Name: Evergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market
Location: The Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave.
Date & Time: Saturdays, 9-1
# of booths: 65
Contact: Website
The Brick Works farmers’ market isn’t just a market for veggies and fruit; it’s designed to be a family-oriented outing, complete with puppy in tow. With kids’ eco-craft programming every week, prepared food vendors and the ravines to explore, this market doesn’t fall short of things to keep one interested.
With around 65 vendors, the market caters to crafters, bakers, masseuses and other independent businesses as well as farmers and butchers. The market has 55% of their vendors as farmers and the rest are like-minded community organizations, a rotating schedule of about a dozen crafters and prepared foods such as organic hot dogs, organic French fries, crepes, honey, Koslicks mustard and even organic dog food.
Arlene Stein, programming director for Evergreen, says that she hopes the market becomes well-rounded to the point that it can be a one-stop shop for groceries. There are currently a few gaps that they are hoping to fill, including chicken, cured meats and Ontario produced grains. Also in the future, and once the Brick Works are officially open in September, the market will no longer be seasonal. For the past four years the market has run from May to October, but starting in November there will be an indoor winter market geared at providing greenhouse farmers, or those with acceptable cold storage, a place to sell their products.
Stein says that the market is centered on the design of European markets, designed to be lively and robust. In a building that is a destination for many in the first place, entertainment is “another layer” that adds to the warm and community feeling that is created upon walking into the historic building. Buskers and musicians are welcomed at the market, upon acceptance from market staff and volunteers, and the resident violinist Alana plays upbeat tunes that fill the space.
The market tries to maintain that their 65 vendors are organic, or as close to organic as possible. For many the certification process can be arduous, but market managers and ambassadors maintain that those who aren’t certified are practicing sustainably by visiting their farms on a regular basis.
Evergreen’s huge net of volunteers is what makes the market truly successful, says Stein. They have about 20 volunteers who regularly work for the market on Saturdays, whether they are parking attendants, creating kids’ programming such as last weeks re-purposed newspaper paper-mâché, or welcome hut ambassadors explaining who Evergreen are and providing information on the site, as well as the city-owned property behind it.
The volunteers also blog, twitter and facebook about the market, creating a community outside the community and keeps people excited about what’s to come the following week. Beyond that, says Stein, they’re not in dire need of marketing. Approximately 3,000 people come through the Brick Works every Saturday and a handful of vendors sell out of product before the market even ends.
Stein adds that finally she would love to see some kind of programming for fixed income families, like farm bucks, that would help educate more of the public about the benefits of locally grown produce and introduce them to their local farmers.
3 comments
The title is “Farm Friday: Evergreen Brick Works”
but there’s also a note of “Date & Time: Saturdays, 9-1”
Most confusing! When should I attend?
I have been to the Evergreen Market a few times, and while it is a good place to go and grab some lunch (the crepes are particularly good), I think it is a long way from being “a one stop shop” for groceries. I felt that they are lacking in local produce. We went in mid June which was the peak of strawberry season, and not one person was selling them? Sure you can find yams/sweet potatoes every week, but they seem to be missing all of the wonderful seasonal fruits and vegetables and focus too heavily on prepared foods. The St. Lawrence Farmers’ market is FAR superior. The Brickworks market is very scenic, and I wanted to like it, but I will not be back anytime soon.
For George- the market is open on Saturdays. It says it is open from 9-1 but I would get there before noon. Many of the vendors run out of items quite early.
Larissa –
I’ve spoken with a few others with the same complaint about produce, but I beg to differ. I’m a big fan of Dufferin Grove market myself, but it’s further for me to get to, so I’ve been to Brickworks a few times this season. While I agree that the overall experience of Brickworks leaves a lasting impression heavier on massages and crepes (and dogs and lululemon tops) than apples and radishes, I think the problem is more to do with appearance than content. Over half the stands, after all, are farmers… they just don’t always stand out as much. After my trip there a couple weeks ago I came home with an absurd quantity and variety of seasonal fruits, greens, veggies (including wild leeks!), edible flowers, mustard, cheese, and sausages. If you or anyone else reading “want to like it”, I’d encourage giving it one more shot. Go early – especially if you want some of Sosnicki’s heirloom tomatoes – and look around; a lot of the farmers seem to be concentrated in the southern half.
That really is too bad about the strawberries, though… they’re the best thing about June in Ontario!