The Forecast

Have you noticed how much growth trees are putting on this year? It’s one of the good things about the season we’ve had in Ontario, in contrast to reports of crops that couldn’t be planted due to rain, were lost to flooding, or engulfed in weeds because farmers couldn’t get onto their fields at the necessary time. The diversity built into small-scale organic farms is part of their sustainability, and one of the reasons we’re still seeing great food on market tables. Some good July sun to ripen and sweeten fruits and ‘hot crops’ will bring better news yet. We’re certainly happy about predictions for this Thursday!

Among recent market emails was an offer to add a ‘Weather Button’ to our website, so that we could all be more electronically aware of every little cloud that passes by. NO THANKS.  Those little weather graphics make people stay indoors when they could be out enjoying the day! We would really like market-goers to worry less about the ups and downs of probability of precipitation percentages, and focus more on the importance of steady support for local food producers. While forecasts are often wrong, there’s a very high probability that everybody will need to eat this week, and every week.

So what’s to eat then? Oh yum, it’s July! Sosnicki Organic Produce will have sugar snap peas galore, the first cherry tomatoes, basil, lettuces, patty pan squash and zucchini. Their strawberries are finished, but Ted Thorpe hopes to bring some.

Raspberries are pretty much at peak at Niagara Lavender Farm, there will be cherries too, and it’s the week for French Lavender (with a scent worth fainting for).

On the Forbes Wild Foods table you’ll find Saskatoon Berries.

Garlic Scapes, all kinds of greens, oyster mushrooms, tender young carrots and white salad turnips will be abundant.

Everdale will have a rainbow of fresh herbs and produce, beautifully arranged by expert grower and faithful market news correspondent Kyle Warren. I have to share the bittersweet news that this is Kyle’s last week. We wish him the very best in his ventures and adventures, and hope that one day in the not too distant future he’ll send a postcard from his own organic farm.

Check the list below for this week’s rotating vendors. All your favourite regulars will be cooking up a storm (the good kind) as well.

For the kids, StoryTent is back! This little oasis, designed to inspire a love of reading, is offered as a gift to the market by the wonderful Jade Guthrie and her team of volunteers. We’ll also have visitors from JobStart with information on youth employment programs. That’s not all:

We’ve been talking a lot about how to reduce waste at the market and beyond, and this week we’ll have displays and activities for all ages, including another sewing bee to launch our Toronto Market Network Boomerang Bags. As soon as we’ve made enough, people who forget to bring their own will be able to borrow these bags, which are made out of fabric diverted from landfill. Will we make enough to supply everyone? Nope, but we’re getting a discussion going that we hope will reach far beyond this project. Come by for a chat! We’ll be sharing interesting examples of waste reduction initiatives from near and far on our facebook page and we’d love to include your ideas too.
See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

Who’s Coming?

Ali Harris
Bees Universe
Cock-A-Doodle-Doo Bakeshop (1st and 3rd markets of each month)
Country Meadows
Culture City
DeFloured
Earth & City
Everdale
Forbes Wild Foods
Fressy Bessie
Kind Organics
Knuckle Down Farm
Marvellous Edibles
Monforte Dairy
Niagara Lavender
Pine River
Plan B
Reimer Vineyards (1st market of each month)
Sosnicki Organic Produce
Spade & Spoon
Stas
TC’s Tibetan Momos (1st market of each month)
Tapioca Toronto
Ted Thorpe
Urban Harvest
Waymac