While many young workers are struggling to find summer jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, two teenaged vendors at the Ancaster Farmers Market are busier than ever.

Juliette Beaulne, 14, and Russell Passmore, 15, have launched the Green Cabinet at this year’s Ancaster market, which held its first face-to-face session July 15.

The market has a new venue this year, moving from the St. John’s Anglican Church grounds to the Ancaster Fairgrounds at 630 Trinity Rd. S.

The Green Cabinet began as a small, one-acre garden plot on Beaulne’s family property.

“I started it as a small garden,” said Beaulne. “And then with COVID-19, we had so much time that we decided that it would be a good idea to grow local produce.”

Beaulne, a student at Dundas Valley Secondary School, and Passmore, a Westmount Secondary School student, applied to join the Ancaster Farmers Market in March and found out their application had been accepted in early July.

The pair met as elementary school students when they both attended Lee Academy in Lynden.

On July 15, the Green Cabinet market stall featured freshly harvested lettuce, baby carrots, radishes and snap peas. Customers can sign up for a newsletter via email at thegreencabinet.contact@gmail.com.

“We’re hoping to do deliveries maybe next year, as well as more farmers markets,” said Passmore.

On top of their business venture, Beaulne and Passmore both have other farm-related jobs. Beaulne harvests raspberries for Jerry’s Berries in Copetown, while Passmore works for a local flower grower.

On the morning of the first Ancaster face-to-face market, the teens were up at 4:30 a.m. to harvest lettuce. They also look after day-to-day farm work like weeding, tilling the soil, watering and harvesting.

Through the Green Cabinet, Beaulne and Passmore have learned about farming practices like cover-cropping, which suppresses weeds and improves soil fertility.

“We’ve just been talking to people who are already gardeners and we’ve been learning along the way,” said Passmore.

The pair is hoping to expand to additional farmers markets next summer.

New business opportunity

Meanwhile, Jake Dorio, another new vendor, was looking for ways to pass the time after graduating from business school at Western University earlier this spring.

Dorio, 22, tried playing the ukulele and learning Spanish, but he also needed to find a business opportunity.

In just a few weeks, Dorio launched the Goat’s Oats, using startup funds from the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, (CESB).

The Goat’s Oats sells granola blends and pumpkin seed snacks, items Dorio enjoyed as a child. Dorio also appears Thursday evenings at Stoney Creek’s Market in the Creek.

“This is how I’m spending my coronavirus summer,” said Dorio, from his Ancaster market stand on July 15.

After opening June 17 in an online-only format with curbside pickup, organizers of the Ancaster Farmers Market now plan to run a face-to-face market every Wednesday afternoon, from 3 to 6 p.m. until Oct. 7.

New-look market

Market manager Cindy Hawryluk said this summer’s farmers market features about 25 vendors, with some merchants arriving later in the season.

While customers can now shop in person, Hawryluk said the market will maintain online ordering for the remainder of the season. Customers can place their market orders online at www.shopancasterfarmersmarket.com from Thursday to Monday for curbside pickup on Wednesday.

“It’s been going very well,” Hawryluk said, addressing the online ordering. “We had an over 50 per cent increase in online sales in the first couple of weeks. It’s been great and people have been very receptive to it.”

At the face-to-face market, vendors are spaced several metres apart. Patrons are asked to practice physical distancing and walk in a clockwise direction. Vehicles enter the market from Trinity Road and exit onto Wilson Street.

Hand sanitizer is available at the market entrance and all vendors must have sanitizer on hand.

While not mandatory at this time, Hawryluk said market patrons are encouraged to wear masks. Customers are also asked to minimize product handling.

Jennifer Mattern, executive director of the Ancaster Heritage Village Business Improvement Area, noted this year’s market couldn’t proceed at its usual location this year due to a decision by the Anglican Diocese of Niagara to suspend events on its properties.

Mattern said market organizers respect that decision.

“It’s a good fit for us here,” said Mattern.

Original vendor returns

Ed Hunter of Hunter’s Sugar Bush was one of the original vendors at the Ancaster Farmers Market when the event launched more than a decade ago. After a lengthy absence, he’s returned this year along with daughter Laura Collins, who handles the sales side of the business.

With many farmers markets not yet operating, Hunters has been retailing from its Troy, Ont. farm and building its online business. Hunter offers maple syrup in golden, amber, dark and very dark varieties, produced using a reverse osmosis system. The four-generation family business also produces maple butter and confection items like maple candy.

Hunter had no reservations about returning to this year’s face-to-face market.

“We respect the staff and the volunteers at the market,” said Hunter. “And for this year, I think they have things looking really good."

For a complete listing of this year’s market vendors, see www.shopancasterfarmersmarket.com.

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STORY BEHIND THE STORY

 We wanted to see how the Ancaster Farmers Market is adapting to continue bringing fresh food to customers during the coronavirus pandemic.