Farmers' Market & Art Classes go online in Southwest NB

The novel coronavirus has quickly created a new normal for people around the world. Southwest Magazine is dedicating a special series to profiling local Charlotte County businesses and organizations that are using innovative strategies to overcome social distancing. Geoff Slater, Creative Director of KIRA, Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts, is teaming up with KIRA's alumni from around the world to offer creative tutorials online. Aptly called ‘KIRA Creative Quarantine’, the video series includes lessons that anyone can do at home, from drawing and sculpting to singing and writing, led by artists from their homes around the world.

"Over 60 artists who have come to visit us in Saint Andrews at KIRA from around the world are participating in this," said Slater. "Art is therapeutic and relaxing and has so many healing properties. It's a great time for that, especially with lessons from artists from around the world who are going through similar things as the rest of us, just in a different geographical location. The artists each tell us about what they're going through where they live and then give aa art lesson on something that anyone can do at home."

The ‘KIRA Creative Quarantine’ series is available on KIRA’s Facebook, Instagram add YouTube as well as at kingsbraeartscentre.com/tutorials. New videos are posted every Tuesday and Friday.

Fundy Market founders Heather Almeda and Zoe Fitch, along with business collaborators Briana Cowie and Xander Gopen, came up with the idea for an online farmers' market while conversing about their love of high quality, locally sourced food and products.

"Last fall, I was hoping to start my own home backing business, and I asked my friend Zoe is she wanted to have a communal market space," said Almeda.

"And it all snowballed from there." "Like a lot of people, we ended up pivoted really quickly in the face of the pandemic to launch an online platform," said Fitch.

Launching in early May 2020, FundyMarket.ca is quickly becoming a New Brunswick-based movement that connects local food producers and artisans to their market by filling orders online and delivering baskets to Southwest New Brunswickers' doorsteps. In the face of social distancing, Fundy Market has found an innovative way to stimulate the local economy all the while promoting sustainability and an environmentally-friendly lifestyle that reduces our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.