Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Aug 19, 2020
“It’s one of the most beautiful markets of the Townships!” A friend of mine has been telling this for years now! After my visit, a small crate of raspberries in my arms, a glass of Sea buckthorn juice in my hand, fresh lamb and homemade raviolis in my bag, I came back totally delighted with my visit to the Marché Locavore, in Racine. Here’s a look at a very unique Quebec market.
By Katerine-Lune Rollet
In 2008, a handful of very committed citizens dreamed of starting a locavore market in Racine. Convinced that eating locally produced food, and supporting the area producers, meant offering the community the best food possible, they bought a lot, along with a small house, right in the heart of the town. Long story short, about fifty volunteers (in a town counting about 1,000 citizens) answered the call and worked to get the site ready and built the stands.
Today, what has become a solidarity cooperative, is still an important component of this tight-knit community. And their idea has really paid off! Twelve years later, this market’s reputation is such that 75% of its visitors come from outside the town area. Many come from Sherbrooke, Magog and even Montreal.
“One element that makes this venue stand out is the high quality of the products and their provenance,” explains Denise Payette, the Marché Locavore coordinator. “Everything sold here is produced within a 50 km radius of the village. We have 20 stands occupied by resident producers and 2 for rotating merchants. Before accepting to integrate them, we visit each producer’s installations. They’re not all organic; However, their products contain no additives or pesticides.”
The welcoming and friendly ambiance greatly contributes to the market’s popularity. Before Covid-19 forced them to implement new sanitary measures, shoppers could enjoy musical performances, crêpes and all kinds of tastings. “The ambiance was so friendly that visitors could easily spend an hour and a half to two hours on the site. This year, they complete their purchases at a much faster pace, but they buy more items. Especially younger visitors. We’ve noticed that, during the present crisis, many people have realized how important it is to buy local products.” Denise Payette goes on to say.
Johanne Breton is one of the first two vegetable producers who’ve been here since the market first opened. The owner of Jardins Naturlutte decided to join in the adventure because she adhered to the group’s original vision and mission. “It’s a market with values that go beyond simply selling food.” She explains that new customers tell her regularly that they didn’t expect to find such a great variety and such friendly producers!
Thanks to the municipal support, Racine has become an important agri-food pole in the region. In this small town, we find a chocolate factory, a butcher’s shop, a delicatessen, a cheese factory and a few restaurants as well; Truly a little foodie paradise!
The Racine Market is the only one in Quebec able to identify itself as being “locavore.” We define a “farmer’s market” as a place where only farmers or artisans come to sell what they’ve grown or made themselves, therefore offering direct supply purchasing, without any intermediaries. Contrary to the locavore version, distance isn’t an issue here. As for “public markets,” they can group both farmers’ stand and retail stalls (for example, the Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal where some sell lemons or grapes).
The Marché Locavore is open every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. until October 16, 2020. After this date, they open every second week from 10:00 a.m. to noon, until the great Christmas Market on December 12. As we walk onto the site and in the Maison du Marché, we find many local products as well as the Fromagerie de la Nouvelle-France.
Note that some producers don’t have a stand on the site, but we can order their products online through the Maturin website and pick them up on Saturday mornings. The Trésors d’Afrique coffee (offered by an ex-Rwandese now living in Racine!), and the delicious gourmet baklava pastries are also a must.
There are about thirty markets in the Eastern Townships. To discover them consult this interactive map. And here are their schedules (careful! Some markets are open only on Sundays, Thursdays or Friday).
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