Two volunteers with the Cranbrook Farmer’s Market have been named Volunteers of the Year by the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets.
The BCAFM celebrated the best of B.C. with its sixth annual BC Farmers’ Market Awards at the organization’s 20th annual conference, held over the weekend at the Kimberley Conference Centre, in partnership with two local farmers’ markets: the Kimberley and the Cranbrook Farmer’s Markets.
Clarence Selden and Dion Langevin were Farmers’ Market Volunteer of the Year, recognized as “outstanding individual(s) for their work and accomplishments related to their volunteer work with a BCAFM member farmers’ market.”
The pair were among the recipients of eight awards presented at the ceremony, as the BCAFM “celebrated individuals and organizations that made outstanding contributions to the B.C.’s farmers’ market sector in 2018.”
“The award winners are perfect examples of the high standards to which farmers’ markets, market vendors, volunteers and managers hold themselves. Each has excelled at product innovation and quality, market citizenship, promoting farmers’ markets in their communities or giving to their communities in some way,” said awards judge, Bruce Fatkin.
A panel of leading professionals in the sector, including Jon Bell, farmer and former BCAFM president; Elizabeth Quinn, former BCAFM executive director; and Bruce Fatkin, former Abbotsford Farm and Craft Market manager and BCAFM board member. The judges selected the following as the best of BC farmers’ markets in 2018, from nominations received throughout the province.
Other awards included:
Farmers’ Market of the Year (Large, 61+ vendors) — Esquimalt Farmers Market
Farmers’ Market of the Year (Medium, 21-60 vendors) — Pemberton Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ Market of the Year (Small, up to 20 vendors) — Trail’s IncrEDIBLE Farmer’s Market
Farmers’ Market Manager of the Year — Miche Warwick (Rossland Mountain Market)
Farmers’ Market Vendor of the Year (farmer) —Forbes Farm (Gord and Steve Forbes, Kelowna and Penticton Farmers’ Markets )
Farmers’ Market Vendor of the Year (non-farmer)— Blackbird Bakehouse (Tanya Molle, Cranbrook, Fernie and Kimberley markets)
Partner of the Year— Kyle Goulet and Moss Street Market (Victoria).
The BCAFM is a registered society that represents over 145 farmers’ markets across BC. Its mission is to develop, promote and strengthen the capacity of farmers’ markets in all regions of the province.