies at the Burnaby Farmers’ Market whose journey began with the idea of bringing the authentic taste of New York cookies to the local community in Burnaby, and it has since grown into a brand dedicated to sharing joy with every bite.

The “Explore BC” step encourages travelers to add markets to their itineraries. What are some hidden-gem markets worth the detour?This is a hard one! All of our farmers’ market members are gems. I think it really depends on what kind of vacation you want to have. Do you want to do some mountain bike riding? Then Revelstoke has not one but two awesome farmers’ markets you can visit! Do you want a leisurely holiday driving up the coast then any market on our Sunshine Coast tour would be a hit. There’s two in Powell River! The Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon farmers’ markets are always popular destinations for travellers but you can also check out Ashcroft Farmers’ Market or the Armstrong Farmers’ Market too. They all have their unique qualities about them, whether they are smaller farmers’ markets with 10+ vendors or 100+ vendors they all have tasty food and warm, wonderful people.

Sustainability is a big theme this year. Can you share how the “Go Green” step supports the markets’ environmental goals?Farmers’ markets care about the environment and of course, climate change. We have seen how climate change can affect our province through wildfires and atmospheric rivers and heat domes. We’re trying to make it easier to show folks bike routes, marinas and other ways they can get to the farmers’ market that are sustainable and green! Each farmers’ market listing on the BC Farmers’ Market Trail has a section that talks about Getting There Sustainably that we just added this year. Some markets, like Campbell River Farmers’ Market even have a bike valet!

In what ways are BC farmers’ markets evolving to reflect the diverse food cultures and communities across the province?Farmers’ markets are the perfect place to launch your food business, we see a lot of culturally diverse foods at the market because it offers that safe and welcoming place to get real time feedback on your products and the opportunity to collaborate with others in your community. We see a lot of vendors who are new immigrants and refugees who are missing their tastes of home and want to share these foods with their new community. Food brings people together, it sparks conversations and excitement, it’s a great place to learn all about food beyond Canada’s borders.

What role do farmers’ markets play in strengthening local economies and small businesses beyond the summer season?In 2023 BC Farmers’ Markets did a province wide study which revealed that famers’ markets have a $232 million economic impact on their community. This includes not only vendor sales but also the spending habits of vendors and the spillover of shopping at local businesses adjacent to the farmers’ market. We’re also a great tourism draw with 17% of visitors at farmers’ markets being tourists. Farmers’ markets elevate their community by drawing in business and cultivating community.

How can readers support their local market if they can’t always attend in person?Follow them on their social media channels and subscribe to their newsletters! Tell their friends! Talk about your market finds to anyone that will listen. The majority of our membership are non-profit organizations running farmers’ markets to benefit their community. They rely heavily on the support of their community to make their markets happen. Building awareness that there is a farmers’ market nearby and that it’s an awesome place to shop from really helps! You can event point out that everything found at a BC Farmers’ Market member market is 100% make, bake, grow in BC so you never have to check the labels, we’ve done that for you.