Regina's outdoor farmers' market growing

With the sun beaming down and wind at a minimum, Saturday was an almost perfect day for the first outdoor Regina Farmers’ Market of the year.

“The vibe is awesome, we happen to have a beautiful sunny day,” said Dee Kitsch, marketing manager with the market.

On Saturday, Kitsch said there were almost 70 vendors plying their wares, up from the 49 on the first day last year. Often more vendors will join later in the summer, so that number could rise.

Kitsch said there are also 15 new vendors. She named a new Saskatchewan distillery and a woman who sells aboriginal-inspired beading.

Troy Nordyke’s Pile of Bones Beard Care Co. is also new. Nordyke sells naturally scented beard balms.

“A beard balm is a product that you put in your beard to condition your beard, to soften and control your beard itself. It also adds essential nutrients to the beard,” he explained.

Nordyke said he’d gotten a positive response from customers, and, like several other vendors, actually sold out of his product.

The farmers’ market is in the only in-person store Nordyke has so far, he said he also sells online.

The market was noticeably more polished on Saturday than it has been in previous years. Kitsch said the market’s appearance is something they’ve been paying attention to.

“Previously you might come to the farmers’ market and see lots of vegetables in cardboard boxes or in bins, while that’s nostalgic and something that we definitely still have, when we’re accepting new vendors we look at things like do they have signage made up, do they have a booth display that’s really awesome, are they thinking about their packaging and labeling.”

The market will now be outside at the City Square Plaza on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until Oct. 8.