I Heart Edmonton

Old Strathcona Farmers' Market By Emil Tiedemann “We make it! We bake it! We grow it! We sell it!” That’s a philosophy that the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market has been committed to since it first began selling local foods and crafts out of a parking lot on the corner of 103 Street and 83 Avenue.  There were only about a dozen vendors that first year, in ‘83, offering up locally-grown produce and baked goods, and hand-made crafts from local artisans. Three years in, the market remained just a block off Whyte Avenue, but took the show indoors, moving across the street into the “Old Bus Barns” along Gateway Boulevard.  More than three decades later, there are about 300 rotating vendors - chosen through a strict jury process - that fill up nearly 190 stalls every Saturday from 7AM to 2:30 in the afternoon, and 10,000 weekly visitors make it the largest farmers’ market in the city.  Although the market is year round, it is at its peak during the summer month...

Here's how my 30 Day #buyYEG Challenge went ... by emil tiedemann L AST month, I threw an idea out there to get Edmontonians in the "buy local" mindset, and to try to focus on a lifestyle of supporting hometown and independent businesses and artists. F or a t least 30 days, that is.   The " 30 Day #buyYEG Challenge " is a simple way to support these local establishments and entrepreneurs (especially) during the downturn in the economy, as too many "ma & pa" shops close their doors for good as a result.  But, I couldn't just talk the talk, encouraging others to participate in this challenge. So, for the last 30 days (starting March 1 ), I walked the walk, so to speak. That means I did all I c ould to reinvest in my hometown Edmonton, from what coffee I dr a nk in the morning to what books I read before I went to bed at night.  It's been an amazing 30 days of discovering so many awesome local spots and meeting some folks ...