Kamloops’ newest farmers market is preparing to open next month, the start of what promoters believe will be a long-term foray into production.

The market at Tranquille-on-the-Lake is set to began May 26, when the historic and refurbished, main barn will house visitors and vegetables.

Renovation of that main barn, a showpiece of the proposed Tranquille development, cost developers several hundred thousand dollars. Several acres of farmland at Tranquille have been put into vegetable production, intended to showcase the agriculture potential of the development.

“We’re creating a space that’s a fun place to go for an outing,” said Annette McLeod, who calls herself a “farmpreneur.”

The focus on farming is part of the long-term strategy at Tranquille-on-the-Lake, due in part to an uncertain economy and troubled housing developments, including Tobiano.

Partners have focused on improving agricultural potential, including with irrigation.

The Tranquille site features some of the richest farmland in the Southern Interior and was historically used for production, both as a tuberculosis sanitarium and as a home for people with mental disabilities.

McLeod said the partners behind the project are starting small, but intensively, on the farming side. While the area under production is only a few acres, she said they hope to see as many as three crop rotations using intensive farming techniques.