About the Carp Farmers’ Market

A local Farmers’ Market was a concept and a dream in the mind of Hildegarde Anderson, an active resident of Carp. Ms. Anderson had fond memories of the success of farmers’ markets in her native province of Saskatchewan. She decided that a prairie-style farmers’ market would provide the agricultural community and the residents of Carp many kinds of social and economic benefits.

With a determined spirit, she pressed ahead to transform her dream into reality. Together with her friend Kathy Fischer, Farmers’ Markets Ontario’s marketing specialist Bob Chorney, and volumes of information from the Ontario Ministry of Food and Agriculture, she proceeded to develop a written plan and conduct a series of information meetings together with a publicity campaign to convince other members of the community of the need for and potential benefits of a farmers’ market.

In January 1990, the Carp Farmers’ Market became a reality for many residents of Carp and the surrounding communities, and the first market day was June, 23^rd, 1990.

Each day brought new ideas and new supporters for the market concept. A nine-member steering committee was formed. Janice Browning’s slogan “Fresher By A Country Smile” was adopted together with the harvest basket logo designed by Brian Fallack. School children submitted stories with the theme of the Carp Farmers’ Market. Signs were printed and advertisements were placed with the media.

The Carp Agricultural Society and the whole community soon embraced the concept of a producer-based country market. All products sold at the market must be grown, raised, produced or manufactured by the vendors themselves. Buying and selling is not permitted. This was something Ms. Anderson believed in very strongly and it soon became the standard for the Market.