Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market Finds New Home at Quaker Foods City Square

The City of Peterborough welcomes the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market to the Quaker Foods City Square with operations every Wednesday and Saturday from May 3 to Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.

photo courtesy of the peterborough regional farmer's’ market, website.

The public square on Charlotte Street, just east of Aylmer Street, is well situated in the heart of downtown Peterborough, with convenient access to Peterborough Transit and public parking at the King Street Parkade right next to the Square. The location is linked to the active transportation network with multiple trails and bikeways leading to downtown.

“We’re thrilled to have Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market operating in Quaker Foods City Square. The market fulfills two important roles for our downtown - it provides local produce, prepared food and local artisans’ work, and perhaps more importantly it helps build a sense of community. It will be a great experience to stroll through the Square, pick up some local goodies at the market and meet up with friends and neighbours,” said Town Ward Councillors Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica. 

“We are genuinely excited for this opportunity the City of Peterborough has given us. There is an understanding as to the importance a vibrant urban market can bring to the Peterborough Downtown Core. The site is on the former location of the Wednesday market and many vendors are overjoyed to be returning to a location that had a strong and vibrant place in the city. We look forward to a great summer filled with exciting events, and wonderful seasonal products,” shared Jeff Wagner, chair of the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market.

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Couture Candy PTBO Raises $16,700 For PRHC Foundation Cancer Care

Couture Candy PTBO’s community fundraiser supporting Cancer Care is Sweet raised $16,700 for cancer care at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) announced Thursday.

PRHC Foundation staff Meghan Moloney (left) and Valerie Gagnon (left-middle) accept a cheque for $16,700 from Couture Candy PTBO owner Lisa Couture (right-middle). The cheque represents the proceeds of Couture Candy PTBO’s “Supporting Cancer is Sweet” fundraiser in support of cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Photo courtesy of PRHC.

Inspired by her many customers who come into Couture Candy PTBO looking to send a treat to someone impacted by the disease, owner Lisa Couture wanted to do something to give back to the community.

In June of 2022, she launched the Supporting Cancer Care is Sweet campaign, with a goal of $10,000. When it quickly became clear they would surpass their goal, Couture raised it to $15,000.

She says she’s blown away by the community’s response.

“We hoped we would hit our goal but to get so far past it has been absolutely amazing,” said Couture. “I am so grateful to my amazing team, the businesses who supported and the Peterborough community for believing in us and supporting this amazing ‘give back’ campaign.”

From mid-June until Oct. 3, Couture Candy PTBO donated a portion of the proceeds from over 10 of their most popular products to the campaign.

In September, Couture took Rob Conley, Lansdowne Place’s specialty leasing manager, up on their offer to donate a free month to the cause, opening a second “pop-up” location that helped drive her success.

They also collected donations, displaying names and messages from donors throughout the store and held ice cream fundraisers throughout the summer with Central Smith Creamery.

The community quickly rallied behind the cause, with friend Justin Armitage holding a haircut challenge and raising $2,125 and Whelan’s Flooring’s donation of $1,000.

Lesley Heighway, foundation president and CEO of the PHRC Foundation says they’ll help save lives by supporting state-of-the-art cancer care equipment and technology for PRHC.

“The number of patients from Peterborough and the surrounding region who rely on PRHC for cancer treatment continues to climb every year,” said Heighway. “Your donations are helping our hospital serve more cancer patients, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer, more effective treatments.”

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Peterborough Regional Farmers Market is Heading Indoors for the Season

The Peterborough Regional Farmers Market (PRFM) is folding it’s tables and moving inside for their winter market on Saturday.

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The market will be inside Peterborough Square from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday until spring.

The indoor market will feature both new and returning vendors.

“Most of our indoor vendors are people who are also outdoor vendors,” said Emily Shapiera, market administrator. “It’s still busy inside, there’s a lot of crossover.”

Shapiera points out that many farmers who sell fresh produce at the outdoor market don’t have much product to sell during the winter months, though some shift to sell produce and other products that are in season.

The winter market features vendors selling things like potatoes, apples and root vegetables as well as farmers selling meat, eggs honey and maple syrup.

The PRFM is one of the only farmers markets in Ontario that did not have to shut down throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been really amazing to continue to be open during COVID,” Shapiera said. “There’s all these local businesses that have been really struggling with what’s going on. The market is great because it’s this venue for local businesses to come and sell and it’s an easy way for the people of Peterborough to come and support local. You’re giving your money to someone in the community and it’s going back into the community - it’s a great cycle and I think it’s more important than ever these days.”

COVID-19 protocols will be followed at the indoor market.

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Downtown Peterborough Saturday Farmers’ Market Adapts To New COVID Measures

The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market (PRFM) is adapting its operations to conform with the newly introduced provincial requirements and the advice from Peterborough Public Health. 

Effective Saturday, January 2nd, 2021, the Market will strengthen measures designed to help ensure the safety of customers, vendors and volunteers, while continuing to support and promote verified local farmers and food suppliers.  

“We continue to adhere to the direction of the province and our local Heath Unit”, says Reem Ali, Chair of the PRFM Steering Committee. “We encourage all of our customers to respect social distancing and are introducing additional features to help achieve that objective.”

Under the new provincial requirements, supermarkets, convenience stores and indoor farmer’s markets are open for in-person shopping at 50 percent capacity. 

For the Downtown Saturday Market, located at Peterborough Square, this means the maximum customer capacity inside the market at any one time is 100 people. Customers lining up inside the market at a vendor, or outside the market at the entrance, must maintain a physical distance of at least two metres.

In addition to strengthening measures to facilitate physical distancing, the Market is encouraging customers to consider how they can assist, such as:

-        Limiting the number of shoppers to one person per family;

-        Placing pre-orders with vendors for simple pick-up; and

-        Shopping for others who may be isolated.

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41 Vendors Are Already In New Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market With More To Come

The new Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market will launch with a whopping 41 vendors on opening day this Saturday (June 9th) in downtown Peterborough at Citi Centre Courtyard (307 Aylmer Street), and more applications are still arriving.

The new Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market will have familiar faces and a great mix of new farmers that have never before had an opportunity to sell their products in Peterborough.

The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market will be partnering with Farm to Table Culinary Tours to produce a brand-new series of events bringing together market growers and vendors, Peterborough-area chefs and producers, and downtown businesses.

This pilot project will offer participants a unique opportunity to get to know growers/producers and explore the steps that take locally grown ingredients from the farm to the best kitchens in Peterborough.

“We’ll be taking the freshest food you can possibly get and letting our finest culinary artists have a bit of fun,” says Farm to Table owner Donald Fraser. “It’s going to be a feast for the senses and an incredible opportunity to celebrate—and taste—the very best in our food community.”

The opening day at the new Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market will have yoga workshops and other pop-up surprise events throughout the day for people to enjoy. Seven hundred free parking spots are steps away from the new market.

Below is a list of the participating vendors throughout the summer, with more to come organizers say...

McLean Berry Farm
Ashburnham Farm Gaelic Garlic
Chick-a-biddy Acres
Circle Organic
Deep Roots
Grandmas Heritage Plants
Kendal Hill Game Farm
Martins Fruit and Vegetable Farm
Nautilus Farm
PineHaven Farm
Rhyzosphere
Riel Acres Farm
Small Spade Inc.
The Back 40
The Farm on Argyle
The Manor Farm
Warner Farm
Field Sparrow Farms
G. Fenton Farms
Leahy Stock Farm
Miller Farms
Hunnabees
Linlor Farm & Forest
OtonaBee Apiary
Carolina's Colombia Coffee
A1 Gluten Free Gals
Belly of the Beast Craft Kombucha
Chef Marshall
Curry Mantra
Doo Doo's Bakery
Elixir
Finest Gourmet Fudge
Fresh Urban Plate
KitCafe
La Mesita Restaurante
Leahy Baking
Two Dishes Cookshop
Nancy Sews
Feather & Stone
Reddick Studio Porcelain
Willow Bark

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