By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Community Health Centres of Northumberland is pleased to announce a third Mobile Community Food Market, opening in Colborne May 6.
This joins markets at their Port Hope location (99 Toronto Rd.) and a satellite location in Grafton that opened in January at St. Andrew’s United Church (137 Old Danforth Rd.). The Colborne location will be Mystic Avenue Yoga and Wellness Studio (24 King St. E.).
“Finally!” Community Dietitian Adam Hudson said in announcing the news.
“Opening a market in Colborne has long been on our wish list and, thanks to funding from both United Way Northumberland and a recent Ontario Trillium Fund, we are so excited to be bringing this model on the road.”
For those who have not previously attended the markets in Port Hope or Grafton, Hudson said, “the idea is pretty simple. We operate like a local farmers’ market, offering local produce, meats and HM Soups made here at the CHCN. We purchase items directly from local farmers at regular price, and then offer these items at a reduced cost for customers to help make fresh, local, nutrient-dense more affordable.”
There are three main goals for this market initiative – to support local food producers by purchasing directly from them, to make local food more accessible to more community members in Northumberland, and reduce our carbon footprint.
Each of the three community markets is open to all, with the hope that they offer something of a social hub – an opportunity for people to gather to enjoy a tea or coffee as they shop for some local goods.
And for anyone who would like to help sustain this model, and is able to, donations are gladly accepted to help organizers close the gap in subsidizing the wares.
The biweekly markets take place every other week – on Tuesdays in Grafton and on Wednesdays in Colborne.
The next Grafton markets are May 5, May 19, June 2 and June 16, and so on going forward.
The Colborne markets are on May 6, May 20, June 3 and June 17, and so on.
The time is 2 to 3 PM at both locations, and payment is accepted by cash, credit and debit.
