The ThunderBlogs

Andrea Potter stood in front of a row of gleaming jars filled with small green cucumbers.  She used her fingers to push down the cucumbers as she poured salty water over them.  Elsewhere on the table, a tall beige pot held freshly shredded cabbage and apple, a mixture that will become sauerkraut after a few weeks of fermentation.  A bright pink mixture of red and green cabbage showcased the final product of the process, giving off a pleasantly light pickled scent.

Potter is a holistic nutritionist and chef.  On Saturday, she was staffing a booth at Trout Lake farmer’s market.  She was invited to the event to show people how to preserve food using the lacto-fermentation process, rather than canning or pickling their produce.  Shoppers at the market stopped by Potter’s booth to ask questions and share stories of their own attempts at food preservation.

Potter’s booth was just one of the many activities and vendors at Saturday’s market.  Under another awning, market goers swapped cookbooks with each other.  Musicians entertained shoppers in the shade of a tall tree at the centre of the market.

At the far end of the line of white, blue and green tents, a small purple trailer was surrounded by hungry people queuing for large buckwheat crepes with fillings such as pesto, Vancouver-island brie and locally grown salad greens.  Another trailer served lattes and iced coffees, which people sipped as they browsed through the abundance of fresh local fruit and vegetables.

According to manager Anita Georgy, fall is one of the best seasons to visit the market.  She eagerly described the variety of produce available, noting that local cranberries and hazelnuts had just arrived that day.  For Georgy, markets are important because they serve as a bridge between the people who grow food and those who eat it.  She noted that the number of customers at the market is increasing and many people bring their children with them.

Perhaps one of the biggest draws of the market is the chance to be in touch with the seasons and support the local economy.  Vancouver residents can meet their local farmers and craftspeople at Trout Lake Saturday markets until Thanksgiving.