The group behind Trail’s Incredible Farmers’ Market is pitching the idea of turning the kitchen at the Trail Memorial Centre into a local hub for food production and processing.
Manager Gina Ironmonger told council this week they are asking to lease the facility from the city for four years. In lieu of rent, they would seek a $100,000 federal grant for upgrades.
She said it would fill a need in the region to process, produce, and preserve food while acting as a “low-risk test and distribution channel.”
“We think it’s good for the economy: incubate new food business and grow existing food businesses and support farmers in processing and storing excess crops,” she said. “The arena kitchen is perfect. It exists, it’s underutilized, and thus, why recreate it?”
Ironmonger said if they are successful with their grant application, they expect to fit eight workstations into the kitchen and expand storage capacity. They would also improve the energy efficiency of the kitchen equipment.
Ironmonger said the farmers market has seen “rapid expansion” over the past two years and now serves 1,000 to 3,000 customers every other weekend. They have 127 vendors who grow, bake, or make products and they expect to add another 30 this year.
She said the market provides a “low-barrier” entry point for beginning farmers, bakers, and artisans, allowing them to “start small, test the market, and grow their business.”
Some of those vendors have outgrown their home kitchens but can’t afford to invest in the equipment required to scale up their business, she said. Some rent kitchen space in various community halls.
Ironmonger said although they would require the kitchen year-round, they would not need exclusive use and would work with other users, such as Silver city Days and the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Foundation’s Snowflake gala.
Councillors spoke favorably of the project, but didn’t make a decision pending some further investigation by city staff. They said they would get back to the organization by the grant application deadline of July 15.
“I think this is a wonderful idea,” said councillor Colleen Jones. “I think it’s something the community could really embrace.”
Councillor Carol Dobie said the city should take advantage of the opportunity, noting other parts of the Memorial Centre have seen refurbishment in recent years.
“It’s a laudable effort and something quite unique and needed,” councillor Sandy Santori said. “Hopefully we can come up with all the solutions to some of the hiccups that may be in our way.”
