The iconic Green Pig Country Market in Salisbury, N.B. burned down to the ground on Monday night.
Located just outside of Moncton, the market has been a part of many families’ traditions, from its staple sunflower festival to classic fall activities.
Owner Dawn Beckwith was putting her kids to bed when she got the call her business was on fire.
Beckwith said when she arrived on Monday night, the flames had reached the main building. The next morning, the Green Pig was destroyed.
Salisbury Mayor Robert Campbell said the community is devastated by the fire.
“Over the years, it’s become part of the social fabric of the community,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “They are one of the economic backbones of this community.”
The Green Pig Country Market has been a part of the community for more than 15 years, Campbell said, and has expanded and developed the business over time. In recent years, it added a café and a corn maze. The market is also home to the New Brunswick Sunflower Festival – which returned for the first time this summer since the pandemic began
But for Campbell, it’s more than a country market; the Beckwiths, the owners, are always giving back to the community, he said.
The market’s Facebook page routinely advertises for discounts when customers bring donations for the local food bank. “From a food safety perspective, the Green Pig provides an enormous service to the region to provide not only food, but affordable food, to our families,” Campbell said.
As of now, the fire remains under investigation, according to Campbell. He said they are going to work with the owners to see what can be done to help them with the current crop ready for harvest.
Since the fire, the Green Pig has been getting plenty of support online.
“I’ve seen videos on TikTok about the Green Pig,” Beckwith said. “I’ve seen so many comments and messages, so it’s been really sweet and really kind. We had no idea we had this kind of impact on everybody so it’s been really, really special.”
The market employs 60 people, she said, and she hopes to be able to keep as many people on staff as possible. There is a full harvest to come, Beckwith said.
“Any support is going right back into the Green Pig and right back to our staff as well,” she said.
For Beckwith, the kindness and response has shown her just how loved the farmers market is and that is how they’ll rebuild.
“It’s sad for everyone, but Green Pig Grown, we’ll come out on top,” she said.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe was set up to help Green Pig rebuild. It raised nearly $1,000 in its first hour, and has now surpassed that amount.
Market engulfed in flames
Campbell said firefighters received a call about 7:51 p.m. on Monday night and were met with smoke close to the Green Pig Country Market.
Firefighters, all volunteers, were out doing training exercises at the time and responded within minutes, Campbelll said. They quickly called on several neighboring departments to help fight the flames.
Bradley MacLeod, Salisbury fire chief, said when they arrived on scene the fire appeared to be coming from behind the main store.
There were 70 firefighters called to assist with departments arriving from Petitcodiac, Havelock, Elgin, Moncton and Riverview. There are no fire hydrants in the village and getting water to the scene was vital, he said.
MacLeod said there is a mutual aid agreement between several departments to assist each other in the event of a fire – both for water and for manpower.
He said the battle was tough, with firefighters needing to use sometimes more than double the number oxygen tanks used during a fire in the area.
No one was hurt during the fire, according to MacLeod.
Social media has been filled with both support for the Green Pig and the fire department, but MacLeod said it was devastating to be unable to save the iconic business.
“Ultimately, it’s sad to lose an iconic location like the Green Pig,” he said.
The market’s owners posted several photos of the damage to Facebook as well.
“I’m not sure what to say… It was a long sad night,” they wrote, in part.
“It’s been really special being a place to bring your family, for you to meet friends and to supply you with everything we work so hard to grow.”
The owner said the market will come back, “even better.”