Celebrating farmers and a good harvest in Thunder Bay as summer comes to a close

The Thunder Bay community loves supporting local.

From handmade crafts to fresh food, there's nothing like knowing where your items come from, especially, when it comes to your fruits and vegetables.

And this weekend, people brought their reusable shopping bags to the north core for the Good Harvest food market. 

The event was hosted by Goods and Co. Market and the Waterfront District BIA, while also supporting Roots Community Food Centre with donations accepted throughout the day.

Vendors included Sleepy G Farm, Bears Bees and Honey, Belluz Farm, Borderlands Farm and more.

Maelyn Hurley is the owner of Goods and Co. Market, and said a big part of their mandate is food sustainability and supporting the local food community, and an event like this is able to highlight that.

"Having an event like this makes fresh, local, healthy food more accessible and just like more immersed into the community. So I think that's really important, I think we have to support our farming community as much as we can," Hurley said. 

Hurley adds that being isolated in Thunder Bay means food takes a long time to travel to the region, and by the time it gets here it might not always be the best quality.

"It's fresher, it's healthier and I think it's interesting kind of eating in season as well," Hurley said. "We eat with the seasons, we support local farmers and I think that's really important."

Erin Beagle, the executive director of Roots Community Food Group, and said being able to plan this with Goods and Co. Market and bring this together for the community has been awesome.

Beagle said a lot of the time people tend to think that food is grown somewhere else, so it was important to show people where the food is coming from – and also who it's coming from.

"When we can meet the farmers, when we can see what can be grown in Thunder Bay, and the work that people are putting in to bring food to the tables of Thunder Bay, to bake food for the tables of Thunder Bay – I think that it makes a real connect between our food and the people that are doing it," said Beagle.

"It's just this connect that we don't see all the time because it's not always accessible to us."

Beagle adds that because they're in a downtown space on a street, a lot more people will be walking around and seeing what is available and what is here – which can be an eye opener for some.

Both Hurley and Beagle noticed a difference in attendance from the previous year, and notes how the community will always show up to support.

And that support includes Julia Alton and her son, Sawyer, who came out for the morning to check out what's available – and to enjoy some treats.

"It's a great event. I'm so happy to have these kinds of options in Thunder Bay, right In the waterfront, it's beautiful. You got corn on the cob, pumpkins and all the local vendors. It's awesome," said Alton. 

"It's good to learn about what's happening around the city, what kind of local vendors there are, and then the importance of learning where our foods come from."

Alton's son Sawyer was gobbling up some corn on the cob, calling it "absolutely delicious" and "so good." 

Hurley said they're already planning for next year's event, and is hoping to get more vendors and is excited to keep it growing.