GO LOCAL KAKABEKA FARMERS' MARKET

Wendy O’Connor started BearHaven in 2008 as a market garden on her rural property near Murillo. Having grown up with a farming background in southwestern Ontario, O’Connor was excited to see what she could grow and develop here on the property she fell in love with. BearHaven is named for “the polite yearly spring visit of a bear, who helps to turn over my compost, leaves some fertilizer in my orchard, and then goes away,” she says. All of her produce is grown without pesticides, and she follows many organic standards. She also produces seed for Thunder Bay’s own Superior Seed Producers.

O’Connor has a long history of being involved with farmers markets, as well as coordinating them. It began down south, where her family had worked hard to develop a successfully producing fruit farm. The late ‘90s environment found it difficult to market and ship the produce, so O’Connor had the idea to use the local farmers market as a fruit outlet, and set up a Galbraith Farms stand in London, Ontario’s Covent Garden Market from 1999–2005. Once she started BearHaven here, she sold veggies at the Thunder

Bay Country Market, and then the Nolalu Market, which is now closed.

“I co-founded Kakabeka Farmers’ Market with Jacomyn Gerbrandy in 2014 as a community project, and I’ve sold veggies at KFM every year since then,” O’Connor says. “Jacomyn has since moved to lovely Halifax. I, along with others, volunteer to keep the market running. The Royal Canadian Legion Kakabeka Branch #225 has been an important partner, and very helpful to the market.”

O’Connor grows and sells root vegetables, greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, winter squash, onions, and garlic. Garlic has become a specialty and she has been increasing her garlic planting every year. In recent years she has added homemade sponge toffee and peanut brittle to her market table. Her most popular items at the market are sponge toffee, and garlic. “My favourite thing about Kakabeka Farmers’ Market is how it feels,” shs says. “The cheer, goodwill, and community spirit among the vendors, volunteers, and customers uplift me on every market day. I might float away one of these Saturdays. Can’t beat it.”

The market has more than 50% farm food vendors, which makes them a true farmers market as defined by the Ontario Food Premises Regulations. “We are quite proud of that designation. Kakabeka Farmers’ Market has become a seasonal local food hub.”