Kleefeld Farmers Market thrives

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This article was published 18/09/2020 (1738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pair of Kleefeld women have brought a farmers market back to Kleefeld.

Linda MacKenzie and Tanis Harder worked together to bring the market to life for the month of September.

“I just had it on my heart for a while that Kleefeld could really use something like this,” MacKenzie said at the market on Saturday. “There’s a ton of small businesses in our town and I thought, why not showcase them?”

MacKenzie joined forces with her friend Tanis Harder and said it didn’t take long for them to get it off the ground.

“It was planned within three weeks,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Kleefeld has had a Farmers Market. MacKenzie said the community had one about 10 years ago, but it just wasn’t sustained.

This time they’ve got so many vendors they simply don’t have room for all of them to be set up at the same time. About 50 total vendors alternate dates with about 30 out at any one time. “We’re still getting tons of vendors asking us for a spot,” she said.

While they don’t keep a count of customers, MacKenzie said she gauges success by the fact that everyone is leaving with something.

“I think people really want to shop local,” she said. The support has been incredible.”

Kleefeld Farmers Market continues on Saturdays in September from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 101 Friesen Avenue.

Plans are underway for next year although MacKenzie said they aren’t sure if they’ll stick to September dates or expand.