08/07/25: The apple lady

I first met “the Apple Lady” when I worked in St. Catharines, for a firm located down the street from the market they designed. Every Tuesday and Thursday – when the market was open during the week – I would take a stroll on my lunch hour to visit the vendors, and to see what was newly in-season or especially intriguing that day. “The Apple Lady”, Sidney Beamer, was always there. The Beamer Family Farm, established 1847, had been bringing their produce to the market since 1921, and she was proudly continuing the tradition.

She always occupied a long table on the south side of the market, and from the first time I spoke with her, I knew she came out to do more than just make money – it was her mission to educate. Her daughters and granddaughters, who often accompanied her, were there to learn about the business – to learn how to set-up, to sell, and to interact with customers. The public, who, like me, stopped by before work or on their breaks, were to learn about apples.

From the end of August until nearly Christmas, Beamer Family Farm sold almost every variety of apple grown in the Niagara Peninsula. They understood the nuances of each one – the taste, texture and suitability for baking – and understood that the best way to sell was to let the apple do the talking. With paring knives in hand, the Beamer women stood ready to slice up tasters for any potential customer.

Though they were best known for their apples, they also grew amazing lettuces, beets, new potatoes, and broccoli florets – during Spring and early Summer, before apple season began. In Winter, they sold apple cider by the cup, hot or cold, and in jugs that came with little packages of mulling spices.

Sidney Beamer
905-892-5359
Beamer Family Farm
Established 1847, Vendor since 1921
5th generation farmers
Ridgeville, Ontario