A slightly rainy day last Sunday sent out the last Steveston Farmer’s Market of 2017 with a splash. Despite the soggy surroundings the market was booming with local people, eager to get their hands on fresh produce while they still had the chance. The band lifted our spirits with their sunny songs and a great time was had by all.
The market is over but that doesn’t mean that the fresh produce is gone. It’s harvest time and we have a bounty of beautiful vegetables coming out of the ground. Beets, squashes, carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes are all here in abundance. Among the squashes is the prized Delicada Squash. This little beauty has a thin rind that is actually edible – taking away a lot of the pain of preparing squash. Combine this with its sweet flavour and you have a winter squash lover’s dream.
Thanks to our amazing volunteers we also have a huge variety of products made from produce grown on our farm. A dedicated team of young farmers have provided us with a delicious assortment of pickled goodies including garlic scapes, carrots, beans and beets. Our Tuesday and Thursday volunteers have made the best dried herb mixes I have ever tasted. The flavour is really strong and makes everything from roasted meat to spaghetti sauce taste amazing. They have also made a variety of non-edible products such as bath salts scented with Rosemary and Lavender, and lip balms made with beeswax from our sustainably kept bee apiary.
Speaking of bees we also have lots of incredible raw honey. Unlike most store bought honey, we don’t process it, meaning that it retains all its health benefits and flavour. It’s multi floral, coming from nectar all over the farm. We also take great care of our bees - we believe in sustainable bee keeping and protecting pollinators so we will never extract if it could be harmful to our winged friends.
Finally, we still have some garlic left! Whether you want it for eating fresh or to plant for your own garlic crop next year, we can help you! Varieties include Musica, Red Russian and Italian Softneck.
We have just opened our online store at www.sharingfarm.ca/shop where you can buy all this and much more. Pick up will be from the farm on Thursdays, 3pm-6pm. You will also find us at the Richmond Harvest Festival on September 30th. Buying from us is not only delicious but will also help support our charitable work. Over 70% of everything we grow is donated to the Richmond Food Bank and community meal programs in Richmond. Happy Harvest!
Sarah Drewery is the Executive Director of the Sharing Farm
The Sharing Farm is a non-profit farm in Terra Nova Park, which grows food to donate to the food bank and community meal programs in Richmond.
