SOUTHERN GEORGIAN BAY LIVING To Market We Go

To Market We Go:

The Owen Sound Farmers’ Market

BY ANDREW HIND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF OWEN SOUND FARMERS’ MARKET

Originally an open-air market, it’s been indoors since 1936. Until recently.

Richard J. Thomas is a hard man to pin down. He’s a man of many hats – city councilor, videographer, and author of local history books and the acclaimed D.B. Murphy mystery novels – so he’s always on the go. But Thomas will always take time out of his schedule to chat about the Owen Sound & District Farmers’ Market.

An enthusiastic patron ever since moving to Owen Sound 30 years ago, Thomas currently sits as Market Manager and is passionate about the market and its role in the community. “The Farmers’ Market is a real asset to Owen Sound, an economic driver, and it has been for almost as long as the town has existed - the Farmers’ Market has been in continuous business for 176 years,” he explains.

Originally, the market was open-air, but it’s been indoors since 1936, occupying the historic and endlessly charming circa 1868 Waterworks Building. While browsing from vendor to vendor, take a moment to notice the rustic market tables – original to the market when it moved indoors, they speak to the history of this community institution.

Vendors sell more than just fruit and vegetables. There is maple syrup, baked goods, and all manner of artistry, from textiles and paintings to pottery and soap.

Of course, the real stars of the show are the goods for sale. Food vendors include bakers, butchers, fish (Howell’s Fish is the longest-serving vendor), and locally grown vegetables and fruit. You won’t find apples and peaches like these in regular grocery stores. Supermarkets select their fruit for shelf life and uniformity over flavour, and most are imported from overseas. You’ll taste the difference.

Owen Sound’s artistic community is well-represented as well. Here you’ll find everything from textiles and paintings to pottery, jewelry, beeswax, cards, soap, books, knitting and crocheting.

Thomas notes that Owen Sound & District Farmers’ Market Association had to be creative and flexible in Covid-plagued 2020 to ensure the market’s streak of years in continuous operation didn’t stop at 174.

“We were closed for months, during which time food vendors transitioned to farm gate sales to stay afloat. We assisted them by launching an online presence and webstore, becoming something of a virtual market,” Thomas explains. “We’ve had to be adaptive since then as well. The pandemic forced us to become an outdoor market again, at least in fair weather. The challenge came in the winter when we had to return indoors. Restrictions limited us to only 20 vendors at a time, so for the six weeks before Christmas - an important time for vendors - we did Double Market Days, with food vendors until noon and craft vendors in the afternoon. We anticipate doing that again this year as well.”

Locals have long embraced the Market, but an increasing number of cottagers and tourists are as well. In years past, it was unusual to reach 1,000 patrons on market day. This year, the market has seen that number every week. Word is getting out: the Owen Sound & District Farmers’ Market is something special.

The Farmers Market has been a part of Owen Sound for 176 years, selling fresh local producer. “If we’ve learned anything from Covid,” says Richard J. Thomas, Manager of the Owen Sound & District Farmers’ Market. “we learned the importance of fresh, local food sources.” The Market delivers.

Thomas knows the reason for the recent success: “If we’ve learned anything from Covid,” he says, “we’ve learned the importance of fresh, local food sources.”

Hours: 8-12:30 Saturdays (except during Double Market Days) Location: 88 8th Street East, Owen Sound, Ontario (behind Owen Sound City Hall) Phone: 519 371 3433 owensoundfarmersmarket.ca

The Grist Mill is a lively public gathering place open to the public four days a week where guests have a drink, enjoy food from pop-up caterers, and listen to live music.

The Grist Mill

in Consecon PEC

BY ANDREW HIND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE GRIST MILL

Equal parts charming history and warm hospitality, the Grist Mill is a bar and event venue like no other in Prince Edward County.

Prince Edward County, with its appealing old-fashioned feel, scenic shorelines, and bucolic scenes of apple orchards and country lanes, exerts a nostalgic pull. Combine these elements with award-winning wineries and excellent food and it’s easy to see why people are increasingly concluding that the County is the ideal place to exchange wedding vows.

The Grist Mill, a characterful Consecon bar that hosts weddings and events, encompasses the best of Prince Edward County – an impressive historic structure (as the name implies, a former grist mill) set in a sleepy village with charming views overlooking a gurgling stream. It’s postcard picture perfect. And yet, there’s a liveliness to the building – thanks to the sunny disposition of owner Brittiny Blodgett and her funky interior design aesthetics - that reminds us the Grist Mill is as much a part of the present as the past.

“At its core the building is wonderfully rustic and charming, but I added a modern, eclectic vibe inside to make it a funky space ideal for the events I like to host,” says Blodgett, a professional wedding planner and mom to a three-year-old daughter.

Blodgett remembers falling in love with the building the moment she saw it.

As the name implies, The Grist Mill was an operational grist mill built in 1932 - the third mill to stand on the site dating back to 1808. Brittiny Blodgett (not pictured above) recognized a gaping hole in Prince Edward County’s cultural scene and aims to fill it. “I want The Grist Mill to be a safe place for queer people to congregate, socialize and enjoy drag events,” she explains.

“I came upon it by accident,” she recalls. “At the time, I was looking for a workspace where I could collaborate with other wedding planners and save the cost of rent, but the realtor showed me the mill and I was smitten. I always wanted a wedding venue because that’s what I do, and I instantly knew that it would serve as both a great social gathering spot and a cool place for weddings. It has tons of character.” That character is owed to the building’s rich history.

A grist mill has stood on this spot, anchoring the village, since 1808. The original mill burned to the ground in 1882. A replacement burned as well, gutted in 1931. Rebuilt once more, it’s this third mill that Blodgett assumed just before Covid hit in March, 2020.

The pandemic has been a challenge, costing Blodgett her first summer. “It gave me a lot of time to renovate,” she says philosophically. “I’ve always been a designer, so I did a lot of the interior work myself. The mill still has history, but I modernized the building with warm colours, neon signs, wallpaper and funky décor so that it’s now fun and lively.”

The Grist Mill is a lively public gathering place. “We’re open to the public four days a week where guests have a drink, enjoy food from pop-up caterers, and listen to live music,” she explains.

Blodgett recognized a gaping hole in Prince Edward County’s cultural scene and aims to fill it. “I also want it to be a safe place for queer people to congregate, socialise and enjoy drag events,” she explains. “As someone who is queer, I knew it was badly needed.” The building is also available to rent for workshops or photoshoots and, of course, Blodgett offers the building up for weddings. Though the mill’s loft is cavernous, Blodgett prefers small, intimate functions, so limits guests to 60.

With vision and flair, Brittiny Blodgett has revived the Grist Mill to ensure it remains an anchor in Consecon.

The Grist Mill is a characterful, charming location for weddings. Brittiny Blodgett, an experienced wedding planner, prefers small, intimate functions, so limits guests to 60.

thegristmill.ca 9 Division Blvd, Consecon, Ontario @the_grist_mill thegristmillpec@gmail.com 613 876 4656