Protected: Annual Report

BC Association of Farmers' Markets

85% (87%*)
Redemption Rate
99% (99%*)
Ate more fruits and vegetables
60% (57%*)
Eat less processed foods
67% (70%*)
Feel Healthier
59% (61%*)
Feel connected to their community
72% (70%*)
Learned how farmers’ markets impact communities
23% (22%*)
Are First Nations
$12 ($11*)
Average additional spend per market visit
Vendor Impact
1,125  
Farmers accepted coupons
$1.6M  
Direct coupon revenue to farmers
$1.0M  
Vendor revenue on top of coupon value
Household Impact
6,684  
Households received coupons
19,029  
Total People living in those households
6,591  
Children
787  
Pregnant People
1,982  
Seniors/Elders
28% (23%*)
Farmer Vendors
36% (35%*)
Prepared Food Vendors
20% (18%*)
Ready-to-eat Vendors
16% (25%*)
Artisan/Craft Vendors
Vendor Feedback
 
"We had a very good year. As we have expanded operations in 2021, it is hard to compare with prior years, but in general our sales were very strong; we sold out of our early season products (plants) sooner than in prior years." - Vendor Member
Vendor Types
 
NOTE: Vendors can sell more than one type of product
28 (68*)
Online Markets *decrease due to lifting of COVID restrictions
30 (27*)
Winter Markets
10 (9*)
Year-Round Markets
69% (70%*)
Located on Public Property
88% (86%*)
Markets with 1+ paid staff
58% (*)
Members who said sales have increased in 2021
18% (*)
Located on Private Property
76% (76%*)
Pay fees for their market space
Top 3 Products Purchased
 
Vegetables
 
Bread/Baked Goods
 
Eggs
Top 3 Products Wanted by Markets
 
Seafood
 
Meat
 
Eggs
117,839 (271,765*)
Unique pageviews
65.8% (53.7%*)
Organic website search
14.50% (14.26%*)
Returning Visitors
61.22% (58%*)
Mobile Users
21,482 (20,397*)
Facebook Followers
6,103 (5,247*)
Instagram followers
5,143 (5,084*)
Twitter Followers
Total New Visitors to Website
43,004  
New visitors

Our Mission

To support, develop and promote Farmers' Markets in British Columbia

Areas of Focus 

  • Providing education and training to market boards, managers and vendors
  • Helping promote farmers’ markets to the public and key industry stakeholders
  • Educating the public to choose healthy British Columbia grown agricultural products to
    ensure a secure food system, to reduce the carbon footprint and to ensure the viability of
    farming into the future
  • Initiating and managing research and development activities
  • Delivering a unified industry voice for all British Columbia farmers’ market

Strategic Goals

  1. Nurture a just, inclusive and sustainable food system where everyone has access to and
    benefits from BCAFM member farmers’ markets across BC.
  2. Empower farmers’ markets to be viable and resilient, solidly rooted in their community/
    region, and remain a relevant and innovative, local, direct sales channel.
  3. Ensure farmers’ markets are recognized as essential in the community and acknowledged
    as an integral part of food security, local economies and emergency response.
  4. Cherish and celebrate the uniqueness of the farmers’ markets experience and the essential
    role they play in nourishing us and bringing communities together.
  5. Support farmers markets as environmental sustainability leaders in tackling climate
    change.

Our Guiding Principles

  • Resiliency
  • Connection
  • Innovation
  • Equity, Social Justice &
    Decolonization
  • Empowerment
  • Joy & Celebration

 

Equity & Social Justice

It's clear that a resilient local food system requires acknowledgement of the intersections between local food systems, colonialism, and systemic racism. Having endured many obstacles throughout the pandemic and unprecedented extreme climate conditions, it is with dedication and commitment that we continue to align our actions and policies to prioritize equity, justice and decolonization in our work.

BCAFM's Resilient Vendors and Members

The pandemic has undoubtedly required many of us to think outside the box, and we've harvested some stories of exactly that. We are grateful for our members who shared with us their stories of resiliency, highlights, learnings, and challenges from a year of uncertainty, but also of ingenuity and perseverance.

Thank you to our key funders & Supporters

Project Funders & Supporters
City of Merritt
City of Vernon
Columbia Basin Trust
Community Futures Boundary
Community Futures East Kootenays
Destination BC
Duuo Insurance
Lower North Thompson Tourism Society
Metro Vancouver
Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries
Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural
Resource Operations and Rural
Development
Regional District of Bulkley Nechako
Shuswap Regional Economic
Development
Sunshine Coast Tourism
Thompson Okanagan Tourism
Association
Tourism Kamloops
Vancity
Visit Terrace Kermodei Tourism

2021 Conference Sponsors

Community Futures
Edible Vancouver & Wine Country
Magazine
FOODSAFE/MarketSafe
Impact Canopies Canada
IoT Farming
MarketWurks
Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries
Real Estate Foundation British Columbia
The Co-operators
The Farmers Market Pros
The Number
Vancity
Western Financial Group
WorkSafeBC

BCAFM Vendor Membership Program Sponsors

Duuo Insurance
Edible Magazine
Farm Food Drink
Impact Canopies
Local Line
West Coast Seeds
Western Financial

 

Thank you to our members!

For our 134 member farmers’ markets and
339 vendor members, 2021 continued to be
a struggle for all those involved in our sector.
With the continuation of the pandemic, raging
wildfires, heat dome and floods our farmers’
market organizers and vendors were given
insurmountable challenges to overcome.
Through hard work and dedication, we, as a
sector, rose to the challenge again and again.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW FARMERS’
MARKET MEMBERS IN 2022

Thompson Okanagan:
Kweseltken Farmers’ and Artisan Market,
Tk’emlúps (Kamloops)
Naramata Slow Market, citxws paqelqyn
(Naramata)
District Wine Village Night Market, Syilx of the
Okanagan Nation (Oliver)
Lower Nicola Community Farmers Market,
Nłeʔkepmxc Nation (Lower Nicola)

Metro Vancouver:
Nikkei Farmers Market, hənq̓ ə̓ minə̓ m and ̓
Sḵwxwú7mesh people (Burnaby) ̱
Southlands Tsawwassen Farmers Market,
Scəwa̓ θən (Tsawwassen)
Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands:
Sooke Night Market, T’sou-ke Nation (Sooke)
Gambier Island Farmers Market, Chá7elkwnech
(Gambier Island)

Fraser Valley:
The Eco Market, Ts’elxwéyeqw (Chilliwack)
The Downtown Chilliwack Farmers Market,
Ts’elxwéyeqw (Chilliwack)

Thank you to our staff

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Vickey Brown
James Gates
Kate Mclaughlin
Patricia Hollister
Greg Unger
John Byrnes
Martin Krell
Nicole Moorehead
Wylie Bystedt

STAFF

Heather O’Hara
Melissa Maltais
Jasmine Noble
Meredith Schaab
Peter Leblanc
Tahlia Murdoch
Monica Grover
Manal Sid Ahmed
Livia Lara
Jutta Schoenhardt
Jeni Côté
Lily Brogan

Continue the Conversation

info@bcfarmersmarket.org

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