It’s the Comox Valley Farmers’ Markets 30th Birthday!

Please come out and join us rain or shine for cake and celebrations on Saturday April 30th at 10:30 AM and help us celebrate 30 years of bringing local food to local folks.

Over the last 30 years the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market has played a key role in incubating food production; growing farmers and food processors by providing them an affordable venue for selling and marketing their product direct to customers.

Hundreds of farmers, fishers, food processors and bakers have developed their businesses through the market and 10’s of thousands of lucky customers have had the opportunity to support them by purchasing, tasting and giving feedback on their products. We have grown a local food movement that is the envy of urban centers (and their Farmers’ Markets) all over BC.

Voted ‘Market of the Year: Large Market’ in 2014 (Saturday Market) and ‘Market of the Year: Small Market’ in 2019 (Cumberland Market) by the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, we have earned the respect of our peers by staying true to our Associations mandate to: Promote the economic health of the local farm and food community, provide quality locally grown farm products, educate the community in agricultural issues, and promote local agriculture. We are a food and farm market, and all our vendors must make, bake, grow, raise and wild harvest their products in the Comox or Strathcona Regional districts.

In 1992 ours non-profit Association was created, and 7 farmers gathered on the ‘market field’ at the Exhibition Grounds, to sell their produce to a few customers. I wonder if they had any idea how far it would go? Each year we now welcome almost 100 vendors to our markets and thousands of customers every week.
Now a year-round Saturday Market, and two additional weekly markets (Downtown Courtenay on Wednesdays and Cumberland on Sundays) in peak harvest season, we are bringing fresh healthy whole food to the people of the Comox Valley and beyond. We’ve developed partnerships with local musicians, local businesses, the North Vancouver Island Chef’s Association, we invite community groups and non -profits in each week to educate/inform/promote their projects and events.

The Association is also giving out annual ‘New Farmer Bursaries’ to support new farmers in their first years of production. We also participate in two Nutrition Coupon Programs that provide access to vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, dairy, cut herbs, meat and fish to families and seniors in need.
We could not have made it this far without the support of our community, customers Comox Valley businesses and local government. We look forward to bringing you many more years of fresh, delicious and nutritionus local food.

Come help us celebrate!