Farmers Market more than just quality fruits and vegetables

BY Kelly Lopez

The Canyon Lake Farmers Market is open and ready for customers every Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Canyon Lake Town Center. The market is a Certified Farmers Market, which means every piece of produce comes directly from a local farm that has been inspected by the Department of Agriculture. This market, though, is much more than just stocked with yummy produce.

Many of the vendors at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market sell amazing fresh produce, but there are those who sell raw honey, handmade crafts, farm fresh eggs and more. Some have been selling at the market for years and others have just begun.

The Farmers Market has been open every Sunday since 2008 thanks to Pam Earle, the manager of the Canyon Lake Farmers Market.

“I love managing farmers markets,” Pam said. “It’s a lot of work, but I love it.”

Pam has been the manager of the Canyon Lake Farmers Market since it began. She brought years of experience and has been managing farmers markets for 20 years. She says it is an around the clock job.

“When I’m not at a market, I’m answering the phone or helping out a vendor,” she said.

Pam sees her vendors as a family. She enjoys helping them learn the process of becoming a successful farmers market vendor. She tries to see the market through the eyes of the customer and she said she makes changes as necessary to meet their demands. She tries to teach her vendors to do this as well. “They pay attention to what the customers want and grow it,” Pam said.

Angel Farms is a regular farm fresh produce vendor at the local farmers market. It now grows and sells microgreens because of their new popularity.

Pam has great faith in the success of the Canyon Lake Farmers Market. She has seen it through ups and downs and believes that it, its vendors and the community can keep it great. She thinks that it is going strong right now.

Dave Clark has been selling his wares at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market for years. He has 20 acres of land and grows three different varieties of avocados. He also grows a variety of citrus and squash and sells raw honey from his farm. Dave is at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market every Sunday.

Don Spencer is also a regular vendor at the farmers market. Dave sells CBD oil that he makes himself. He is a clinical therapist and his curiosity was originally peaked about CBD oil because of his patients. They were asking about CBD oil as a possible remedy for anxiety. After he looked into it and realized the potential of the oil to help people, he started making it himself. Dave has been selling at this market for three years and said he has many return customers.

Judy Wieczoreck is another vendor at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market. She calls her shop “Hummingbird Creations.” She has many handmade creations for pet dogs at her booth. Judy said her best sellers are dog tents, snuggies and pajamas. Many of her customers from the Farmers Market want special orders for their large dogs.

Judy has been selling at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market for 10 years. Judy sews everything she sells herself. “I’ve been sewing since I was nine years old,” she said. “My grandmother taught me on a treadle machine.”

Ivy Green is brand new to the Canyon Lake Farmers Market. Last Sunday was her first day selling. She sells candles and essential oils by Gold Canyon. She said she so enjoyed her experience in Canyon Lake that she is looking for more farmers markets to attend.

Cedric Shiner is also relatively new to the Canyon Lake Farmers Market. He sells farm fresh eggs. He said in the summer he sold out regularly.

The Canyon Lake Farmers Market has a steady flow of customers each Sunday morning, and it is still one of Canyon Lake’s best kept secrets. It’s been around for over 10 years and is conveniently located at the back of the Town Center with plenty of elbow room and parking.