Deb Radolla was smiling happily as she observed how busy the 13th Annual Seedy Saturday and Earlybird Farmers’ Market event was Saturday, April 30.
The event, co-organized by the Williams Lake Food Policy Council and the Cariboo Direct Farm Market Association, provides an opportunity to stock up on local seedlings and seeds, mingle with folks from the community, and share in the splendours of spring.
“Starting earlier at 9 a.m. was a good idea,” said Radolla, who is the Seedy Saturday coordinator for the Williams Lake Food Policy Council. “It was busy right away.”
Frank Wijma of Frank’s Plants and Produce in Horsefly, was also beaming and answering lots of questions from residents.
“I’ll have to write that on my hand to remind myself,” he told a woman who was asking him about horse radish.
For Wijma spring is a great time of year.
“We start early on, it’s a big production seeing more plants every day and planting more seeds,” he said.
As he expanded his arms out from his sides he continued, “the greenhouse gets fuller and fuller and then you come to this and meet the customers.”
A very popular table was manned by brothers Luc, 11, and Patric, 9, Potvin from Soda Creek who were selling Hopping Tea, which is rabbit poo water and Hopping poo which is made of rabbit manure.
“You can add directly to your plants for manure or soak in water for two or three days to be a liquid,” Luc said, adding they were also selling red wigglers and earth worms and worm kits.
They were pretty well sold out by noon.
Sienna Kalashnikoff, 10, and her cousins Amira Magnusson, 9, Ava Magnusson, 11, of Spokin Lake Road were selling flowers and vegetable plants they hard started at the beginning of February.
“We turned a back porch into a greenhouse,” they said.
For neighbours Gabby Meier a rancher and Simone Buck a potter, the COVID-19 pandemic got them interested in baking products to sell.
They both live north of Williams Lake.
Kim Wogberg, is enjoying making natural soap products at her home in McLeese Lake. Today she lives next door to the home she grew up in.
“My grandpa Doug Huston settled there,” she said.
Seedy Saturday is held once a year, while the Earlybird Farmers’ Market precedes the first official Williams Lake Farmers’ Market which will take place this Friday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. next to Kiwanis Park in the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex parking lot.
There will be more than 30 vendors at the market featuring plants, gardening gear, local food such as bread, baking, sweet treats, meats, fresh roasted coffee, artisans and crafters of all kinds, bath, body and home products and live entertainment.
news@wltribune.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter