On Thursday, September 11th, downtown Hamilton hosted a charming array of local bakers, crafters, growers and makers selling goods ranging from pickled vegetables and breads to fall-themed jewelry and resin pieces.
The Hamilton market will be happening every Thursday from 5:00-8:00 p.m. until October 30th and highlights dozens of local vendors selling and showcasing their unique creations and products.
Isaac Reed, owner of Arius and Phos, started the Hamilton market as a way to not only bring the community together, but also to uplift and collaborate with the Saturday morning farmers market. Reed also runs the Witches Market, a Magickal metaphysical farmers market he has managed for over 4 years in downtown Hamilton.
Reed has learned his whole life about teas, herbal blends, crystals, and tarot cards from his mother and grandfather. He made his first tea 27 years ago, which is now his signature blend, Arius: a blend of blackberry leaf, orange, and vanilla.
“I started college as an Opera and Music Education major. Between all the different choirs, recitals, musicals, and vocal lessons, laryngitis was my best friend,” Reed said. “That’s why I came up with Arius, it really helped calm my throat and kept my vocal cords cool.”
Arius and Phos Apothecary and Botanica has over 100 types of dry herbs as well as 15 tea blends to choose from and soft launched in September. Each tea has a distinctive themed name, with some examples being “Eve’s Garden,” which includes apples and cinnamon, and “Sick Witch,” featuring raspberry leaves, nettle, and lemon peels.
“I had a woman whose mother was going through chemo and got our Calm tea without the nettle in it, and it helped her when gaining her appetite back,” Reed said.
Arius and Phos also sell various books, tarot, candles, crystals and even holy water. To celebrate their new storefront, there will be a ribbon cutting on October 8th at 229 High Street.
The market had an abundance of vendors aiming to promote wellness and a positive message of togetherness around the Hamilton community. One of these vendors was Ashlie Baumann, the owner of Bea and Esther. She was selling breads, simmer pots, and bouillon seasoning alongside her husband, Brett. Her goal is to be able to deliver homemade gift baskets that include a loaf of bread, a simmer pot, a bible, and various thrifted knickknacks.
“I'm wanting to be like the milkman concept of people calling and ordering fresh bread,” said Baumann. “It’s also inspired by Jesus saying he was the bread of life.”
Baumann first started baking after her mom started battling cancer and wanted to eat healthier and more organically. Eventually, she picked up the healthy lifestyle herself and perfected a healthy bread recipe that she hopes to share with the community with a faith-based gift basket service.
After Baumann sells her bread, she gives back to the community by donating leftovers to the Haven House Emergency Shelter and to the homeless.
Jon Quast is the co-owner of J&J Apiaries and studied bees for five years before being surprised with a hive of his own by his sister and brother-in-law for Christmas. Ever since, Quast has grown his apiary and sold pure raw honey for six years with the help of his partner, Jacob.
“When I got my bees, I had no intention of ever selling a jar of honey. I was so amazed with the bees that [all I wanted to do] sit and study them. After I had my first extraction of 40 pounds of honey, I thought, ‘Now I'm definitely gonna have to sell some because I can’t go through all this honey myself,’” Quast said.
According to Quast, April 2024 to March 1st of this year hasn’t been good for the beekeeping community, with commercial beekeepers in the US losing 60% of their bees, more than doubling the average loss. Quast reports losing two of his four hives going into winter due to a bad freeze, but has luckily built his hives back up to seven as of September.
Quast’s apiary extracts three different cycles of honey per year during spring, summer and fall, with each varying in taste and colouration. He sells these flavors, spicy honey, and bourbon honey in a variety of sizes and in classic teddy bear bottles, as well as a variety of flavored honey sticks and spreadable creamed honey.
Each vendor showed incredibly admirable passion for what they did, with each eagerly sharing specific processes and are excited to be sharing it on Thursdays in Hamilton until the end of October.
