SPROUTING

by Sam Heath

Quiet sounds of horse drawn carriages in the background

Hello listener. I don’t know if you have ever been here or if we have ever met or if we have had a passing glance but here we both are together at this moment. [BREATHE] I don’t know anything about your story and you don’t know anything about mine, but for now maybe we could go on this journey together? [BREATHE] It’s nice to not be alone sometimes you know? It might feel like a one-sided relationship for now but just know I am with you. This journey is open. I will give you some guidance as we move along but feel free to explore as you see fit. [BREATHE] The market could be taking place only indoors today or perhaps it’s both indoors and outdoors. The market may not even be open at the moment.

Calming music takes over the soundscape for a grounding moment

I don’t know much about you or the moment you are in but I invite you to be present here. We will get to the past and the future in a bit but for now let’s be here. Just stand still and take in the space, breathe it in. I always find a really deep breath helps me collect myself to be present.

(deep breath sound)

Imagine there are roots growing from the soles of your feet into the ground bringing you into this moment. We are so often going non-stop, thinking ten steps ahead of the moment. I invite you to take this time to be here and nowhere else. Like nature, this site will appear differently depending on the season you visit. Is it sunny? Is it rainy? Maybe it’s Autumn, when produce is overflowing and the air is crisp and bracing? Or, is it summer and you’re seeking shade from the blazing heat, perusing peaches that look ripe to explode with juices? Can you imagine the opposite season to the one you find yourself in?

Pause

 Is there anyone around you, sharing this space? Or are you alone? If there are people here, do they seem comfortable? Are they chatting with friends and acquaintances more than they’re buying things? Do they seem comfortable and at home here or might it be their first time at the market? My favorite thing about this market is the people. Look at them. Or if you are alone, imagine them. Just for a moment, each of them so special. They are the heart of this space.

Now, let’s get moving. As you continue listening, I invite you to move around the space at your own pace and as you are able. As you move, we are going to go on a journey into the past. This is the seed of our journey, our start. As mentioned, this spot can look so different each season but imagine how different it looks through time? This land has been respected and taken care of by Indigenous people through many eras up to today, including the Missisaugas of the Credit—this is their traditional and territorial land. This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon agreement between Anishinaabe, Hodinöhsö:ni’ and other nations. This covenant centers on sharing territory, leaving enough for all and protecting the land. I invite you to continue reflecting and lead with kindness and respect within this and all spaces.

Now I want us to consider what this space looked like a thousand years ago. Take a moment to consider this. There would be no roads, no traffic sounds, no buildings here. So what would be here?

Beat

Now let’s consider 500 years ago. Does it look any different than it did 1000 years ago?

Beat

And now, what about 195 years? That’s a pretty specific number. That’s because 195 years brings us to the birth of the Market. It may not have been right here, where we are together today, initially, but the community that is the Guelph Farmers Market began 195 years ago.

Soundscape of carriage comes back and the sound of distant chatter of the townspeople

We are gonna play a bit of a game here. I’d like us to think and imagine the way a child does. Please find a wall to lean against. Somewhere that is clear of obstructions and that allows you to view and connect to this location and imagine it changing around you. Take a minute to find a spot. I’ll wait.

Pause

Ok. Are you ready? If not, that’s ok. Take your time to find a spot, but start imagining along with me while you do. Let’s imagine the building walls slowly turning into wood. As the market walls once were. Before the market was even in this location. The seed has been planted with the vision to have local farmers and surrounding communities come together and exchange their products. It is not much yet but, like any seed, it grows quickly as it’s nurtured. The growth is so quick that the townspeople beg for a new, more permanent market to be built.

Sounds of voices getting louder

It is becoming clear to us this market is more than a seed now, its growing roots need a thicker soil to dig into. In 1857, a building is constructed. In 1874, a second floor is added that houses a concert hall. This seed is quickly growing into something so much more.

The Market really blossoms when the Ontario Provincial Winter Fair finds its home in Guelph in 1898. The Market is proving it is here for the long run as the surrounding communities expand their boundaries. This seed is growing branches that are reaching out further and further to provide. 

The market continues to grow and adapt as the world around it changes. Let’s bring our imagination forward slightly to 1939. The Second World War has begun and the market pauses. This site is used to respond to its present moment. The market building of that era temporarily became a training ground for soldiers before they went overseas. Even after this, the market lives on.

Finally in 1968, the Winter Fair has moved to Toronto and the market building of the time is being adapted into a new City Hall. So the Guelph Farmers Market finds its new home here, in what was once the Winter fair’s Show Horse Barn. This is where we stand together now. [BEAT]  Can you feel the roots? [BEAT]  Can you feel the branches? [BEAT]  Can you feel the heartbeat here?

Play sound of heartbeat

  There are families that have been in the space for over 50 years. There is such a rich history within these walls and the families that keep coming back every Saturday. There are so many histories here we have not covered today. Individual histories, bigger histories, ones we might be able to find out and ones that will remain a mystery for forever. Just because a history is not documented does not mean it does not still influence the space.

So I guess the question is; what now? We’ve witnessed this place start from a simple seed, and transform into something that has changed and developed alongside the world around it, yet still retaining and nurturing a feeling of home, belonging and community. [BEAT] Scientists have said 7 years is all we have to make a positive change to keep this beautiful world, well, beautiful. This is all the time we have until the damage we have done can’t be reversed. [BEAT]  When we think about the way this market provides local food for people and its impact on the community, what can we do? [BEAT]  What can places like this teach us about ways to  nurture and create community and care for the land? [BEAT] 

I’m hungry. Are you hungry? Places like this with so much nourishment always spark that it me. If you are inside, please go outside into the outdoor section of the market. There are two doors at either e nd of the indoor space that lead you towards the outdoor stalls.

Are you there? If you need a minute to get outside, please pause the audio. I’ll wait for you here.

Out here, even though it’s a concrete parking lot, seeing the vendors with their mud covered trucks and picked that day produce, makes me feel closer to the land. Like my fingers can feel the soil. Like I can hear the wind brushing through a corn field.

Look around for a bit. Can you find a table with a big picture of a gala apple on it? I know, lots of apples look the same. Look for the one that’s red, and has the letters “G-A-L-A” on it. That may help.

Have you found it? When you do, there will be a spot for you to leave your mark. Nothing permanent, but still a way for you to mark your history, to show the world that you were here today. Part of this place and its story. Don’t worry about being too artistic. Maybe make a shape. Or write a message. There are different options so follow whatever your path is today. You can pause this audio to focus on your task. I’ll wait for you.

Welcome back. Take a moment to show the person in front of you what you created. And they’ll have something for you.

If you are comfortable, please enjoy. The muffin is upcycled. That means it was made using food that would have otherwise gone to waste. There’s so much food we waste outside of places like this. But markets are wonderful because they are some of the few places food is truly valued. Every individual strawberry and radish is treated with care and  appreciation. If you’re eating, I hope you appreciate the muffin. This experience is a part of you now. No matter where you go, this time we’ve spent together is now a part of your body. Hopefully it’s a part that makes you remember to slow down and take in the beauty around us.

We have done a lot of looking outwards but I’d like to leave you alone for a moment to look inwards. [BEAT]  I invite you to find where you think the heartbeat of this location is, where the seed was planted, and head there now.

Pause

Where is the center of this space? [BEAT]  Where you can see all the beauty of the branches around you?

Pause

Now I am gonna ask you something before we part ways. We may never meet again, but I hope we do. [BEAT]  Looking around, how do you fit into all of this? You have gone all the way back with this space and watched it sprout into something spectacular but how can you water this plant? [BEAT]  What seed can you plant? [BEAT]  What is next?