Reward is worth the hard work for market vendors

Chestermere Farmers Market Albertans supporting Albertans Horizontal
Assistant Manager of the Alberta Greenhouse Farms, Mae Geca, selling province grown vegetables at the Chestermere Farmers Market. The Alberta Greenhouse Farms has seen an increase of consumers coming from the Calgary area to support their business. Photo by Emily Rogers

Chestermere farmers market vendors selling since day one

Chestermere Farmers Market Albertans supporting Albertans Horizontal
Assistant Manager of the Alberta Greenhouse Farms, Mae Geca, selling province grown vegetables at the Chestermere Farmers Market. The Alberta Greenhouse Farms has seen an increase of consumers coming from the Calgary area to support their business. Photo by Emily Rogers

Alberta Greenhouse Farms, a family ran business in RedCliff Alta., is providing an accessible healthy lifestyle option for Albertans in local farmers markets.

“We’ve been doing markets for over 20 years in the Calgary area,” Assistant Manager of Alberta Greenhouse Farms Mae Geca said, “We’ve been in Chestermere since day one.”

With various types of vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, and eggplants the Alberta Greenhouse Farms booth is a hit during Chestermere’s growing farmers market.

“The market is still fairly new, we want to stick with it while the market grows, some vendors go on and off,” she added, “We’re there for the season, sharing the goodness that Alberta has to offer with the community.”

For the Alberta Greenhouse Farms is it extremely important to make produce accessible to families, so the customers can afford to eat healthier.

“Now, when you go into a main store they all have organic vegetables, but the pricing is so high it’s not affordable to families,” Geca said.

“For us, lowering our pricing as much as we can make the difference for out consumers. It’s something they apricate,” she said.

The support Alberta Greenhouse Farms has received over the years makes the 4:30 a.m. wakeup call to prepare to come to the Chestermere farmers market worth it.

The day begins by getting supplies in order, including boxes, scales, tables, tents, and sandbags.

Then every box of vegetables has to be weighed, so Geca knows how much they are bringing to sell.

“Once we get to the market in less than an hour we’re set up, but behind the scenes we’ve already been working for two or three hours in advance,” said Geca.

The community prefers locally grown produce more than purchasing a vegetable that has been imported, she said, the appreciation the community shows during various markets around Calgary is what makes him continue.

“We have seen an increase in local support. We believe that people want to learn about how to eat healthier,” Geca added.

“We see loyal customers coming year after year, but we still see new faces each market. We’ve noticed people are coming from the Calgary area too, which is wonderful,” she added.

“We have seen more and more support throughout the years, which is keeping us alive. If we don’t get that support, the business would be done, terminated, killed,” she said, “You can only justify expenses for so long.”

Although the Alberta Greenhouse Farms’ mission is to teach Calgarians about the importance of purchasing produce grown in the province, there have been challenges the business has had to overcome.

This includes being exposed to the elements during farmers markets and attracting people to the market.

“The market is doing its own marketing, there is still more Chestermere as a town can be doing to better the market,” Geca said.

Every time the city of Chestermere hosts an event it feels completely separate from the market, he added, “I feel that the market should be part of the events and work together as a team and get the community aware [of the Chestermere farmers market].

“Perhaps [the farmers market] would be more successful rather than each little group doing their own thing. We should be helping each other,” she said.

Although the Alberta Greenhouse Farms plants produce by the season, if there is a request for a certain type of vegetable that’s out of season they will plant it.

“Everything is greenhouse grown, so we can manage that,” she added, “We want our customers to see that yes we are working on it.”

“We try to have our crops ready to plant something that is not in season for a customer who requests it,” she added, if people are wanting sweet peas, they will get sweet peas.

“Everything that we produce, we all do it with love, and with purpose or sharing simple as that.

It’s not always about the money it’s also about sharing that Alberta produces much more than we think all year round.”

She added, the Alberta Greenhouse Farms does receive feedback during various farmers markets that the produce tastes wonderful, and like real vegetables.

“For us, that’s the reward right there. That really makes the difference, you feel apricated that customers see your hard work,” Geca added, “The people see that you are working really hard to bring something that is quality, that is good.”

In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to Canada's local news from their platforms, Anchor Media Inc encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this site and downloading the Rogue Radio App. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to info@anchormedia.ca.

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In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, Anchor Media Inc encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this site and downloading the Rogue Radio App. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to info@anchormedia.ca


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