To market we will go

cerns about food additives and health, there seems to be a great market for natural, unprocessed foods.

“[These products] are made with fresh ingredients. There are no preserves in them. All these vendors can tell you exactly what they’ve put in their products to the point where some of them even know where they bought the cow.”

Kolson adds that the vendors and the market also follow strict health regulations, making sure food is handled properly from the very first ingredients to the final sale.

“These people are not cooking from their homes with their five cats and dogs; they are cooking in a certified kitchen. They’ve been health-approved to cook in that kitchen and they are also approved at the market site to make sure they’re doing everything safely there.”

But the buyers and merchants survive on more than just their stomachs.

Several vendors use the market to sell handcrafted products including silversmith jewelry, quilts, baby products, precious Alberta stones and handmade soaps and lotions. There are also foliage growers.

A local crafter creates Nana Banana Bags. “She makes homemade silk purses that are absolutely beautiful and are one-of-a-kind,” Kolson says.

“We also have Val Morris, a local lady who does quilts, which is a lost art.”

During its first year at the Legion location, the market saw between 1,500 and 3,500 people each Wednesday. Hoping to cash in on the welcoming environment and event-like atmosphere, Kolson says organizers would like to double the number coming through the market, which begins June 2 and runs every Wednesday until Sept. 29.

“You don’t need to drive down south to go to [another] market. You can stay in Airdrie and hit your market on Wednesday,” says Kolson, who is promoting the venue through the Think Airdrie campaign.

“Airdrie has 40,000 people in it. There’s no reason we shouldn’t see a third of them every Wednesday at their local market. When people are talking about what is there to do in Airdrie during the week, [we want] Wednesday [to be] the farmers market.” life

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