For the past several years now, it's kind of become a tradition of mine to celebrate the end of Fall Flavours and the farming season by participating in Farm Day In The City with my farmer friends - Jen Campbell (Jen & Derek's Farm) as well as Amy Smith & Verena Varga (Heart Beet Organic).
The event has grown considerably over the years - now stretching from Grafton St all the way down to Water St. AND including Vic Row and Sidney St! I'm not someone who enjoys crowds, but it's pretty impressive to watch and experience this event from behind our veggie booth. Most of the day, we can't even see the vendors on the other side of the street - there's a stream of people flooding through the streets from 11am when it starts right through to the end at 5pm. Discover Charlottetown does a great job to direct, coordinate, orchestrate, manage and execute's it beautifully, but I would like to take a moment here and celebrate all of the vendors who participated in this event! It's one thing having a weekly routine of selling at the farmers market, but it's something completely different to participate in a once a year event, especially one as big as Farm Day! Vendors and farmers need to prepare at least a week in advance - figuring out what to bring and sell, what the booth will look like, how to prep. That's all on top of everyone's regular hectic fall schedule! It's a lot of energy, one that often leaves me completely spent after the fact.
I struggle with Farm Day because it's so much extra work right when I'm already getting tired and wiped from the growing season. But one thing that Farm Day does beautifully is reunite me once again with my Farmer Friends! It keeps me coming back each and every year! It's that farmer comaradarie I've been missing all summer long - the one that reminds me that I'm not alone, that we're in this together - it warms my heart and fuels me to keep on keeping on!