Strike out to find the food behind the Foothills
by
Rachel Boekel
It’s a no-brainer that after a long Rocky Mountain winter (snow fell in June this year, if you recall!), everyone is ready for a taste of summer. A good appetite can come from the first 20C day, the smoky waft of the first BBQ, or a trip around one of many local summer markets.
Albertans are a lucky bunch. As part of an agriculturally oriented province, we have a lot to look forward to in visiting local farmers’ markets. Always bursting with seasonal treats such as tomatoes, lettuce, blackberries, strawberries and carrots, there are enough ingredients to fill a BBQ skewer and concoct a huge fresh fruit salad.
U-pick farms are another appreciable alternative to the grocery store stop. Depending on the time of the year, several farms in the area offer berry picking, spud digging and vegetable plucking. U-picking is a superb way to get in touch with where your food is coming from, when it’s produced and how it gets to your table.
Brilliantly strung out in great proximity to the Bow Valley, there are several farmers’ markets worth mentioning. If you’re on a mission to pick your own makings, there are u-pick farms nearby for your hunt for tantalizing treats for your palate.
Millarville Market, somewhat of a local tradition, is an outdoor market situated an hour and a half southeast of Canmore on Hwy 22. As southern Alberta’s largest outdoor farmer’s market, it’s brimming with the best local agricultural products, artisan wares and homemade treats. The old world experience is a deserving outing for a sunny Saturday morning.
Stalls upon stalls of fine art, pottery, homemade sausage, certified organic produce and much, much more make for a unique shopping experience. Adding to the weekly event is an eclectic mix of local talent producing live background music as you peruse honeys, jams and even ostrich meat.
Definitely worth a visit is the Bacchae spices stall, where Sam Bacchus will have your taste buds dancing with the smells of her personally concocted spice medleys. Equally delightful are the cow horn jewelry sold through Southern Winds Handicraft, and the samples ladled up at Route 40 Soup Company, which sells its famous soups from the award-winning restaurant in Turner Valley.
The market opens its gates Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and closes at noon. For the freshest produce, best meat cuts and biggest selection you’re doing yourself a favour by getting there early. Count on spending a couple hours there to fully enjoy all of the merchants’ treats and artisan crafts.
While the Millarville Market is still a go if it’s raining, another wonderful and always dry shopping stop can be found at the Calgary Farmers’ Market in Calgary.
Proudly open Fridays through Sundays year round because “chickens still lay eggs, bakers still bake and we still eat,” The Calgary Farmers’ Market hosts a variety of Alberta pedlars, sharing their hard produced treats with an eager and appreciative crowd.
The Calgary Farmers’ Market has a variety that will make your mouth water. The selection of vegetables is plentiful and stalls sell all sorts of steaks, sausages and even seafood. The fish market, which is tucked away in the back, is stocked full of fresh sea creatures, and their selection is rich. Wandering up and down the bustling aisle, samples are offered at nearly every kiosk and you’ll end up satisfyingly full on anything from soup, cookies and even Chinese dim sum.
Located at H6, 4421 Quesnay Wood Drive S, Calgary, in the old Hanger 6 at the Currie Barracks, the market used to house Canadian Air Force aircrafts. Its high ceilings and spaciousness makes for a perfect historic place to enjoy a weekend market.
Vendors for the Route 40 Soup Company ladle up samples at the Millarville Market.
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A young marketeer, Payton Smith, gets cozy in a Timothy Twig chair at the Millarville Market.
Closer to town, Glen’s Fruit Truck arrives in Canmore on Thursdays during the summer and is eagerly anticipated after the last snowfall. Bringing to town the best of B.C fruits and vegetables, it’s elbow to elbow for the freshest corn, ripest blackberries and leafiest greens. In a town shadowed by the mountains, the locals know a good thing when they see it. Located in the parking lot north of 7th street between 6th and 7th avenue, is where you’ll find Glen.
U-picking, a fun way to collect your own fruits and veggies, is becoming an increasingly popular activity in Alberta. Farms all over the province produce rows upon rows of dark red strawberries, blue saskatoons or mud caked carrots, anxiously waiting to stain your hands under a high summer sun. While the harvest is still under cultivation, the picking season for most fruit begins in early to mid July. Serviceberry Farms, located in Strathmore is a popular plucking ground. Known primarily for their four rotating strawberry fields, they also harvest potatoes, carrots, peas, beets and saskatoon berries.
Pickers can expect to top up their baskets with the freshest produce. It’s important to remember your own pails if you have them and bring sunscreen and water to maintain your picking stamina throughout your day. U-picking is a great way to get down and dirty and appreciate the growth of some of the best food around. Mind your back as you bend over to gently dig or pick your next meal.
Alberta is a plentiful province, and after a long winter, one of the best ways to get the most out of the season is to enjoy our fresh food and seasonal specialties. I hope you too find that the Farmers Markets and U-pick farms are an ideal way to spend a sunny day and the best place to find ingredients for a big summer BBQ.
If You Go:
More info for planning your farmers’ market and u-pick visits can be found by following the links:
Millarville Market: www.millarville-ab.com
Calgary Farmers’ Market: www.calgaryfarmersmarket.ca
ServiceBerry Farms: www.serviceberryfarms.com/index.html
Alberta Farm Fresh: www.albertafarmfresh.com
Making the most of your experience at a farmers' market
- Take cash. Banking machines often aren’t readily available at most farmers' markets and many market vendors do not take cheques or credit cards.
- Put the cooler and ice packs in the car, to keep your purchases fresh.
- Take a basket or your own grocery bags.
- Bring a wagon or cart on wheels to carry all the items that you buy at the farmers' market.
- Leave pets at home as most markets do not allow animals because of food safety and health regulations.
- Shop early in the day for the best variety of produce and products.
- Walk the entire market before you make any purchases to check out prices and the variety of products offered.
- Buy heavy items like produce at the end of your market visit.
Adapted from Alberta Agriculture and Food and the Alberta Farmers’ Market Association.
Rachel Boekel is a traveling photojournalist with roots in Canmore. She has a healthy look about her that says she gets lots of fresh air, exercise and u-picked Alberta summer produce.
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