St. Jacob's Farmers' Market

It's a special day out when you visit St. Jacob's Farmers' Market near Waterloo, Ontario. You don't have to spend any money to enjoy it if you are a tourist but I doubt that you will leave without something to remind you of your visit besides photographs. Even if it is one of those Oktoberfest Sausages on a roll like a 'hot dog'.

There is a lot to see and do around St. Jacob's country! Unfortunately, it seems my tour organiser thinks it starts and ends with the Farmer's Market, as that is all we visited. So now it will be a priority to visit all the other attractions when I get back over there!

There are many store holders in the open and more inside of two large pavilions.


As the name suggests, (Farmer's market), you can buy all the fresh produce that comes from farms in the form of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, nuts, dairy and juice/preserves. Megan was able to buy some special bread that agrees with her dietary requirements.
International tourists are more likely to peruse the many stores of crafts and souvenirs and trinkets. OK, so if you've been to one market then you've seen 'em all, right? Wrong!

St. Jacob's Market is within a community that has a strong "Mennonite" population. You will see many "Old Order Mennonites" as you wander about the market. Most actively selling their produce just like any other store holder. I had quite a few conversations with various Mennonite vendors (nothing to do with their religion or culture) and had I been blind, I'd not have been able to distinguish them from others. Well, maybe I would have sensed I was speaking to a more gentler than average person.

Just before I left Crookwell to visit Megan in Canada, we had four young Mennonite girls visit Crookwell and I spoke with them in the Sock Shop. They were from a Mennonite town south of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. When I got home, I "googled" Mennonites as I had been curious since my last to St. Jacobs 11 years ago.

I don't want to make too many statements about Mennonites or Amish culture or history as it would be too easy for me to get it wrong! All I will say is to make you aware that these religions came to being between 4 and 5 hundred years ago. Initially, the Mennonites broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and became persecuted. About a hundred years later, the Amish were a breakaway group from the Mennonites. Sometime much later, the Mennonites split somewhat into two groups, with one of those groups becoming known as "The Old Order Mennonites". They are distinguishable by their traditional way of plain dress, and horse and buggy etc. They shun things of the modern world and use horses rather than cars or tractors, candles rather than electricity etc. Exceptions are made for things like manufacturing sheds where Maple Syrup may be produced.

Children attend regular schools and ride on the "Yellow School Bus". In some communities there are special schools provided by their own community. They are renowned for their belief (as imitating Jesus Christ), that they will not respond with any form of violence, and as I guess it could be said that they would turn the other cheek. For that reason, I'm very curious about how the children cope or are protected from bullying both at school or the wider community?
Other's have indicated that people of these orders don't like to be photographed. I'm not sure exactly what the reason is but thinking about it, "I would be too", even as a inconspicuous person in the population! They don't want to be seen as "freaks" and nor would I like them to feel that way.














I stood at a distance to photograph this young mother with her two children without them knowing. They were standing in-line at a take-away food vendor's caravan where I previously had purchased my Oktoberfest Sausage on a roll. I was taken by the neatness of dress, grooming, posture and the gentleness of the three of them. OK, so their dress is different and plain within their community. The rest of the world dresses for fashion to attract attention to themselves. These people don't possess such vanity!

If you are as curious as I have been to learn and become more familiar with the culture and heritage of the Mennonites, Amish or Old Order Mennonites, then googling and reading wikipedia will be a good way to start.

St. Jacob's Country A highly recommended tourist destination!
Where is Market?: here