Spring Rains, Growing Pains and Good Things to Eat

We’re moving a few of the vendors who usually set up on the path ‘up top’ today (Country Meadows, Spade & Spoon, Forbes Wild Foods and Culture City) and the farmers are walking their harvests in from the curb, but the market will be humming in the rain, if not quite singing! Everdale is putting up an extra tent to be sure market-goers have a nice covered spot along the path.

It’s no easy feat to provide a steady supply of produce early in the growing season, especially when weather conditions have been so challenging. Kevin Hamilton from Shared Harvest farms has had a really tough start this year because the farm is on a flood plain, so it will be a few more weeks until we see him, and Knuckle Down Farm will be absent this week as they’ve got a lull between crops without enough to harvest. Luckily, we’ve got some farmers with lots to feed us! The Harvest Team at Plan B (see above) is in fine form, and here’s news from some others:

Kyle sends the Everdale report: “We’ll have asparagus, parsley, cilantro, romaine heads, arugula, salad mix, spinach, radish, salad turnip, bok choi, beets, carrots and some other storage roots.”

Marvellous Edibles will have asparagus too. Now is the time to enjoy it! This may be the last week for another spring treat, wild leeks from Forbes Wild Foods. 

Sosnicki Organic Produce contribution: “Busy week on farm planting! The rain we got over the long weekend was perfect, so field crops are doing fantastic so far! Within a couple weeks we will have big heads of field lettuce and also bunched beets and carrots from the greenhouse! For now more of the same spring bounty: White Turnips, both kinds of Radishes, and Salad Mix, and from storage our Potatoes, Carrots and Beets!” Jessie

Waymac Farms will be back, and Andrew says he’s hoping some beautiful pink oyster mushrooms will be ready to bring.

Sadly, Floralora Flowers won’t be able to attend the market anymore. All that beauty will be missed! Sas asked me to include a note of thanks to all her regular customers for being so wonderful and supportive.

Remember how we promised that there would be something new each week for the next while? Well, here come the introductions! We have not just one, but two new vendors this time, who will be joining us as part of a rotating roster of new food entrepreneurs, all contributing to our lively local food scene:

Welcome to Rescue Dogs: “a 100% Vegan Hot Dog & Street Fare company offering hand made, locally & organically sourced Hot Dogs (from a recipe crafted over years of trials) as well as Sloppy Janes (gluten free and chock full of protein!) and home prepared condiments including Vegan Cheese Sauce, Sauerkraut, Tempeh Bacon, a Pancake bun, and more! Our buns are locally baked and each and every piece of food is hand prepared for your enjoyment. A portion of every sale will be donated to local animal shelters and animal assistance programs, and we are elated to be the first ever group to officially partner with Humane Societies across Southern Ontario.” You’ll find the Rescue Dogs cart across from the Dufferin Park Bakers at the south end of the building on the fourth market of the month.

Along the west side, look for Baha’s Foods. Hiren and Johnny make organic Indian-style snack foods such as Samosas and Potato Rolls, with surprising and delicious international variations alongside the traditional fillings, and amazing hot sauces to top things off. You can purchase their products fresh-cooked to enjoy at the market, or frozen to take home.

We’ll publish a list of all the rotating vendors so you can see who’s coming when. Have a look at the list below for the rest of the wonderful crew that will be happy to see you, rain or no.
See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

This Week’s Vendors:

Ali Harris
Baha’s Foods
ChocoSol
Country Meadows
Culture City
DeFloured
Dufferin Park Bakers
Earth & City
Everdale
Forbes Wild Foods
Kind Organics
Marvellous Edibles
Monforte Dairy
Plan B
Rescue Dogs
Sosnicki Organic Produce
Spade & Spoon
Stas
Tapioca Toronto
Waymac Farms