Local Goods for Local Folks!

As an integral part of the Cariboo Homesteader group of services, this market aims to encourage the local production of food and household goods. By assisting local producers with the marketing and distribution of their goods, we provide Cariboo Homesteader Members with a convenient means to acquire these same local foods and household goods.

In a nutshell, we encourage Members to not only ‘Shop Local’ but to also ‘Produce Local’!

The Homesteaders’ Market consists of a group of local farmers, producers and artisans (all referred to as “Growers” on the Market) located in and around 100 Mile House, B.C. We do our best to ensure that participating Growers are within a 100-mile radius of our communities’ market hub.

The Growers are coordinated by a Market Manager to distribute their locally produced products to the South Cariboo community. Each farmer and gardener who sells products through this market is committed to supplying their Member customers with the freshest and highest quality vegetables, meats, herbs, eggs, fruits, flowers and transplants. The artisans also provide products that are natural, produced from their homes and crafted with a passion!

All Farmers/Producers/Artisans are licensed or approved by the entity(s) that regulate their particular offerings. All Growers are thoroughly vetted through interviews with the Market Manager to ensure they meet the criterion of the Market (see Guidelines for Growers).

Whether the Grower is large or small, providing beef or hand-knit slippers, the folks behind these endeavors share a common thread of dedication to our community, the environment, good health and education. All of the products you buy come directly from the Grower. There are no resellers, no middle men, and nothing but locally produced and/or grown products from home-based businesses. Like a traditional farmer’s market, Growers describe their own products, set their own prices, and are selling directly to you.

During the development of this Market, we encourage any interested ‘Grower’ to contact us about joining our list of Farmers/Producers/Artisans. Please e-mail the Market Manager at Howie@CaribooHomesteader.com with any questions. As mentioned elsewhere, all Growers on the Homesteaders’ Market must be Members. While Members pay a $20 (taxes included) annual fee, Growers are asked to pay a $50 (taxes included) annual membership fee. Naturally, the Growers’ fee includes membership – and they are encouraged to be customers of the other Growers! To participate, Growers must agree to and comply with the Guidelines for Growers and pay a modest 5% of gross sales to help cover the basic operating costs of the Market (more details covered in the Guidelines).

• Enhance local economy: By purchasing products from local Growers, you are improving the stability of our regional economy through the support of truly local businesses.
• Save natural resources: Buying locally makes you an invaluable link in the process of saving resources such as fossil fuels and packaging materials. In addition, we are right here in your community so the expense of transportation and delivery is greatly reduced.
• Provide learning opportunities: Market supporters provide Member Growers the means to help educate our community about the importance of sustainable agriculture and local production of household goods. Through direct interaction with Growers you get to know and trust the folks who are producing the great food and household goods you provide for your family.
• Supporting a way of life: The number of small farms and the level of home-based production in Canada have decreased dramatically in the last few decades. Please help us preserve and expand an honest and worthy means of making a living.

Cariboo Homesteaders’ Market is an on-line market. No matter what the weather, or time of year, you can source fresh, natural products and household goods. Your weekly Market News e-mail will arrive on Monday evening to let you know the Market is open for ordering. If you have signed up as a customer/grower, you will receive the e-mail with a link to the Market (Everyone can place two orders on a trial basis before paying their annual fee). From the comfort of your home, in your work clothes, play clothes, or pajamas, you can source the products you want, confident that our Growers will provide quality products just for you! Add what you want to your “shopping cart”, “checkout” and pick-up your items on Saturday from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Placing Orders and Payment: Each Monday evening, a Market e-mail is sent to everyone who has registered and has a Member account. You will get the “News of the Week” and a listing of current Grower offerings. Customers may place their order for the week any time after the e-mail goes out, but no later than 7:30pm on Thursday. Orders are only placed here on the website. Growers receive their orders Friday morning and deliver to the Market place Saturday before the opening at 10:00am. Customers may pay at pick-up with cash, cheque, debit, e-transfer, or credit card. Alternately, you may make deposits into your Cariboo Homesteaders’ Market account and all future orders will be debited to your account. This option helps streamline market day pick-up, as payment is conveniently pre-arranged. If you have an interest in this option, please let the Market Manager know.

Picking up Orders: Unless indicated otherwise by a specific Grower, on Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm, you (or someone you designate) can pick up your previously ordered items at 6313 Horse Lake Road (watch for market day sign just east of the Horse Lake Elementary School). The Market Manager pays the Growers for you when they deliver your items to the Market. Therefore, any order that is not picked up will be charged to your account and you will be responsible for payment. In an instance where you are unable to pick up your order, perishable items will be donated to a worthy agency, but you are still responsible for full payment. Every effort will be made to store non-perishable items for later pick up, but eventual receipt of these items cannot be assured. Likewise, if you don’t pick up these non-perishable items, you are still responsible for payment.

Sponsor a Membership: Our yearly Membership Fee of $20.00 is very reasonable; however, sometimes “life happens” and a little help would be appreciated. If you would like to sponsor a membership for an individual or family, please let us know.

Still Have Questions: Please e-mail the Market Manager, Howie McMillan, at Howie@CaribooHomesteader.com