SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - It’s a buzzing scene on a Saturday morning with smiling people moving elbow to elbow while shopping at the Summerside Farmers Market, located in the heart of downtown, for seasonal farm produce like blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.
Snapped up quickly are honey, meat, eggs, bread and cheese too. Then there are a variety of vendors selling handmade crafts, dining options, games, as well as a play area for the kids. The shopping experience is not only convenient, fun and interactive, but there’s a sense of pride and community.
And as a new chapter turned, after a decade of serving the community, one of the founders Arthur Davies reflects on how it all began from humble beginnings.
“Arnold Croken called me one day and said, ‘I hear you’re looking for a space for a market, well come on down to the Holman building.’ We talked about ideas and I began to think this could work. He asked how many vendors my wife Tina and I had, so I kind of fibbed and said 20, when we actually had four.
“He believed we could make it work with that number, so we came home and started phoning everyone we knew until we got 20 committed names. We worked out the arrangements for the space and the market was started in July 2008,” explained Davies.
A decade later the farmers market has more than 40 vendors, with 10 original booths still operating.
“At the beginning I never saw anything but a successful market, but the first three years were really tough. We managed to iron out all the kinks and over time grow and mature. Now we have something that we never had at the beginning, which is a market culture.”
Davies said market culture is a sense of loyalty and respect.
“I had a guy come in this morning and tell me that he only buys his food from here. If the market doesn’t have it, he goes without. He comes here all year round and said, ‘look at me.’ He looked like a bodybuilder. I thought it’s because the produce here is fresh and healthy and that’s what we’re about.”
From humble beginnings with a handful of people, the market now attracts a constant flow of loyal customers.
“I’ve been really pleased with the progress over the 10 years. We’ve been able to bring more people downtown who wouldn’t normally be in this part on a Saturday. Other stores are also doing better because of the market. I believe we are a valuable asset to Summerside,” he concluded.
