Get farm-fresh food in Strathcona County right from the source

Strathcona County says recent efforts to to help local producers are paying off with farm stands popping up around the county. Curtis Goodrum reports.

Summer in Alberta is synonymous with farmers’ markets and fresh, local produce.

There are plenty of markets around the capital region, with the Strathcona and St. Albert markets being two of the larger ones.

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In Strathcona County, farmers are also exploring other ways to get food from the farm to the table, including farm stands.

“Farm stands are a great opportunity for our local farmers to diversify. It gives them another opportunity to connect with their community and their consumers,” said Lori Morgan, an economic development officer with Strathcona County

“It also gives consumers the chance to come out into the countryside and purchase local food from the producer.”

Farm stands are similar in concept to farmers’ markets, but instead of dozens of sellers, it’s just the one..

One of the stands in the county is the JW Farm Fresh Greens Farm Stand, which had its opening day on May 24. Visitors came from all over central Alberta, from Edmonton to Smoky Lake and Bruderheim.

“We decided that we were at that point where our business had grown enough that we would be able to stand solo and to provide another opportunity for the community to come out to have direct food from the producer,” said stand owner Judy Mitchell.

Currently, the stand sells lots of different sourdough products, as well as microgreens. As the season goes on, they’ll also expand to seasonal vegetables and fruit before adding pickles in the fall.

“We love what we do, and it’s great to meet the people and it’s exciting to see when they come and they taste our food and our vegetables, and just the whole experience,” Mitchell said.

“You get in your vehicle, you slow down, you take that drive into the country, you meet the producer directly, you see what we, what we grow, how we grow it, and you’re able to ask us questions and be able to purchase the food from us.”

It’s currently only open once a month, with the next day being June 20 from 2 - 6 p.m. at 54141 Range Rd 213.

Driving economic development

There are more than 20 farms that sell directly to consumers, that can be through farmers’ markets, farm stands and other methods, according to Morgan.

Businesses like this are a part of the county’s Agriculture and Food Sector Development Strategy.

The aim is to attract investment in agriculture, food production, processing and manufacturing.

“We are looking to support all of our agricultural producers, be they crop producers or livestock, large farms, small farms, commercial, conventional, organic, specialty agribusinesses,” Morgan said.

“Bringing our urban residents out to the Strathcona County rural space allows for some tourism, allows them to really learn where their food comes from, how it’s grown, and the care that farmers take in producing that food.”

The county has a plethora of opportunities to learn about and enjoy the wonders of agriculture, Morgan adds.

Strathcona County also has an online tool to help connect people with different food resources, from food banks to cooking classes and farmers’ markets.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum