09/28/2026
Fair warning: this is going to be a long post, and we are not even a little bit sorry. We are highly emotional, proud, grateful and we have something pretty incredible to share. 🥹💚
The Pembroke Farmers’ Market is incredibly honoured - and honestly still a little shocked - to share that we were selected as the winner of the Marketing & Brand Excellence Award!
A huge thank you to the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce for bringing everyone together to celebrate the incredible businesses, organizations, and community builders across our region. And a very sincere thank you to the other participating Chambers of Commerce who reviewed the nominations and selected this year’s winners. We know that process takes time, care, and thoughtfulness, and we are especially grateful for the fairness built into having Chambers outside of our own make those decisions.
Being nominated was already such an honour - especially alongside Algonquin College Waterfront Campus and Swoop Media. To be recognized in the same category as organizations doing such incredible and inspirational work was something we were already proud of. To then hear our name called as the winner was absolutely mind-blowing, we may have blacked out just a little.
This award means so much to us because it recognizes the work we have poured into building the Pembroke Farmers’ Market brand - not just as a place to shop, but as a place to belong.
We have worked hard to create and maintain a brand that feels welcoming, family-friendly, local, a little playful, and open to everyone in our community. From vendor spotlights and market-day posts, to silly crayon drawings, tomato celebrations, market merch, car shows, kids’ activities, event promotions, and every “Meet Me at the Market” moment in between - our goal has always been to tell the real story of this market.
And that story is about people.
It is about the farmers, the makers, the bakers, the growers, the volunteers, the families, the musicians, the customers, the muddy boots, the fresh food, the handmade goods, the early mornings, the late nights, and the community spirit that make this market so special.
At the end of the awards evening, Cheryl Jordan, owner of The Country Cupboard and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, gave a beautiful speech that really stayed with us. She reminded everyone that so often, we make ourselves small. We keep moving, keep working, keep giving, and forget to pause long enough to celebrate our acheivements and what we have built.
So, we are taking her advice.
We are going to take a moment to celebrate this. Loudly. Proudly. And with a whole lot of happy tears. 🥹
Volunteer work is not always easy. In fact, it is often difficult, exhausting, and thankless. So much of it happens quietly behind the scenes - after work, late at night, between family life, diaper changes, regular jobs, messages, meetings, planning, problem-solving, and the thousand little things that have to happen to keep a market moving.
This recognition reminded us that the work is being noticed.
More than that, it is being appreciated.
And that means more than we can properly put into words. It motivates us. It fills our cup. It reminds us why we keep going.
We are celebrating the volunteers who have poured endless hours into our little market - the planning, posting, organizing, cleaning, setting up, answering messages, solving problems, chasing ideas, and doing all the invisible work that nobody sees but everyone benefits from.
We are celebrating our vendors, who show up with full tables, tired feet, early mornings, late nights, beautiful products, and the kind of heart that makes this market what it is. You are the reason the story is worth telling.
And most of all, we are celebrating our community.
Thank you for giving us the space to grow. Thank you for showing up, sharing our posts, bringing your families, taking selfies at the market, supporting local, cheering us on, and believing in what the Pembroke Farmers’ Market can become.
This award recognizes branding, storytelling, digital presence, and market impact - but to us, it also recognizes heart.
It recognizes a volunteer-run market working hard to build something joyful, inclusive, family-friendly, and proudly local.
It recognizes the power of telling our own story - loudly, warmly, sometimes sassy and always with love for this community.
Thank you, Pembroke. Thank you, Upper Ottawa Valley. Thank you to every person who has helped bring new life, new energy, and new love to the market.
We are proud. We are grateful. And yes, we are more than a little emotional. 🥹💚
As always, we can't wait to Meet You At The Market.
