Photo: Sicamous Farmers' Market facebook

The Sicamous Farmers’ Market was transformed from having trouble finding vendors to winning an award and nearly selling out in only a year under new leadership.

At the March 12 Sicamous committee of the whole meeting, Deb Heap, who took over organization of the farmers’ market at the beginning of 2024, gave council an update on the Sicamous Farmers’ Market.

Heap told council the Sicamous Farmers Market was awarded the best medium-sized market at the 2024 BC Farmers’ Market Awards.

Sicamous was nominated in the medium sized category along with six other communities, including Pender Island, Comox Valley and Williams Lake.

“Everything was going to the island, and I was going, 'Oh yeah, we don't have a chance,' and then they announced us,” Heap said. “That was kind of cool. We get a banner, I have to figure out where to put it.”

She said vendor tables at this year’s market have been largely filled up, and most vendors have full paid in advance.

“I'm looking for ways to make a little bit less work for me, because it was a bit of a nightmare last year,” Heap said.

Heap is also the head of the Sicamous’s Communities in Bloom efforts, as well as the organizer of the annual Sicamous Fungi Festival.

“We've tripled the number of vendors,” Heap said. “We're going to add a couple of markets this year, and I'm pretty optimistic that we're going to just keep building on that.”

She said along with the success in attendance and attracting vendors, she is looking to expand participation in the provincial farmers’ market nutrition coupon program.

The provincial program offers seniors and low-income families coupons to spend on produce at local farmers’ markets in their area.

“I've been talking to the resource centre about how we can capture more of the nutrition coupon program money,” Heap said.

She noted last year, $9,000 came to Sicamous and only $2,000 was spent at the market, but she expects to secure more of these funds as the market is "doing some things a bit differently this year."

“If we can get, notionally, around $14,000 coming into low income families in Sicamous for free produce and beef and certain things it’s great,” she said.

“And if we can actually get that to our farmers that are in our market, then I don't think we'll ever have a problem getting farmers in our market again, because historically, that's been a problem.”

Councillors in attendance thanked Heap for all of her hard work on the farmers’ market and around the community.

“Thank you, Deb, this is crazy,” said Coun. Siobhan Rich. “A buddy of mine runs the Qualicum Farmers Market, which is one of the best ones in Canada, and she phoned me up, and she was like, 'Look at you guys go.'

“Just incredible what you've done in a year, and looking forward to spending more money on Fridays."

Coun. Ian Baillie agreed that Heap has accomplished a lot in one year.

“I mean, having an award after the first year is pretty incredible, I just want to tip my hat to you,” he said.

Baillie said he saw a "pretty dramatic difference" last year.

“That's because of your incredible work and everybody else that had a hand in it,” he added. “It certainly created a nice vibe down there.”

The Sicamous Farmers’ Market runs on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Sicamous Royal Canadian Legion at 322 Main St.

The first market of the season will be the themed Morel Market on Friday, May 23.

Photo: Sicamous Farmers' Market facebook