Mary and I heard from our friends Michelle and Alan about somewhere new to get fresh fruit and veggies. We decided this was the Sunday that we would venture over to the Blackfoot industrial area and see what the fuss was all about.

It was better than I expected. Although the location is certainly not on the beaten path (4645 46th Ave SE), it was an easy to find location just off Blackfoot Trail SE. As you approach the colourful quonset looking building, it looks nothing like your new world farmers market. As you come through the door, you realize quickly that this place is going you have some quality and selection in produce.

The first thing you notice is the variety of selection that this quaint place has within it. Seasonally, you will find choices in fruit and vegetables that your average grocery store will not have. I was surprised at the variety of vegetables that are in stock this weekend and we quickly started loading our baskets full. The second thing is the quality of the product. Fresh produce is not always in abundance in stores. We were pleased with the quality of the product and even more pleased when we sampled the goods lated that night. Lastly, we were stunned at the amount of product we were able to buy for less than $30. Things like hot peppers, grapes and baby carrots, which often go at premium pricing in grocery stores, went for bargain pricing here. I was cautioning Mary on the price of the Champagne grapes she was loading into bags when I realized they were priced at half the grocery store rates.

The staff were very helpful to us and the patrons were even more helpful. You could tell that these customers were fond of this market and wanted to pass along their experiences testing some of the more unique samplings of the assortment. They would steer me towards their personal choices and give me the tasting choices of the selection. I can tell you that I tested their hypothesis that evening and they were right in all cases. I was well informed by them as to the seasonality of the foods and the fact that the market shuts its doors in mid-November as the supply of local veggies dries up.

Overall, we loved DJ’s Market! It was a refreshing change from the traditional farmers market experience and lended itself more to shopping at a farm, than a market. Is it worth driving from the far NW or NE corners of the city to buy? Probably not. But if you are living in the south central part of Calgary, this is a must try. We look forward to reloading our fridge there again next week.

Marco