Tantramar will soon be home to another farmers market.
This Thursday evening from 5pm to 8pm, the Station 8 Farmers Market will kick off its inaugural event at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre.
“It’s been in the works for a long time,” says Brooke Mazurkewich, operations manager at the Moving Forward Cooperative in Dorchester. “We’re very excited to launch it just in time for the Sandpiper Festival this weekend.”
Mazurkewich says there’s over 20 vendors signed up to participate. “We’ve got eggs, we’ve got produce. We’re hoping to get some meat farmers lined up, so there will be a lot of fresh food,” says Mazurkewich. There’s also local artisans, including people from the Dorchester area who are just starting out. “This is kind of a way for them to dip their toes in,” says Mazurkewich.
The market will happen Thursday evenings, and will eventually be held in the new Station 8 food hub, once a major reconstruction of Station Road is completed, in about four weeks’ time. Until then, the market will take place at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre on Main Street.
Mazurkewich says the market is timed to not compete with the Sackville market on Saturdays, and to catch people on their way home from work. “It seemed to be the time that works well for a lot of people,” she says.
The Station 8 food hub features a commercial kitchen space that was completed in April, and Mazurkewich says the coop in now planning to add another space for storage at the rear. The food hub is home to the Station 8 Community Fridge, monthly teaching kitchens, and programming for food events. The space is also available to rent for community groups.
Mazurkewich says a farmers market is part of the food security focus for the coop that has grown over the last few years. “Food is obviously getting more expensive and it’s getting harder to get in the area,” says Mazurkewich, “especially for people without transportation… The community fridge has been a huge help for that, but it will be really nice to have more fresh food in the community.” The new market is also about supporting local businesses and encouraging community engagement, says Mazurkewich. “So it kind of aligns with a lot of our values.”
