Not even the rainfall that greeted visitors to Esquimalt Farmers Market at its official opening celebration June聽18 could dampen the community spirit E-Towners are known for.
Katrina Duwilt, the bustling outdoor market鈥檚 cheerful founder, didn鈥檛 even complain when she got drenched 鈥� twice! 鈥� from water pouring off a tent鈥檚 roof.
No wonder some market-goers jokingly wondered whether the mother-of-two鈥檚 water had broken. She鈥檚 nine months pregnant.
鈥淚鈥檓 soaking wet, like a drowned rat,鈥� said Duwilt as she and the non-profit society鈥檚 team of volunteers tended to customers, vendors and entertainers.
They included five performers with the Otesha Project, a youth-led charitable organization. The girls were on a West Coast cycling tour, using theatre to sing the praises of food security, sustainability and social justice.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking a lot about how Vancouver Island is in a drought now, so we enjoy having the rain because we don鈥檛 have to worry about water consumption so much,鈥� said Lara Hunter.
Despite the light rain, a growing crowd streamed into the market that operates Thursdays from 4:30-7:30 p.m. until Sept. 3 in Esquimalt Town Square.
鈥淚鈥檓 a grower. I like to grow stuff and I have too many raspberries,鈥� said Duwilt, who also sells her own canned pickles, when asked what motivated her.
As you approached the sea of tents tucked behind Esquimalt Municipal Hall, it didn鈥檛 take long to catch the intoxicating scent of fresh fruits and vegetables, local baked goods and dishes from food trucks such as Little Hanoi and Taco Revolution. Samples of chutney, salsa, caramelized onion mustard and relishes sold in jars labelled 鈥淧roduct of Esquimalt鈥� at Paige Robinson鈥檚 Circle Canning booth, added to the aroma.
鈥淓squimalt is my home. I live and work here,鈥� said Robinson, who ran Camille鈥檚 Restaurant for 25 years with her husband David Mincey, and now sources local fruits and vegetables for their canning kitchen.
Cowichan-based Green Fire Farm owner DeLisa Lewis said she came to Esquimalt market for a specific reason.
鈥淭his is also our first year as a farm in the Cowichan Valley, so we want to grow with the market.鈥�
At the Esquimalt Neighbourhood Urban Farmers booth, Marie Fidoe said it was the ideal location for the neighborhood co-operative.
鈥淚t鈥檚 for any of us who garden in Esquimalt,鈥� she said, showing off herb pots from the Esquimalt Garden Club. 鈥淚f we have leftovers we just come and put them in the booth.鈥�
Seedlings for fall vegetables, perennials, bales of hay and a small-scale garden designer鈥檚 products are typical items, she said.
Meanwhile, sommelier Ron Bogdonov offered samples of Averill Creek Vineyards鈥� handcrafted wines.
鈥淓squimalt鈥檚 a great place to do this,鈥� said Bogdonov as Mosaic Jazz, a band featuring Victoria Conservatory of Music students played I Got It Bad and That Ain鈥檛 Good.
鈥淚鈥檓 meeting all kinds of people who haven鈥檛 tried our wine before.鈥�
Laughter could often be heard at Cobble Hill鈥檚 Taste of Germany kiosk as jovial baker Marianne Goessl and her husband Joerg served up German pastries, cakes, strudel and cookies.
鈥淭his is one of the best markets actually,鈥� said Joerg, noting it鈥檚 the only one they do beside Duncan and Cedar. 鈥淭he people here seem really open to new things.鈥�
While E-Towner Graham Dempster鈥檚 wife Rachelle and their twin daughters were busy making felt vegetables at the Makhouse, he said they鈥檝e often visited the market since its soft opening May 21.
鈥淲e like to get cheese, and you鈥檝e got to get doughnuts and fresh veggies,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 music and it鈥檚 fun for the kids. What鈥檚 not to love?鈥�
