New West Farmers Market

The New West Farmers Market Society focuses on environmentally sustainable food production by bringing locally grown and produced foods to the community, thereby contributing to local economic development, healthy eating, and food security while creating a welcoming vibrant city market.

Our Purpose

We are committed to fostering a well-nourished community.

• Nourish our patrons with food, drink, connectivity, community, and purpose.
• Nourish our vendors by prioritizing locally produced goods.Nourish our community with support for local businesses and community groups.
• Nourish our Farmers Market by ensuring it is a viable, sustainable contributor to New Westminster through good governance, best practices, and clear policies.

Our Values

We value having a healthy planet, sustainable food systems, and environments

We action this value by:

• actively working to reduce emissions by supporting local growers, reducing how far our food travels from farm to table
• prioritizing locally produced goods
• prioritizing market locations that are well served by transit and active transportation routes
• supporting active transportation and transit-oriented space for the market
• reviewing our overall carbon footprint regularly
• identifying and challenging barriers to food justice
• leaving no trace from our markets and events, showing respect for the natural environments we inhabit

We value human rights and are committed to creating spaces where relationships can flourish

We uphold this value by:

• respecting, championing, and appreciating a diverse community
• creating policies, procedures, and practices that respect human rights for our volunteers, vendors, producers, staff, and patrons
• creating opportunities for the community to gather and engage with one another
• committing to examining our relationships and decolonizing our ways of being
• challenging barriers to participating in the NWFM, making it more accessible for all, be it financial, physical, social, or other barriers
• being aware, open, and responsive to the community’s market experience and committing to continuous improvement

We value brave, compassionate, and accountable leadership

We reflect this value by:

• actively recruiting a board of directors who bring a combination of lived experiences and expertise to ensure the financial and sustainable health of the market as an organization.
• committing to the longevity of the NWFM and actively planning for board member succession.
• being accountable to each other, our community, and for our decisions to ensure efficient and effective operations of the New West Farmers Market.
• committing to economic justice and reflecting this in the way we compensate and support our employees.
• committing to contributing to a resilient local economy by fostering the development of complementary relationships between the New Westminster Farmers Market operations and the local New Westminster businesses