Fit To Eat S3E12 Krista Chatman by Ivan Emke

A vegetable U-pick. A business incubator. A certified kitchen. A community space. A social enterprise. A market. A root cellar. A playground. A destination. Yes I’m talking all of these in one place - the Farm and Market in Clarenville. Right there on the TCH – you can’t cross the island without noticing it. Situated beside the Clarenville Inn, and overlooking the stunning Random Sound (which is a body of water, not the latest Indie band). Every famer’s market needs a good origin story, and a flying tent makes a dandy bit of Folklore for the Farm and Market in Clarenville. You see, the market was originally a tent, but that is another story – one we told in season one.

What makes this place unique these days is the vision of the directors and managers, and the variety of initiatives that they are focussing on. Take the U-Pick Vegetable Garden. We know about U-picks, but that model has not generally moved beyond berries and pumpkins. But a veggie u-pick is not just a place to get fresh food, but it is an experience, it is a place to learn, and it is clearly an attraction. Thus, it is an example of how farm markets are much more than food – but they are also education, incubation, entertainment, tourism, and community.

Krista Chatman is a busy woman. She’s one of those people who makes me fatigued just listening to her schedule. She’s a farmer, runs a store on her farm, operates an agri-tourism business, has a certified kitchen at home for jams and pickles, is the central motivator of a community farm market, cooks for school children, and expounds the philosophy of “tough love” for plants. Oh, and she’s a crafter in her spare time. It’s a breezy day early in December. We’re on a tour. Join us. I hope you didn’t forget your toque.

Season 3 of "Fit to Eat" is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.