Vancouver farmers markets are a joy to visit on a nice sunny day, basking in the sights of the fresh produce and rubbing shoulders with fellow Vancouverites, and maybe grabbing a treat from a local food truck.
However, there’s a lesser-known reality for farmers markets that many don’t know about, particularly here in Vancouver.
Vancouver Farmers Markets (VFM) receives no structural city funding and pays over $30,000 in annual municipal fees. These aren’t city-run, taxpayer-funded community services.
VFM is an independent and registered non-profit society that has been around since 1995. It also has community tables and a busker program that saw 55 performers enhancing the experience in 2025.
VFM includes markets like the Trout Lake Farmers Market (where it all began), Riley Park Farmers Market and Downtown Farmers Market. The 2025 VFM annual report suggests that its infrastructure is often overlooked.
In 2025, VFM generated $18 million in direct sales for small farms and producers, with an impact of over $27 million on the local economy. VFM also gives back, having distributed $350,000 to lower-income families and households. Those families and households were able to get access to “dignified” fresh and local food.
In five years, VFM saw annual growth from $10 million to $18 million. In 2025, VFM saw 675,000 total market visitors.
The 2025 VFM annual report suggests that its infrastructure is often overlooked.
VFM depends on temporary permits, limited space and portable infrastructure and is in dire need of longer-term site agreements and “meaningful inclusion in urban planning.”
VFM says that without that, “these well-used community spaces could become increasingly difficult to sustain as Vancouver grows.”
With the Vancouver civic election just a few months away, VFM is calling for a larger conversation about whether the markets should be treated as temporary events, or as essential civic infrastructure that addresses food security, public space and neighbourhood connection and supports local business.
“As we reflect on our impact and look ahead to what’s next, our challenge — and opportunity — is to move farmers markets from nice-to-haves to community infrastructure that sustains us for generations to come. We hope you’ll join us as we have the kinds of
conversations that get us there,” said VFM Executive Director Laura Smit.