Pictou County farmers' market heartened by support after break-in

Jenna Banfield · CBC News

· Posted: May 17, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

The manager of a Pictou County farmers' marketplace says she's heartened by assemblage enactment aft it was targeted by thieves past week.

Kristi Russell discovered past week while setting up for a fundraising event that products and currency donations worthy much than $1,000 were missing from the New Glasgow Farmers Market.

"When you recognize idiosyncratic has taken thing that you've worked precise hard for, it's precise discouraging," said Russell. "The interaction is much than conscionable the market."

After an investigation, constabulary determined the break-in took spot sometime betwixt May 7 and May 9.

The stolen products included seafood, bagged coffee, frozen pizzas, mocktail beverages, cocoa bars, syrups and question mugs. None of the missing products belonged to marketplace vendors.

Support was 'heartwarming'

The non-profit enactment posted a notice on Facebook to explicit its dismay astir the theft, but the outpouring of enactment it generated came arsenic a astonishment to Russell.

"We surely did not expect the benignant of effect that we got," Russell said.

Among the archetypal responses was an connection of a $1,000 donation from Feed Nova Scotia, the umbrella enactment for nutrient banks crossed the province, to compensate the marketplace for its loss.

But determination was more.

Another $100 came by mode of donations from immoderate of the market's regular customers. Many radical offered encouragement portion affirming the importance of farmers' markets successful communities.

"It was precise speedy to spot the enactment and it was truthful heartwarming," Russell said.

Ash Avery, enforcement manager of Feed Nova Scotia, said the enactment felt compelled to respond to the situation.

"Often justness successful these kinds of situations is rather hard to travel by," she said. "We spot this arsenic a signifier of justice."

Underlying issues

Avery besides emphasized the relation of farmers' markets successful providing entree to nutrient and supporting farmers, taking enactment of the country's ongoing commercialized warfare with the U.S.

"In … the governmental clime that we person been in, we cognize that supporting section is truthful important present much than ever."

Russell said 150 vendors and farmers use the New Glasgow marketplace annually. The farmers' marketplace said successful its Facebook station that it's moving with constabulary arsenic they investigate.