The market will be full of good cheer this week. It’s the last one of 2015, and by the time we return on January 7th, the days will be starting to get longer again! Many of the vendors have delightful seasonal goodies (take a look at the assortment of Marvellous Edibles baking, for example), and you’ll want to stock up on all your essential market provisions as well, since we have an unusually long break ahead.
Also note that this is the last trip to market until spring for several of our vendors;Â Urban Harvest, Beretta’s Meats, Pine River and our VQA wineries will be away through the winter.
I’ll admit, there are excellent perks to this job. Last Thursday, as I was doing the rounds to check that all the vendors were ready for ‘showtime’, Ali Harris handed me a piece of his Black Cake. This cake is a marvel. Aged 13 months, it’s dense, moist, and so delicious it pretty much made me forget that anything but the next bite mattered. Get some this week or you’ll have to wait a year to find out what I’m talking about.
Customers who have forgotten their knives keep asking Mike Fohr if he can come one more time. He’s very accommodating, so he’ll bring his sharpening tools again this week, but this really is his last visit until spring.
Kyle Warren writes, “Everdale has your greens with spinach, arugula, tatsoi and kale. We’ll also have carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, rutabaga, winter radish, sunchokes, winter squash and parsley.
Here is a shot from inside our hoophouse this week. More greens to come throughout the winter!”
We are very fortunate to have skilled growers using row covers, hoop houses, greenhouses and hardy varieties to extend the growing season at both ends. One of the great benefits of a year-round market is that it provides incentives and opportunities for farmers to do this. We need local food more than six months a year!
Everyone is warmly invited to the “Chocosol -stice” open house at their HQ (1131 St. Clair West) on Monday December 21st, from 5 pm on. For more information, visit https://www.universe.com/chocosolstice-party-2015 or talk to Byron at the market.
Remember to bring your Loyal Eaters card and get me, Nick from Beretta, or the ‘Zamboni Cafe’ Staff to stamp it. We’re impressed by how many people have perfect attendance so far!
Thank you to all for your support of the market in 2015. To our farmers, vendors, staff, customers, and all your families and loved ones…
Very Best Wishes for Peace, Health and Happiness over the Holidays and in the New Year.
See you at the market,
Anne Freeman
Here are the vendors we expect this week.
(Rinkhouse = North end, Garage = South end)
Akiwenzies’ Fish & More WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Ali Harris RINKHOUSE
Bees Universe WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Beretta’s Meats GARAGE
Chocosol GARAGE AREA
Country Meadows RINKHOUSE
Culture City GARAGE
DeFloured WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Dufferin Park Bakers RINKHOUSE
Everdale Organic Farm OUTDOORS
Forbes Wild Foods RINKHOUSE
Frogpond Farm Winery, OUTDOORS
Kind Organics RINKHOUSE
Marvellous Edibles Farm RINKHOUSE
Mike Fohr Knife Sharpening, GARAGE
Pine River Organic Farm RINKHOUSE
Plan B Organics WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Shared Harvest Community Farm OUTDOORS
Spade & Spoon RINKHOUSE
Thorpe’s Organic Produce GARAGE
Urban Harvest RINKHOUSE
Ying Ying Soy Food WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Driving? Please take advantage of the special Thursday parking hours across from the high school at the north end of the park. It’s just a short walk from there to the market.