What Jackson & Logan Bought
A note about the NS Loyal School Voucher Program, and an open invitation for September
June 7 was the first Sunday of our tenth season. The sun was out, the vendors were set up by noon, and before long there were kids weaving between the tables.
Jackson and Logan came in with their Mom and had a plan. They had their NS Loyal vouchers, and they knew what he wanted to do with it. Jackson left with a bag of cookies in one hand and Logan was close behind him with 2 soft stuffed animal tucked under his arm.
Watching that happen is one of the better things about volunteering at a community market. A ten-dollar voucher is not a huge amount of money. But a kid making his own choice about how to spend it, at a table full of things made by his neighbours, is something great to watch.
“A kid making his own choice about what to buy, at a table full of things made by his neighbours.”
What the NS Loyal School Voucher Program is
NS Loyal is a partnership between Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia and the Province of Nova Scotia. Every student in the province — from pre-primary through grade 12, in public schools, homeschools, and Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey schools — receives a $10 voucher to spend at a participating farmers’ market.
The program has also grown to include New Canadians. People who are building a life in Nova Scotia have the same voucher and the same invitation. Starting in September, post-secondary students join the program too. Students at colleges and universities across the province will receive their vouchers in the fall, and those are valid through December 31.
Vouchers can be used for anything a vendor makes, bakes, or grows. Cookies count. Handmade stuffed animals count. Fresh vegetables, bread, jam, handcrafted goods — all of it counts. The one exception is craft alcohol, which is excluded under the program rules.
The Spryfield Farmers Market is a participating market. We are open Sundays from noon to three, at 205 Herring Cove Road in Spryfield.
An invitation for September
We want to make sure the people who have vouchers know we are here — especially the groups who might not have made it out yet.
If you are a newcomer to Canada
If you came to Nova Scotia recently and connected with ISANS or another settlement service, you may have received an NS Loyal voucher this spring. That voucher is still good. Our market is a friendly, low-key outdoor space. There are no crowds to navigate, no long lines. Come at your own pace, look around, and spend your voucher on whatever catches your attention.
If you are starting or returning to a college or university this fall
Your voucher will arrive in September. When it does, we hope you will bring it to Spryfield. Our vendors are local producers and makers — people who live near where you will be studying or living. The market is a good way to find out what this part of the city has to offer.
If you are a kid in Spryfield or the surrounding area
If you have not used your voucher yet, you still have time. And if you already came and spent yours, we would love to see you back anyway. You do not need a voucher to come to the market.
Come find us
The market is free to attend, open to everyone, and the vendors are genuinely glad you are there. Jackson and Logan found what they were looking for on the very first day of the season. We hope you will find something you like too.
Spryfield Farmers Market
Every Sunday • Noon to 3 pm
205 Herring Cove Road, Spryfield, NS
spryfieldmarket.ca
The NS Loyal School Voucher Program is delivered by Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia. For more information, visit farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca/nsl.