Taking produce to the people

Strawberries sold during the Steveston Salmon Festival were the trial balloon for a new idea first floated two years ago to bring the produce to the people who need it most.

On Monday from 2 to 5 p.m., in Richmond Hospital’s lobby beside the Starbucks stand, Richmond Food Security Task Force organizer Arzeena Hamir will see if the idea flies.

“There are a lot of people who want local food, but they don’t have either the means, like transportation, or they just don’t have the time to go around to all the farms.” on Steveston Highway and No. 6 Road, and collect local foods.”

So instead, Hamir, a local argologist who sits on the Richmond Poverty Response Committee, wants to bring locally-grown fruits and vegetables to the people in a walk-up location that doesn’t require people to drive.

As well, she wants to give backyard gardeners an opportunity to sell their excess produce, whether it’s zuchinnis, tomatoes or herbs.

“We though there must be a...way of bringing food into the city centre where people are.”

Inspiration for the Richmond Pocket Market came from Victoria, where for the past couple of years organizers from the group FoodRoots (www.foodroots.ca) has operated 11 markets.

Last February, Hamir went to see first hand how the Victoria pocket market operates, and then sat down with the Richmond Food Bank to see if her group could borrow the food bank’s cooler and van for the market.

It was then a matter of picking the right location.

“The hospital came up as a venue because so many health professionals are there, and it’s a great locations in terms of traffic. But also, across the street, you have all those people in apartments and most of them new immigrants, and in that neighbourhood, there are very few fresh food retail outlets.”

For the month of July, the Richmond Hospital will be the place to be on Mondays to pick up fresh produce.

Those who don’t live near the hospital have an alternate location: St. Alban’s Church parking lot every Thursday in July and August from 2 to 5 p.m.

It’s not a well serviced area in terms of having a “walkable distance food outlet,” she said.

The market will sell fresh vegetables and fruits, and all will be either B.C. or Richmond grown.

“We trying as much as we can to accomodate Richmond produce and we hope as the season progresses, we get more...backyard gardeners. We’re inviting them to drop off washed vegetables, their herbs, their flowers and we’ll sell it on their behalf.”

Processed or baked goods will not be available until after the event has been licenced through the health board.

Hamir considers this year to be a pilot year, where organizers can determine the volume of demand.

She’d also like to sell honey and eggs, but the group requires a different health-department licence for that.

“If we get a great response in terms of consumer acceptance and sales, I think that will help us to push for...getting more and more products at each of the markets.”

Though Hamir said a lot will be learned during next week’s pocket market, she said expansion is definitely being mulled over.

“We’re also very open to if any businesses think that they would have enough sales to have a market in their lobby or in their parking lot, or even churches, mosques, places of worship.

“We’re open to trying a number of locations,” she said.

During Tuesday’s Salmon Fest, strawberries proved to be a hit.

“We almost sold out of strawberries, so that was great..”

Hamir said she’s been getting great feedback from the public on the idea.

For the month of August, Richmond Hospital’s pocket market will switch to Tuesdays, from 2 to 5 p.m., while the Thursday market at St. Alban’s church will remain unchanged for August.

Unlike the Steveston Farmers Market, the pocket market won’t require farmers to take the day off to sell their own goods.

The market will be staffed by paid workers, with funding for salaries coming from Enterprising Non-Profits—a non-profit group that helps other non-profits to start community enterprises—and a grant from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

Fruits and vegetables that don’t sell will be given to the Richmond Food Bank for distribution to needy local individuals and families.

For more information about the Richmond Pocket Market, call 604-727-9728 or e-mail richmondpocketmarket@gmail.com.

Richmond Pocket Market

• sells locally-grown fruits and vegetables

• will purchase crops of hobby farmers

• held every Monday in July and switching to Tuesdays in August from 2 to 5 p.m. in Richmond Hospital’s lobby

• held every Thursday in July and August at St. Alban’0s Church parking lot from 2 to 5 p.m.