The Lac La Biche Farmers’ Market will be celebrating 40 years when it opens this Friday. There won’ t be much pomp and ceremony to mark the occasion, says organizer Bev Tkachuk, who’ s taken over managing the market in the last several years.
The Lac La Biche Farmers’ Market will be celebrating 40 years when it opens this Friday.
There won’ t be much pomp and ceremony to mark the occasion, says organizer Bev Tkachuk, who’ s taken over managing the market in the last several years. This year will be like every other, she says, with vendors selling their wares and visitors knowing that what they’ re buying is fresh and locally made.
“It’ s a place for home producers to bring their product and sell it in a safe environment where everything is regulated,” Tkachuk said. “Everybody wants to eat healthier and live better. When you’ re buying from your neighbour or your friend...you know what you’ re getting. You get quality.”
The market really took root in the Lac La Biche community in 1975, she says. Before that, a group of vendors sold their goods in the shade of the Centennial Arena, which has since been demolished.
“In order to get grant money, they became an official market,” said Tkachuk. The grant dollars were used to build a pavilion, which still stands in the Pow Wow Days festival grounds.
For the first 20 years, the market was run by the local Horticultural Society. In 1995, the Agricultural Society took it over and in 2005, the market relocated to the Lakeland Agricom, where it’ s held weekly in the spring, summer and fall to this day.
Like the fruits and vegetables on offer, the market has ripened since it was founded, Tkachuk says.
“Back then, they had seven to 10, maybe 12, vendors throughout the year,” she said. “In the last two years, we’ ve had over 100 vendors throughout the season. Our range is huge, too. We’ ve had vendors from as far away as Peace River and down to Vermilion and Vegreville. We’ re getting to be known as one of the busiest rural markets.”
This year, Tkachuk and the vendors are hoping more people will be drawn to the market by a trio of new highway signs on the major approaches to Lac La Biche, sponsored by Sand Springs Ranch, ATB Financial and the local Ag. Society.
The market will be open from 3-5:30 p.m. this Friday, March 27, at the Lakeland Agricom.
