If you live in Surrey, then you’re most likely familiar with The Surrey Urban Farmers Market – your local, vibrant, multicultural farmers market at Surrey City Hall Plaza. It’s not just a place to get your weekly local produce haul; it’s a unique and memorable shopping experience that allows farmers, producers and the consumers (Yes, that’s YOU!) to meet face-to-face.
Here at TrueSurrey, we love meeting the people behind the community events we’ve come to know and appreciate. This week, we learned about two members of the Surrey Urban Farmers Market Board, both in very different, but equally important positions.
Jatinder “The Producer” Dhaliwal
Current member of the Surrey Urban Farmers Market Board
Jatinder Dhaliwal is one of the faces behind G&D Growers and Kissan Fresh Fruits. You could say that the soil runs through his veins…
Jatinder and his family grew up on a farm in Aldergrove after his father migrated to Canada in 1969. Farming has always been an important part of his lifestyle, and an integral piece of his family’s identity. Jatinder, who enjoys the work immensely, plans to continue the farm legacy built by his family.
Jatinder supports the local food movement by supplying fresh fruits and produce directly to consumers. He appreciates the role that Surrey Urban Farmers Market plays in supporting local agriculture and the family farms located across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Jatinder decided to become a board member because he wanted to learn more about how the market operates, and to help it grow and succeed in future years. It goes without saying that he’s also a returning vendor to the Surrey Urban Farmers Market!
To find out more about what fruit Kissan Fresh provides and when it’s available, visit their website.
Peter “The Consumer” Leblanc
Current President of the Surrey Urban Farmers Market
Peter and his family relocated to Surrey from Vancouver in 2005. As much as he loved the new city he’d chosen, he missed having a farmers’ market just a few blocks from his home, like when he’d lived in Vancouver and Seattle. Peter understood the consumer benefits of having farmers markets close to home, so he worked with the city and other community members to build what he felt the Surrey City Centre was missing. The Surrey Urban Farmers Market was born in 2006, with Peter a founding member of the committee. He also served as the manager before becoming the president.
As a consumer, Peter understands that farmers markets are the perfect way to connect the producers and the consumers. This creates a trustworthy relationship and encourages food conversation. In this day and age of corporations, big box stores, and mass food production, it can be easy to lose focus on what we’re eating and where our food is coming from. A regular trip to a farmers market is one of the best ways to reconnect with our food. Chatting with farmers and artisans about how their food is grown and produced answers the questions:
Where is my food coming from?
Why does it look this way?
How is it being made?
What’s being put into it?
In short, what’s the story?
The Surrey Urban Farmers Market also runs a number of programs and workshops. To find out more, check out this post on our Food With Thought website!
*Feature Photo Courtesy of Did You Know Downtown Surrey