Carabao Mercado aims to narrow gaps in produce market for Filipino Albertans

Times Photo by Nicole Shelstad. TROPICAL PARADISE: Michael and Charisma Willms at their garden.

By Nicole Shelstad
Taber Times

Many greenhouses exist in southern Alberta, yet none are quite like Carabao Mercado. Towering foliage, vibrant colours, and fragrant fruits—their greenhouse looks like a tropical paradise, far detached from our sun-drenched prairie land. Carabao Mercado caters to the local Filipino population by growing and selling Asian produce.

As of 2021, there were 925,490 people in Canada of Filipino ethnic origin, according to a census conducted by Statistics Canada. The Filipino community in Alberta is also one of the largest in Canada. More than one in five Filipinos in Canada – 22.6 per cent – live in Alberta. Carabao Mercado saw a need for fresh produce and aims to narrow the gap in the produce market for Filipino Albertans.

Michael and Charisma Willms started their greenhouse in 2023, after Charisma expressed a desire for fresher produce with options from home. Charisma is a bubbly woman who exudes passion for her culture and openness to sharing her experiences. She grew up in the Philippines and moved to Canada in 2018, met Michael after relocating to Taber from Manitoba, and the rest is history! Michael is a strong, kind man with a bushy beard and plenty of farming experience. He grew up on the farmland where their greenhouses now reside.

The property is dense with native prairie plant life and farming equipment, showing its history and current utility. Cows also provide this family with income while they pursue this venture. They can be seen peeking over the fence from across the property. Young bulls teeter atop soil mounds overlooking the farmyard, as if gatekeepers to this hidden paradise. Young banana trees speckle the ground between structures, offering just a hint of what’s beyond them.

A mackerel tabby cat with soft grey tones, affectionately referred to as Arthur, followed us throughout our visit. He lay at our feet, basking in the hot summer sun throughout the process. His cares lay only within the affection he received from passersby.

The Willms initially wanted to grow for themselves, but were offered a greenhouse much larger than they had anticipated. Making use of the space and considering expenses, they decided to try selling at markets. They were well received by the community and can hardly keep up with the demand.

Charisma piped up, “Most people who want these products have to travel to Calgary for it, and what they get is not very fresh.” She followed up by saying, “You can come to the greenhouse! A lot of people come here and then harvest vegetables. And it’s good for us too, because they just get what they want and need. That means we can still keep some fresh on the plant or the tree for later.”

Michael interjected, “Rather than picking too much and then having it go bad, it is nice having them come direct.”

“The reason we decided on the Taber Farmers Market was that we knew there were a lot of Filipinos there who didn’t know about us—let’s say, more than half of the people I met there didn’t know us yet,” Charisma recounted from their experience at the Taber Farmers Market on June 19.

Carabao Mercado has 26,000 followers on TikTok, where they share content about tropical gardening, produce, and Filipino culture. In their short life, they have also hosted students from Lethbridge Polytechnic. Through Michael’s connections, a few classes from the college were able to come and see the process of growing tropical plants. They hope to continue with these kinds of events in the future for further exposure and education.

“We’re just two years old, so you kind of don’t expect people to know yet. But yeah, we’re trying to get out there more and let people know who we are and what we do,” affirmed Charisma. “Sometimes we get people in, like, Costco saying, ‘Oh, you’re Carabao Mercado, I love your produce!’ And that’s so nice.”

Michael laughed and added, “We usually have no idea who they are, but they watch videos and stuff on Instagram. And we love the support.”

This year, they are preparing to partner with a nursery in Ontario that grows tropical fruit-bearing plants. “We’re going to be their local distributor for Alberta, Saskatchewan, etc. Then instead of them delivering once a year to people’s places—Calgary, Edmonton, whatever—it’s all just gonna come here and we’ll be the ones selling it,” Michael beamed when disclosing this exciting development.

Carabao Mercado prioritizes partnering with local businesses to be able to offer the most to their customers. Since they have their hands full with farming Asian produce, they bring in other popular items from local vendors to make their stock as well-rounded as possible—locally milled flour, lettuce from across the river, locally harvested honey, to name a few.

The Willms emphasize their commitment to fresh produce by only using non-chemical means of pest control and crop care. Since many of the leaves are used in cooking as well, they want to keep it all as healthy as possible. They import specific bugs to combat pests from a little store in BC called The Bug Lady. Their commitment to pure produce is inspiring and reflected at every point possible. All excess food is either composted or donated to local soup kitchens. Supporting the local community and limiting their waste is another strong point in Carabao’s favour.

Inside their greenhouse, you can see they are excelling with what they have, while still making room for future ventures. They have dug out a large trench in the centre of the grounds for a future pond with waterfalls and a bridge. Trellises covered in various leaves and fruit surround the walking trail, which has been diligently padded out by their busy feet. Bright and lush flowers are a feature among all of the food-bearing plants to increase pollination.

The grounds are dense with foliage—from young banana trees (they have 13 varieties on the go), to moringa plants, to papayas and figs. The variety is truly astounding. The temperature can reach up to 35 degrees Celsius, at which point an industrial fan kicks on. Towering tropical trees are a sight to behold, peeking through the jungle of greenery entangled at their bases.

The Willms hope to eventually make this a destination for locals—whether that means a stroll through their greenhouse, tea on their grounds, or even renting out the space for weddings and events. Carabao Mercado is hitting all the right notes for consumers. They get our seal of approval, and we are excited to see more diverse options in our fresh local produce.