The Equinox Market News: Best of Two Seasons

This year’s September equinox occurs on market day (at 10:21 in Toronto, or 14:21 Universal Coordinated Time, if you prefer) but we’ll have a lovely 12 hour and 9 minute day between sunrise and sunset. You’ll need another newsletter editor to explain the scientific details of that bonus. What I can tell you is that each year, once sunset comes before 7 pm, we move the market up to the rinkpad so we can take advantage of the lights at twilight. Our first rink market will be October 6th. Please help to spread the word!

Many of us will remember the challenging heat and drought of summer 2016, but it hasn’t been all bad for local food production. Ideal conditions at pollination time and lots of sunshine contributed to a bumper crop of apples this year, and it’s not just a large harvest, it’s an exceptionally sweet and flavourful one. Grape growers and winemakers are pleased, too. We should have a good selection of these fruits at the market this week and for a while ahead.

In case you didn’t hear the news last week, we have another market baby! Congratulations to Erika and Andrew of Waymac Mushroom Farm on the arrival of Wren Sylvia. Andrew will be at the market with more of their beautiful oyster mushrooms (like the ones in the photo up top) and shiitakes.

Another piece of news from last week is the arrival of Monforte Dairy at Dufferin. Step right up and try some of their many delicious cheeses, all locally made from sheep, goat, cow, or water buffalo milk.

From Jenny at Knuckle Down Farm: “We will have lots of Tomatoes for you this week: sweet cherry, paste, assorted field tomatoes, rich and lovely heirlooms. Come and stock up, fall is just around the corner!”

Jenny is right; warm weather crops won’t be around forever. Enjoy all the beautiful beans, ripe red peppers, sweet onions, eggplants, tomatoes, basil, zucchini and other summertime favourites while you can! Fall delights including leeks, carrots, potatoes, kale, squash and more are coming on strong, too!

TC’s Tibetan Momos will be back by popular demand, and we’ll have Fressy Bessy Ice Pops as well.

Jennifer Osborn of All Sorts Acre will be in attendance with lamb, wool products, duck eggs and ice cream, but away next week, when she’s participating on a panel at the Rural to Rural Conference. If you’re curious about the comparison between local vs. imported lamb in terms of taste or animal welfare, what it means to be a whole animal farmer, or Ontario’s growing ‘fibreshed’ movement, stop for a chat with Jennifer.

Last but not least, Happy Organic Week! Thank you to our organic farmers and vendors, for going the distance to produce food that’s better for us and the Earth.

See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

P.S. How many Monarchs have you seen this month? Join our informal survey by reporting in.

Vendors this week:

Ali Harris
All Sorts Acre
Bees Universe
Chocosol
Country Meadows
Culture City
DeFloured
Dufferin Park Bakers
Earth & City
Everdale Organic Farm
Evelyn’s Crackers
Floralora Flowers
Forbes Wild Foods
Fressy Bessie ice pops
JK Fries
Kind Organics
Knuckle Down Farm
Marvellous Edibles
Mike the Knife Guy
Monforte Dairy
Pine River Organic Farm
Plan B
Shared Harvest Community Farm
Sosnicki Organic Produce
Spade & Spoon
Tapioca Gourmet
TC’s Tibetan Momos
Thorpe’s Organic Produce
Ujamaa Farm
Urban Harvest
VQA Wines: Tawse
Waymac Farms
Ying Ying Soy Food