Creemore Farmers’ Market should not be considered a tourist attraction

OMAFRA recognized the important role that small farms play in the food chain, and on March 24, Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Ernie Hardeman announced that Farmers’ Markets selling only produce and food products were considered an essential service and could remain open with protocols in place to protect vendors and customers. Farmers’ Markets Ontario worked with Ontario Public Health to promulgate a list of best practices that markets needed to follow in planning their markets.
Markets are local economic drivers in a community and that has proven to be true again during COVID-19. Even though we had no entertainment, less visitors (understandably), less variety, only one heritage apple event that translated to less dollars spent at the market, however vendors felt the market was a success.
We are not a tourist attraction and should never be seen as that. We do appreciate the tourists that come however, our customers are local residents looking to purchase fresh, less touched, less travelled produce from local farmers that also helps reduce the carbon footprint when it comes to delivery of groceries. 
We are a place where start-up farmers and small businesses may get their first taste of direct sales. Some do very well and move on to bigger markets, or open their own store front. Creemore has launched many successful businesses from the market, thanks to our supportive community. 
Many municipalities, as they restructured their organizations this summer, realized that they needed to move farmers’ markets from their tourism portfolio to economic development. Markets are all about the small businesses in the community, many of them being farmers. Young farmers just starting out do not have the volume of products that are needed to support larger communities making the smaller communities the perfect starting point.
Creemore Farmers’ Market is a not for profit organization that is vendor led and takes the direction that the vendors feel represents their best interests. A board of directors made up of vendors and community members provides the leadership with a market manager that is responsible to do the planning and on-site management of the market days. We advocate for our local food producers so they may be successful. We also support youth in agriculture and are in the process of forming a partnership with local 4H Clubs. 
This year our market went back to its roots consisting of farmers and a few food producers. This was a requirement of operating as an essential service. For those of you who came to the market you saw very little craft, no entertainment and no socializing over a coffee. Although we all missed those parts of the market, business was still good… thanks again to all who supported us.
We listed our vendors online as well as some additional artisan vendors that wanted to come to the market but couldn’t be accommodated due to the essential vendor restrictions, or they were farmers that had sold out online prior to market. The online sales were very encouraging and profitable for many vendors. We will continue to offer this to our area farmers and to our vendors. If anyone is interested in being listed on Creemore or Mulmur farmers’ market websites, please contact Helen at 705-818-1251, creemoremarket@gmail.com or mulmurmarket@gmail.com. People doing Google searches for farmers end up on these market sites. 
Online shopping became a big part of our presentation this year however, as our customers spaced their visits to the market and did not stay long we were able to bring browsing back right from the start and it went very well. Again the thanks goes to all our considerate customers who masked up, and social distanced while making a quick trip through the market. It was not business as usual, however we hope that we served you well. 
2020 has been filled with challenges for all of us. Some things have gone well and others we will laugh about at a later date. Creemore Farmers’ Market vendors who came out and gave 100 per cent when there was so much uncertainty deserve every sale they made and then some. The one thing that has gone very well is the community that has been built around the Creemore Farmers’ Market and I feel proud to be a part of that.
The winter market, if we were allowed to use the Station On The Green, would be an extension of the summer market with farmers and food only. Strict protocols would be in place to protect all who pass through the doors. As in the summer we would require one directional flow of traffic, everyone would be wearing masks, and register for contact tracing just in case someone at the market is tested positive at a later date. 
The market would like to take this opportunity to thank Creemore Springs Brewery for being a great corporate partner to the market when the Station On The Green was closed to all events last March. When asked if we could use their parking lot they sprang into action to help us move forward. Due to COVID-19 there were many new and increased costs to do business and the market greatly appreciated getting the parking lot space for free. We could not have done it without you. 
The Creemore BIA has also been very supportive of the market and we would like to thank Laurie Severn and her group for being proactive when we needed a letter in support of the winter market. We all need our community and that has never been more evident than during COVID-19.
If you support an indoor winter market we would love to hear from you.

Helen Martin is the manager of the Creemore Farmers’ Market.