Thanks to its efforts to bring the community together and improve food security, the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market has received a top honour.
The market was named the best in Ontario for 2024 by Farmers’ Markets Ontario (FMO), which made the announcement on Wednesday in Niagara Falls.
In addition to the recognition, the market received a $1,000 prize from Co-operators.
"This award belongs to every farmer who wakes up before dawn to bring fresh produce to our city, every vendor who shares their cultural heritage through food, and every resident who chooses to shop local," said Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association Executive Director Debi Croucher. "This has become a weekly celebration of Windsor's diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to community."
The market's Good Greens Food Reclamation Program continues to receive provincial acclaim. Begun last year by Hydro One, the initiative has redirected over 12,000 pounds of fresh produce, 3,300 baked goods, and 15,000 millilitres of preserves from waste, transforming them into 16,000 meals for vulnerable community members through partnerships with six local shelter organizations.
About a dozen Windsor-Essex farmers and over 60 vendors participate in the market, held on Pelissier Street in downtown Windsor every Saturday from late March through late October. Opening Day for the 2025 season is Saturday, March 29.