Kelly Marie Redcliffe, the executive director at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market, remembered the day they first peered out to the new community kitchen nestled in the heart of the market they have worked at for many years. Kelly Marie watched as students from a local elementary school acquired culinary skills with the help of students from the nearby university. Together, the students used fresh ingredients sold by the market to create a meal that could be shared amongst them. The sound of laughter, conversations and smells of home-made food filled the air. Kelly Marie recalled this being the exact moment they knew the new kitchen was going to be a special place for the community.
Kelly Marie Redcliffe, the executive director at the Wolfville Farmers market, smiles proudly in the new community kitchen.
Annual summer market transforms to year-round operation
The Wolfville Farmers’ Market first began in the summer of 1992 when three vendors from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, joined forces to set up a space where they could sell their fresh produce to the community. They took roots in a parking lot in the town and operated on Saturday mornings during the summer months. Kelly Marie joined aboard the market in a part-time position in 2000 and the outdoor market had grown to 17 vendors.
Fast forward a few years, the success of the market continued to grow and expand. Kelly Marie took on larger roles within the cooperative and helped transform the busy summer market into a bustling indoor, year-round market with an average of 70 vendors and 1200 customers per week. With the expansion of the market, they ventured into an online store so folks in nearby towns could also purchase over 1000 different products from 70 different vendors.
“The Wolfville Farmers’ Market became the first farmers’ market in Nova Scotia to offer online shopping and delivery services to local community members,” said Kelly Marie. “Once a week, orders could be made online, and our team would deliver the purchases on Wednesdays to pick-up locations within the Annapolis Valley and the Halifax Regional Municipality. We really became a model for many other markets who wanted to open an online market during the pandemic.”
Improving food access to communities along the way
The need for more access to food grew within the community since the pandemic. The market began exploring ways to enhance food security for young people and families. Partnering with Acadia University and the Town of Wolfville, the groups researched and explored other alternatives to further make their vision come to life. After speaking with farmers, vendors, chefs, community members and community organizations involved with food security, it was clear what needed to be added to their space; a community kitchen.
“As someone who cares deeply about food security and food sovereignty, we knew this was the right choice. A community commercial kitchen can do both of those things. It creates opportunities for people to gather and either cook together or learn together about cooking,” Kelly Marie said.
In order to make their vision come to life, they knew they would need financial support. Kelly Marie started receiving information about Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) from friends and colleagues.
To date, LFIF has committed $65 million to support over 1,110 projects to improve food security across Canada such as: community gardens and kitchens; refrigerated trucks and storage units for donated food; greenhouses in remote and Northern communities; and more. Budget 2024 mobilizes an additional $42.7 million to continue to help improve community food security and resilience through the purchase and installation of infrastructure that will increase access to local, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food.
Kelly Marie began working with an AAFC programs officer and applied for funding. Under one of the LFIF intake periods, the Wolfville Farmers Market secured funding to buy a community commercial kitchen and a new refrigerated delivery vehicle to ensure they could continue delivering food to other communities as well.
“It took a bit to get everything installed but we were finally able to open the kitchen in 2024 and people in the community have been extremely impressed. It’s beautiful and it really fits in our market in a way that is seamless,” said Kelly Marie. “We were also in need of a new refrigerated delivery vehicle for online sales. With the funding, we are able to continue deliveries to smaller food hub pick-up locations within the province, ensuring communities continue to have access to local food.”
Smells like soup and a side of community-building!
The kitchen is open to the community year-round to book and use the space. The Wolfville Farmers’ Market has also launched community programs. For example, the market recently partnered with the Town of Wolfville and Acadia University students for a barrier free program called “Soup and Sides”. The program is a weekly drop-in that welcomes community members to the Wolfville Farmers’ Market for home-made soup, using fresh local ingredients found at the market, and is served with a “side” of community-building activities. So far since the program launched, it sees over 100 people each week; with a mix of students and community members in attendance. Each week, any leftovers are donated to the Acadia Student Union’s food cupboard which provides Acadia students with access to food, living and nutritional support. Kelly Marie hopes that over the next few years, they can build more partnerships like these and bring in more community members to use the kitchen.
As for organizations who are looking to apply for LFIF funding? Kelly Marie says “Do it! I appreciated this grant deeply because it honored the community. It's a great program and gives a lot of appreciation and respect for the whole local food chain.”
Read stories of Agriculture Canadian businesses who are helping their community:
- Cooking up hope: Kolade Boboye nourishes hearts with Hope Blooms’ community kitchen
- A bountiful garden: Sophie Wood grows vegetables and confidence at a local community farm
The new community kitchen at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market purchased with funds received from AAFC’s LFIF.
One of the community food boxes with fresh grown local produce that can be purchased at the online store and delivered to customers within Nova Scotia.
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