If you haven't heard of the White Rock Farmer's Market by now, it's definitely not for lack of trying. Thanks to a $20,000 grant by the provincial government, the WRFM has a nice chunk of change to be spent on enhancing the market and getting the word out.

"It's a large part of our budget," said White Rock Coun. and market manager Helen Fathers. "This is so helpful."

The grant comes from the province's Buy Local program, which can provide up to $100,000 per grant request. For this particular request, the WRFM was seeking funds for marketing and hosting an on-site nutritionist to provide free health assessments to market-goers.

"You can only spend these funds on the things that you requested them for," said Fathers. "We also changed advertising, did leaflet drops, did the banner across Johnston road, new signs and a sheet that's basically an easy-to-read info sheet showing what's in season at the market."

On top of the $20,000 from the province, the WRFM also received additional funding from various other sources, bringing the year's total in grants close to $40,000.

"Coupled with the $20,000, we also received $10,000 from the B.C. Association of Farmers' Markets, $7,500 from Vancity and then $1,500 from the City of White Rock," said Fathers. "It's most ever received since the market's been going."

The WRFM has to spend all of the grant money in the year received. However, Fathers said the funding's temporary nature will not change the way the market is operated in forthcoming years.

"We're not dependent on the grants, we're still self-sufficient," said Fathers. "Even if we don't get any grants we can still run a market. Even if we have that kind of injection once in a while it propels us to the next level.

"We're used to not having very much money and we're just grateful to have it this year and hopefully things will progress from there."