Finally, spring is here and with it comes the opening day of the Sorrento Village Farmers’ Market. As always, the second Saturday in May is the opening day. This year, that is May 12. A favourite in the Shuswap among residents, visitors and vendors, it operates every Saturday morning, 8 to noon, through to Thanksgiving weekend at Sorrento Shoppers’ Plaza on the Trans-Canada Highway.
As the world becomes greener and we all become more conscious of the superior quality of product that has been grown locally, we can more than ever appreciate the opportunity to purchase from local farmers.
Local products are fresher, have travelled a short distance to get to you, and are generally pesticide and preservative free. Those are just some of the good reasons to visit your local farmers market. You support small family farms and local artisans, you meet the farmer and the artist.
While the Sorrento Market celebrates its 13th season of operation, the village of Sorrento celebrates its 100th birthday. Join in the celebration of Sorrento by visiting the Sorrento Market, Sorrento’s community gathering place.
“Come for the freshness; stay for the fun.”
Wander through the stalls of produce, honey, crafts, bedding plants, hanging baskets and more, tap your feet to the music as you go and visit your friends and neighbours.
Supermoon
Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend. The moon will officially become full Saturday, May 5 at 8:35 p.m.
And because this month’s full moon coincides with the moon’s perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year’s biggest.
The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometres) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon.
And not only does the moon’s perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon’s close approach varies by about three per cent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com’s skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular.
This month’s full moon is due to be about 16 per cent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon’s farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon.
Though the unusual appearance of this month’s full moon may be surprising to some, there’s no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn’t enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say.
However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 per cent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao said. The last supermoon occurred in March 2011.
To view this weekend’s supermoon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is.