The annual farmers market on Main Street opened for the season this week at Thornton Park in front of Pacific Central Station.

Main Street Market is the only mid-week farmers market in the city, which makes it popular with chefs shopping for their weekend menus.

Chefs who regularly shop at Main Street Market include Rob Belcham and Ted Anderson of Campagnolo, Joe Chaput and Jenny Shearman of Au Petit Chavignol, Jonathan Chovancek and Lauren Mote of Kale and Nori restaurants, and Andrea Potter of Rooted Nutrition.

This is also a good opportunity to note the monthly cooking demonstrations at the Trout Lake Farmers Market this summer. Market Kitchen invites some of the city's best chefs to demonstrate their knife skills. The schedule includes: Karen Barnaby, executive chef at the Fish House in Stanley Park, June 16; Ned Bell, executive chef at the Four Seasons, July 21; Andrea Carlson, chef and owner of Burdock & Co., Aug. 18; Angus An, chef and owner of Maenam, Sept. 22; and Quang Dang, executive chef of West, Oct. 20. For more information, visit eatlocal.org.

Go ahead collar

If you have anything to say about dogs and city parks, now is the time-seriously.

The park board has drafted new guidelines intended to help improve its network of dog off-leash areas. Vision Vancouver park board vice-chair Aaron Jasper says staff was asked last summer to draft new principles regarding off-leash parks.

"I think whatever we come up with, the focus of our off-leash areas is going to be they have to be fenced or physically separated," Jasper said.

He added the board recognizes off-leash areas must be equally distributed across the city. "We recognize that dogs are part of the family, but we also want people to be able to use our parks and feel safe. We want this policy to be respectful of all users."

On-leash dogs are welcome in all Vancouver parks and off-leash areas can be found in 35 parks, five of which are fenced.

To better gather public opinion, the city has a new web page containing the draft guidelines. You can read comments or post your own by visiting vancouver.ideascale.com and choosing the "Talk Dog Off-Leash Areas" option. Feedback will be collected until July 4, after which staff will review comments and report back to the board. Further public consultation will take place on specific improvements to off-leash areas, which should begin later this year. Comments are also welcome by email to pbcomment@vancouver.ca or by mail to Vancouver Park Board, Attn: Dog Off-Leash Areas, 2099 Beach Ave., Vancouver V6G 1Z4.

Food and beverage

NPA commissioner Melissa De Genova is bring forward a motion on notice to the June 11 park board meeting recommending catering be discontinued for staff briefings. De Genova says in light of the fact the board is struggling with budget cuts, the cost to provide food and beverages at staff briefings is an expense that should be eliminated.

sthomas@vancourier.com

Twitter: @sthomas10