“At the Market, Heather embodied the Sunnygirl values (the Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market mascot), usually donning blue overalls, a red scarf and a broadbrimmed farmer’s hat and ensuring nutritious, local and fresh offerings every week. ”
As we continue to move through 2021, we wanted to take the take the opportunity to spotlight the staff and volunteers at HSCA. While our commitment to the safety of our staff and community remains our top priority, our health and safety protocols have drastically changed how staff and volunteers interact and connect with each other and the Hillhurst Sunnyside community. These spotlights are intended to give a snapshot of some of the stories behind our hardworking team and the programs and initiatives being offered at HSCA.
At the end of 2020, we saw some staff changes when our Community Programs Coordinator & Farmers’ Market Manager, Heather, moved on to another opportunity. We caught up with Heather on her way out (she was an especially busy bee at the end of the year), and she’ll kick off our first ever HSCA Staff Spotlight!
While we’re thrilled for Heather to venture out on her next journey, she made an important impact during her 3.5 years here at HSCA with some fantastic initiatives, events, and programming that will continue for years to come including:
Be sure to watch for next month’s spotlight where we’ll introduce you to our new Community Programs Coordinator & Farmers’ Market Manager, Emily (spoiler: she’s also fantastic and brings a ton of passion to her new role).
If you frequent our HSCA Farmers’ Market (now running Saturday’s from 12-4pm), then chances are you’ve seen Heather in action: moving signage, organizing with vendors and volunteers, snapping photos and everything in between. At the Market, Heather embodied the Sunnygirl values (the Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market mascot), usually donning blue overalls, a red scarf and a broadbrimmed farmer’s hat and ensuring nutritious, local and fresh offerings every week. Heather herself is an avid baker (she generously shared these creations with staff many times, namely her sourdough!) and a gardener and has posted a lot of her creations and recipes on the @hsca.farmersmarket Instagram page using products from the HSCA Farmers’ Market.
One of Heather’s exciting projects in 2020 was her work on Sunnygirl’s Field Notes. Markets displaying the Sunnygirl logo informs consumers that at least “80% of all products are made, baked or grown in Alberta” (HSFM Sunnygirl’s Field Notes, 2020). Through the eyes of Sunnygirl, Heather visited some of the farmers from the HSCA Farmers’ Market in an effort to share vendor stories and profiles and help our community better understand our food system. These field notes are an effort to show rather than tell consumers what it means to be an Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market and what methods these growers and farmers are using. “We’re the real deal and our farmers are growing what they say they’re growing,” Heather says. Be sure to visit our Farmers’ Market website and read through Sunnygirl’s Field Notes. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and by the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association and will continue in the new year so keep checking back for the newest vendor profiles and interviews.
Join us in wishing Heather the best of luck on her new journey!