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The Almond Tree Farmer’s Market: Paving the way for eco-friendly produce
Kaieteur News – The Almond Tree Farmer’s Market is a market place developed to create a lively community space for the commerce of homegrown, organic, recycled, repurposed, eco-friendly and handcrafted products that are beneficial for the earth and community. The main organizer is Diane Sinclair, a local entrepreneur who stated that it will run for four Saturdays beginning November 14, with market hours being 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, both indoors and outdoors.
Sinclair said the market allows both vendors and customers to learn, teach, build relationships, earn, and see what creative things are happening in their community with the Christmas season approaching.
It will also provide vendors who have suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic with an opportunity to expand their customer base and earn their much-needed income in time for the holidays. Customers will be given the chance to support local small businesses, access fresh produce and locally made handcrafted gift ideas.
The organizer stressed that all COVID-19 protocols will be observed, adding that she feels encouraged that restrictions have recently been adjusted to include the opening of markets.
Speaking further on the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizer stressed that it was because of the lockdown and how it adversely affected small businesses that she decided to host the farmers market. She said that there are too many sad stories out there of families who were unable to earn during much of the year and she encountered too many people suffering from depression because their sense of purpose, of contribution, and their livelihoods were severely affected by the lockdown.
Since she had an empty building that was forced to close after the business that was previously operating shut down because of the lockdown, she decided to use the vacant space to host the market.
She also stressed that a farmer’s market should be considered an essential service as it allows people access to healthy foods and produces; it helps the members of her community who are suffering from the loss of income and by extension mental health issues a chance to feel a sense of purpose again. “If we are going to talk about illness, we have to talk about building immunity. A sense of community is an integral part of our health,” she said.
Sinclair boasted that it will be a farmer’s market with a difference since one of its expressed motives is to broaden the conversation on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, building immunity, and taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits even while we talk of mask-wearing, social distancing and sanitizing.
At the farmer’s market, four stall spaces free of charge have been set aside for children between the ages of 8 to 14 years old who, during the lockdown created products and produce that they wish to market and sell to the public. This is part of the market’s EEE Programme –Encouraging Early Entrepreneurship according to Sinclair.
There will also be live music by local musicians, Gavin Mendonca along with drummer Chucky, and Sinclair is encouraging budding musicians to drop by during the market hours if they wish to showcase their talent.
If you wish to get on board at the farmer’s market, contact can be made at 697-2463 or 623-7240, but the organizer made it important to note that spaces are going fast and the deadline for submission of applications is Friday, October 16.
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