A farmers’ market in Rocky View County (RVC) will be hosting its first annual pet expo on Sept. 25 and 26 to showcase pet-friendly vendors offering hand-crafted and locally made products for guest’s four-legged, furry, and feathered companions.
The Homestead Market, located just south of Airdrie city limits near Range Road 11 and Township Road 264, opened to visitors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when owners Cody and Holly Shepherd transformed their boarding kennel business and doggy daycare into a grassroots farmers' market.
“A good chunk of [our vendors] were born out of COVID,” said Holly Shepherd, part-owner of Homestead Market. “Many of them lost their jobs or had slowed down at work…so they had lots of time at home, came up with their small businesses and needed a venue to sell their products.”
With the help of Holly’s mom, Joy Soepono, the husband-and-wife duo renovated their 5,000-square-foot kennel facility into a farmers’ market, photo studio, and event centre as a way to support the local community and give small businesses space to showcase their products and services during the pandemic.
“I think right now more than anything, they need community support and it’s such a great opportunity for us to help them help themselves in a way,” Cody Shepherd said.
He added the shift came at a time when health and travel restrictions and work-from-home mandates resulted in a decline in customers needing care for their pets.
“We had a really good opportunity to reassess what we were doing and what was working and what wasn’t,” he said. “In the boarding industry, you spend a lot of your time taking care of your guests, which [there] is nothing wrong with, but given the opportunity to slow down and change gears a little bit and spend more time with the family, we got out of boarding.”
Since launching their new enterprise, Holly said the Homestead Market has been hosting weekly night markets that feature food trucks, local wares and live music. The décor of the market is reminiscent of an old-time country fair, with barnboard and Edison lights, hay bales, and plenty of room to enjoy a picnic on the grass.
“It was really a win-win for us when we lost our business, [as well as for] small businesses who wanted to sell their products,” she said. “There hasn’t been a whole lot to do in the past 18 months safely and be able to get out and enjoy time with family and be in the community, so that was a way that we were able to do that.”
The Shepherds endeavor to combine their previous pet-centred business with the Homestead Market at next month's Pet Expo. Holly said the expo will include an assortment of pet-friendly goods, such as collars, bow ties, mats, wellness products, and more.
“We’ve had a lot of fun doing the weekly night market and we’re really excited to branch off into more specialty [events] like the Pet Expo,” Cody said.
He added with their experience working in the animal industry for nearly two decades, they have some additional insight into what the community needs, as far as their animal companions are concerned.
“It's no secret people love their pets, and rightly so,” he said. “They are a big part of our lives and [the Pet Expo is about] being able to give them an opportunity to come out in a safe place and also support local pet businesses.
“Everyone has been kind of locked up in their houses and unable to really do anything, so it’s been nice to be able to provide a space for the community to get together in a safe and controlled environment.”
The Pet Expo will be held on-site at the Homestead Market building. Holly said they also share the property to the east with Play Unleashed – a private off-leash dog park.
She added guests are welcome to bring their pets with them to the event to enjoy some play.
The Shepherds will also be hosting several fall and Christmas-themed events in the coming months. Anyone who would like to learn more about Homestead Market is encouraged to visit homesteadmarketalberta.com
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