Sunday, June 9, 2013

St. John's Farmers' Market - A Newbies Guide!

Last summer I made a promise to myself that I would start doing more of the things I wanted to do vs. just talking about them. The St. John's Farmers' Market fell into that category - something I always wanted to check out, but never got around to. Yesterday, I happily attended my very first St. John's Farmers' Market!

For those of you who are newbies like me, it can be a little confusing when trying to figure out where you have to go. It's located in the Lion's Club Chalet behind the parking lot of the Re/Max Centre, on Bonaventure Avenue. I will advise, parking is a bit intense - even for the calm parking lot driver - so if you suffer from parking lot rage, you may want to park across the street... or bus it, or walk ;)

We managed to snag a spot in the Re/Max parking lot, then proceeded to the lion's club after slight confusion... after seeing what looked like a few stands, plus the hula hoopers we determined we should go to the building pictured below. So I repeat for newbies, it's NOT in the Re/Max Centre, it's in the building that says 'Lion's Park'.

As you can imagine, she's a little packed on the inside, but not unbearable - you can also escape out the back door for more vendors and some fresh air! There's everything from handmade soaps, to crafts, to artwork and lots and lots of food - the wonderful aroma of tastiness smacks you in the face at the door and it's AWESOME!




There were jams and chutneys from Serendipity that included a whole slew of flavours such as Screech Marmalade, Red Pepper Jelly, Wild Blueberry Jelly, Iceberg Melting Chutney and Blueberry Daiquiri to name a few. There were also a few samples available to taste.

Flavours L-R: Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chip, Orange Chocolate, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate and Coffee Toffee.


And let's not forget about this place, Lynette's Crazy Good Fudge... next time I go back I'm definitely opting for the 6 pieces for $10 because this fudge truly is Crazy Good!!! Good Lord! I want them all!


There were 'Gluten-Free Treasures' that I didn't sample, but looked amazing. This booth was pretty busy at all times as well!

And then there were these pre-packaged soup mixes from The Blue Box Pantry with instructions listed on the back. Such a great idea!

So on top of the pre-made and pre-packaged food available, there was also hot fresh food from a variety of vendors including The Waffle Lady (I'll be seeing you on my next visit) and Adam’s Mini Donuts - another vendor I'll be seeing next time!



The Waffle lady offers up freshly made waffles with a variety of toppings and whip! They smelled and looked sooo good!



The menu at the Multi Ethnic Food booth - gotta try this next time too!

Tasty Indian!


My delicious feed! Meat Combo with Butter chicken, chickpeas, rice and naan, plus a yummy veg samosa!

As for actual farmers at the Farmers' Market, it seemed the majority of them were located out the back door. We were at the market roughly between 11:00-12:00 and by that time, it seemed as though a lot of the produce had sold out. However, there were still plenty of vegetable plants, herbs and flowers available - Oliver's Farm was also selling meat out of their truck. 

Again, there is so much delicious grub it's hard to pick and choose! Apparently the next time I go I'm gonnabe eating my way through waffles, jerk chicken, more fudge, more Indian food, and let's not forget the mini donuts! Should be a time!

So in conclusion, my first experience was a good one! Check out our haul below. Definitely looking forward to going back again! Next time we'll likely go earlier to get our hands on some veggies! If you're interested in hitting them up, be sure to follow them on facebook to receive all the important updates! :)

Blueberry Daiquiri Jam from Serendipity, Orange Chocolate and Rocky Road Fudge from Lynette's Crazy Good Fudge and some really fun items from the Geek Keepers! A cupcake ring for me (love) and this cute gift for a gaming friend!

6 comments:

  1. Missed going for my first time last Saturday, but hoping to made this Saturday my first time at the market.

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    1. Definitely something to experience :) So much deliciousness to choose from! Make sure you get some fudge! ;)

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  2. So Glad you enjoyed the market! It's the highlight of my week! :)
    And thank you for stopping by our table, The Geek Keepers!

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    1. Loved your table!! So many awesome things!:)

      I follow a youtube channel called Nerdy Nummies, if you haven't heard of it, you should definitely check it out. The host makes a lot of the same items as your jewellery and soaps, but with food!! :)

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  3. I enjoyed reading your entry. The Blueberry Daquiri looks delish! Here's my last-year's entry (new one coming soon). http://jennabarnable.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/5-fave-finds-at-the-farmers-market/ Hope to see you there next time :)

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    1. The jam IS delish! I've had it a few times now and would definitely revisit Serendipity. I'm intrigued by the Iceberg Melting Chutney and Wild Blueberry Jelly... those may be my next purchases! ;) In the meantime, had a read through your post and it sounds as though you're a Framers' Market veteran! :)

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