Congratulations to Pemberton Farmers Market Board member, Lisa Severn, who was recognized for her above-and-beyond contribution last season, recently winning the BC Farmers’ Market Volunteer of the Year award.

Lisa is a writer, social advocate, and passionate food photographer, and a self-proclaimed “wannabe farmer”. A huge supporter of local growers, she is also a regular contributor to the locally-grown Traced Elements website.)

The Pemberton Farmers Market had previously been recognized in these awards, as the best market of the year in 2019, but 2020 was not a usual season. (You might remember? The year that everything “non-essential” shut down, and gathering was verboten. So how does a Farmers Market even run under such conditions? Access to fresh food and supporting the truly essential work of our growers and bakers and makers was important, but not easy to make happen. Lisa was at the market every week acting as a fill-in market manager and helping ensure the smooth running of things (and here’s the secret backstory – she lives in Whistler, albeit in Emerald, lovingly referred to as “Pemberton South” – so the commitment and devotion required more than just a casual stroll out of her backyard).

As one of the judges said, “Everyone deserves an award for the creative ways in which Farmers’ Markets in BC successfully navigated the myriad of requirements and restrictions that the 2020 season presented.”

We’re so grateful though to have had Lisa devoting so much time and energy to our community’s market.

Applications to be a vendor at the 2021 Pemberton Farmers’ Market Applications are now open, due May 1. And the season gets underway at 3:00pm on Friday June 4!