Looking for the freshest garden produce? Visit the Yorkton Market Garden on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Here you will find, in the early spring, bedding plants, crafts and homemade jams, jellies and pickles.

As the weeks progress, fresh garden vegetables make their appearance. In the fall cabbage (for cabbage rolls), onions, potatoes, fresh corn and other seasonable fruits and vegetables make their appearance. There are two pre-Christmas markets featuring crafts and Christmas baking.

This year the Yorkton Market Garden celebrates its 25th year of operation. It was in April 1975 when a group of gardeners, spearheaded by Yorkton's ag rep Pete Petersen and Garth Smith decided to establish a Yorkton Farmers Market.

On April 21, 1975, the first board of directors was named with Art Sully as president, Garth Smith as secretary-treasurer, John Miller as vice president and a board of directors of John Miller, Gerald Grunert, Terry Ross, Art Sully, Jean Harris, Evangeline Shipowick and Ethel Dutchak.

The Yorkton Exhibition Board rented space to the organization and five markets were planned for the season. Various market days and times were held to see what would be the most appropriate day and hours of operation.

It grew from there. Lorraine Sully, market co-ordinator, reported 201 stalls were rented in 1980 with gross sales of $24,000.

In 1982 the Yorkton Farmers Market Co-operative held 16 markets including three spring, 11 summer and two pre-Christmas markets with 389 stalls and sales amounting to $38,000.

In 1984, 16 markets were held generating sales of $47,000 with 18 new members joining the market.

With 17 new members joining in 1985 sales rose to $84,000.

In 1986 there were 18 markets with 532 tables with sales of $63,000.

By 1987 total tables rented were 552 generating sale of $69,000.

In 1988 new regulations required all packaging to be new, including jar lids. That year sales were $76,000 with 537 tables rented out for the 20 markets.

The 27 markets in 1994 had 857 tables with sales of $160,000. By 1999 the markets with 1,237 tables generated total sales of $350,000.

Each year the markets attract more casual gardeners who use the market to dispose of surplus produce, but the markets also encourage commercial market gardeners, another industry for our area.

To date there are between 25 and 42 members of the Yorkton Farmers Market Co-operative displaying their produce each week.

Congratulations to the members and the board of directors for the contributions of the Yorkton Farmers Market Co-operative to the economic well-being of our community, and the personal well-being of consumers, over the past 25 years.