Local products are hit with consumers

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Marché de Dieppe Market manager Jean Gallant is amazed by the statistics.

During the dead of winter, as many as 5,000 customers visit the market on Saturday mornings while the numbers double in the summer as farmers bring in their fresh produce.

The market also regularly attracts 120 vendors and Gallant has a filing cabinet with 500 more applications from those who want to set up shop.

That success was forced the market to expand its hours.

Starting next week, the 18,000 square-foot market is going to be open Fridays from 4-8 p.m. to augment its regular Saturday hours of 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If Fridays are also a hit, more days could be added. "The market has been a great success story," said Gallant, who has been market manager for two years.

"It's a fun place to go and people are a lot more environmentally aware now so they like to buy the local products. Local, local, local. That's what we are all about and people have responded to that in a big way."

Gallant expects the added hours will benefit long-time customers, attract some new ones and help vendors.

"There are a lot of people who leave town for the weekend and go to a cottage," the manager said. "They may not want to come back into town on Saturday. This allows them to visit the market on Friday before the weekend.

"Other people, working couples, may way to come to the market for a bite to eat rather than go home and make a meal.

We also have 25 per cent of our vendors who can't come Friday so I will be able to place more new vendors in their place on Friday night. It shortens our waiting list to get into the market."

Market president Paul Gagnon said many vendors have been unable to meet the ever-growing demand for their products in just one day.

"Farmers and producers," he said, "have been preparing for months in order to meet the expected increased demand, by expanding the cultivated acreage needed to assure an abundance of local fresh product."

City of Moncton spokesman Shane Porter said the idea of opening the Marché Moncton Market on Friday nights has often been discussed, but the majority of vendors are in favour of opening on Saturdays only.

The Moncton market is open Saturdays 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Porter said the market is filled to capacity and there is a waiting list of vendors eager move in as quickly as possible.