Coffee, Corn on the Cob, and Community at the Cumberland Farmer's Market

Find out why my favourite Ottawa market is in Cumberland!

Farmers' markets are exploding in and around Ottawa and, if last summer's growth is any indication,  there will soon be a market in every neighbourhood of the city. I've had the chance to explore a lot of them, all in the name of my unflinching dedication to maintaining quality control of the city's baked goods, homemade jam, and strawberries. 

Year after year, my favourite market is the Cumberland Farmer's Market, located to the east of the city, beyond the suburb of Orleans. There's plenty of parking and a wide variety of outdoor stands. In addition to local produce (always local, always in season), there's bakers, sausage makers, bee keepers, and flower vendors. There's also a wide variety of take-home meal vendors, selling homemade curries, stews, soups, and stirfries. Local artisans are set up as well, offering handcrafted wooden furniture and accessories. 

Inside the arena, dozens of local residents have tables set up to hawk their wares. There's artists, sewers, toy makers, soap makers, crafts, and yet again more food - like prepackaged dip mixes and salsas. Perfect for taste testing and sampling! 

One of our favourite booths is Poppa Bean coffee roasters. No surprise there! They offer a huge selection of freshly roasted coffee beans from around the world, including several varieties that I've never found anywhere else in the city, and it's all at a fraction of the price of the chain cafes. 

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If all the shopping and sampling has you winded, you can stop and relax with coffee, tea, and baked goodies or have a full breakfast thanks to the little pop-up cafe run by the community association. Throughout the summer, there are additional foodie treats -one year, an old steam locomotive was set up to steam fresh corn on the cob, which was then sold after it was thoroughly dunked in melted butter. So delicious!

If you want to experience the warm fellowship and delicious farm fresh food of Cumberland Market, it runs every Saturday from early summer to early autumn.  I'll be sure to be there!

As always, I welcome and encourage your comments. Where is your favourite farmer's market?


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