Popularity of farmers' markets growing

The Ottawa Farmers' Market at Lansdowne Park opens Sunday for the season.

From May 1 to Oct. 30, the market will cater to those who are looking for farm-fresh products.

The wet spring has meant that some types of produce are a bit behind but dozens of bakers, meat vendors and others are ready to set up shop. Despite the weather Andy Terauds of Acorn Creek Garden Farm is looking forward to the season.

"Last year was a whole lot earlier," he said "We had a lot more sun, a lot more warmth."

But not to worry, Terauds says he still has plenty of goods for his stall preserves, herb plants, edible flowers and baby cucumbers.

Terauds counts on selling straight to the consumer so he's glad that this season the market can stay put at Lansdowne Park straight through until fall.

"There's no [exhibition] to have to move off-site for. So right in our busy season when we normally have to move we're going to be right there to serve customers."

The market won't have to make way for Lansdowne's redevelopment yet either. In fact the market might expand.

They already sell at a satellite market at the Orleans Centrum on Fridays and Terauds, who is also on the Ottawa Farmers' Market Board, says they might start another two locations this season perhaps one in Westboro.

A bigger city-run Parkdale Market is also set to open and meats and other refrigerated products will be sold out of the renovated field house on weekends.

"Everything you add to the market is good, so we'll see about this year if cheese and meats are going to be good for the market," said Denis Roy a longtime fruit and vegetable vendor