Meet me at the Market

Story and photo by Tina Hennigar
Arguably, you can taste the difference between a strawberry grown in Nova Scotian soil and one brought in from California.  The local berry just tastes sweeter. 
At Wiles Lake Farm Market, bakers, 
Izzy Pawit, Tracey Nillson, Brandi Cole and Brenda Verreaul. make sure that your berries, that have been grown and picked locally, are made even more inviting by their freshly baked biscuits. 
Thanks to Covid-19 there has been a new and welcome level of gratitude and appreciation for food service workers. These workers are key members of 
the group of essential workers who are credited with helping to keep the rest of the world home, safe and fed.
Team-work and problem solving are 
key strengths that help Wiles Lake Farm Market adapt to change.
Elspeth McLean-Wile, owner of Wile’s Lake Farm Market, credits her team for keeping the market going through all the challenges saying, “Through thick and thin they stand with me!” 
William Naugler wears one of the many smiles that will greet you at the market. Will is not new to agriculture. This is 
his second summer at the market, and he’s worked on his family’s chicken 
farm. Will’s certainly no stranger to hard work. “You can’t be lazy working at the market,” he said of his experience and of his fellow co-workers.  “Things change from week to week,” Will said about the operations due to safety measures and evolving restrictions, “So you have to be willing to adapt.” 
According to Elspeth, he and the rest of the team have adapted incredibly well.  
"I have been so impressed with how 
all our staff have been willing to offer 
up suggestions of how we can make changes in our store layout and how we can serve our customers under the COVID 19 circumstances,” she said. 
 “Their patience with explaining our set up to customers has been remarkable. I am very proud of them all." Will also said that, being a food service worker, you have to be a good problem solver, sharing that when they were unable to scoop 
ice cream, they decided to package 
ice cream in containers instead.  When asked what the best part of the job is, he paused, saying he likes it all because it changes. But then he added that it was the customers that made it the most rewarding. 
​"People are so appreciative. You get to see the same faces and they’re just so happy to have us open to serve them,” he said. Will hopes to pursue agriculture in the future and is working to save for college. 
"He is always polite and seemingly takes it all in stride," Elspeth said of her youngest team member who attends Park View Education Centre. "We love Will!"
Learn more:  
www.wileslakefarmmarket.com