50 YEARS OF THE ST. JACOB’S MARKET
For over 50 years, the St. Jacobs Market has been a community staple in the Waterloo region.
What started as a livestock exchange in 1975 eventually amalgamated into the St. Jacobs Market.
Joanna Loebach, general manager of St. Jacobs Market District, said the market grew from family members of those participating in the livestock exchange swapping or selling their produce.
“It sort of evolved to become known to people in the area that on sale days, that was a good time to come and actually buy produce from some of the wives or the children of the farmers,” Loebach said.
“From that origin, they set up concrete bunkers…that was the first evolution to actually formalize this into something that the public could attend,” she said.
Seven years later, the first building was built on the market property to accommodate for year-round sales. As more farmers and vendors joined, the attraction to the market grew amongst the community. In the early 90s, the market became a tourist attraction for those looking for authentic maple syrup to be sold there.
From there, the Village of St. Jacobs began to grow along with the additions of the outlet and antique mall in the surrounding areas of the market.
Loebach said now, more than ever, the farm-to-table movement has become increasingly more popular.
“There was a big movement to being more aware about what you were putting into your body and the practices that were behind growing your produce,” Loebach said.
“I think that’s something that has made the farmers market experience just so much more desirable. You get to know who you’re buying from, you’re way more guaranteed about freshness than you are at a grocery store and you’re also getting insider information about how to best serve it or how to store it,” Loebach said.
While the spirit of the market has remained the same, the market has also evolved to mirror the change in demographics and evolution of needs and buying habits.
“There’s always something new here,” Loebach said.
“It keeps it fresh, but it also keeps us being able to adapt to the changing demographics within KW and what the local population is looking for…the market is able to keep pace with that so that it never feels antiquated,” she said.
To celebrate 50 years, the market is reflecting on their legacy vendors—some of which have been a staple at the market since the beginning—as well as some of the newer, more entrepreneurial vendors.
Robert Foreman, owner of 100 Mile Produce, has been a vendor at the St. Jacobs Market for 25 years. Prior to that, he used to come to the market as a child to help at his father’s stall.
For Foreman, a big piece of what makes the market so special for vendors and patrons is that connections made between the food, the farmer and the buyer.
“Depending on which vendors you choose to shop with, you can look the person in the eye and find out exactly where that came from, when it was picked, what the variety name is—the entire history of whatever you’re purchasing,” Foreman said.
As a life-long vendor of the market, Foreman has seen the waves of change that have shaped the evolution of the market, specifically, with regards to changing demographics.
“I can remember years ago, a lot of Eastern European people has moved here in the early 2000’s…and they were asking us to grow certain things,” Foreman said.
“Just because we don’t eat them or we didn’t grow them doesn’t mean we can’t do that, right? And we’ve seen that with each wave of immigration that’s come through,” he said.
As the market continues to evolve and grow, Loebach said this next era continues to acknowledge and celebrate its roots, while finding ways to develop and meet ever-changing needs.
“I am loving how we’re continuing to build on the successes of the farmers market but continuing to make this a spot that will continue to resonate with people over time,” she said.
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