The ThunderBlogs

Beneath a leafy canopy, a single table, draped in a red plastic tablecloth, plays host to stacks of ripe produce in vibrant splashes of orange, red, purple and yellow.

Mismatched baskets holding farm-fresh fruits and veggies jostle for space, as residents stroll to and from the Kitsilano Pocket Market, filling up bags with potatoes, peppers and plums.

Rising high above the pocket market at 2325 West Seventh Ave is the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Twin windows, featuring panels of coloured glass in earthy shades of blue, green and yellow, peer out of the building’s stately brown brick facade. Wood-paneled doors framed by a carved, dark-wood arch invite community members up the stairs and inside.

Today, however, the focus was outside, on the Kitsilano Pocket Market’s last day operating at Kits House, one of its two homes.

Spring Gillard, one of the market’s organizers, said it all started because of a study conducted in 2007 by Vancouver Coastal Health that found malnutrition was a serious problem on the Westside, especially for low-income seniors.

“We actually discovered some seniors going hungry because there’s no grocery [stores],” she said.

At the market’s other location, on South Granville, Gillard said the only grocery store in the area sold high-end gourmet products, but skimped on the basics.

“The idea of a pocket market is it’s smaller, you can key into really targeted centres,” she said.

Ron Wolfson is a local senior and a regular customer at the pocket market. For today’s market, he rode his scooter to Kits House, his dog Sasha in tow.

Wolfson said he likes the market because it offers a good selection of organic produce at fair prices. He compared it to a farmers market held every Sunday in Kitsilano, which he said is less affordable for him.

Though it has been popular, with approximately 50 people attending each one, the market’s future is uncertain. Organizers have to evaluate the project and determine if there’s a way to create a sustainable business model, said Gillard.

“We’re trying to pay farmers a fair price, but we’re also trying to make it affordable,” she said. “We’re walking a very fine line.”

The project piloted last summer with two test markets. This summer, organizers held 12.

There will be one more market at the South Granville Seniors’ Centre this Friday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., officially wrapping up the season.