June 5-10 is Local Food Week in Ontario and the Barrie Farmers’ Market is celebrating Local Food Day on June 9.

As part of the celebration of local food and the people who grow, raise and produce it, we’re holding a draw for $300 in market bucks! Collect ballots from every vendor as you shop at the market on June 9 and enter a draw to win one of three prizes with a top prize of $200! The more you shop and the more vendors you spend with, the more chances you get to win. Drop off your ballots at the Barrie Farmers’ Market booth before noon and the draw will be made after the market on June 9, with prizes available for pick up on June 16.

There are also free cloth shopping bags for the first 400 customers, tons of seasonal recipes to make the most of Ontario’s local food, Simcoe County food maps, and handy seasonality and nutrition information.

There will be lots for kids too!

• Katie Green of Green by Hand will be helping the kids make block prints.
• The Barrie Farmers’ Market booth will have stacks of activity books, colouring sheets, stickers, and free balloons.
• And the market mascot (a chicken still without a name!) will be wandering around ready to stop and take pictures.

As part of Local Food Day we’ll also have FruitShare Barrie and the Food Partners Alliance of Simcoe County at the market to share information about local food initiatives and the importance of supporting our local food producers.

The Barrie Jazz & Blues Festival is also taking place in early June and the market is very happy to host the Huronia Hot Strings on June 9. Made up of Tom Malone (lead guitar), Ralph Johnston (upright bass), Ed Moll (rhythm guitar) and Floyd P. Hall (clarinet), Huronia Hot Strings combines the excitement of swing with the fluid expertise that personifies gypsy jazz.

This is just a small preview of what to expect throughout the morning:

Take advantage of local food, plants, and artisan products every Saturday, all year long. The Barrie Farmers’ Market keeps bringing fresh local goodness to Mulcaster Street all the way through October. Stop in between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and meet your local farmers, producers, chefs, bakers, and artisans, then wander downtown to take in the waterfront. See you Saturday!