Monthly Archives: December 2017

LAST MARKET OF THE YEAR! WE RETURN JANUARY 4TH.The Winter Solstice is at 11:27 am on December 21st in Toronto. By the time the market opens, we will be on the other side of the darkest day, and turning toward the light again.

Jennifer Osborn of All Sorts Acre is kindly making a stop at her neighbours, the Filsingers‘, to pick up organic cider for us. We plan to have a pot on the stove (with some of Urban Harvest’s exceptionally good cinnamon sticks tossed in) to share with farmers, vendors, neighbours, friends, and strangers.  Richard Underhill will come to make merry music until he has to go join the revelry in Kensington. Please join us for a cup of good cheer! Oh, and could you toss a cup into your market bag to bring along? We may run short.

All Sorts Acre will bring along extra bottles of cider to sell, alongside lovely crafts and D.I.Y. kits, yarn, sheep’s milk, delicious Shepherd’s Pies and lamb.

For those who like their cider with more of a kick to it, Mark Skinner will be making a special trip down. “Windswept Cider can help you celebrate the holidays with some organic, bubbly cider this season. Share with friends or keep it for yourself to get through the family dinner! Cheers from Mark & Courtney”

Shared Harvest returns this time, so we will be full to bursting again, with vendors outside too.

“Our trusty kale-boggan is putting on miles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available this week: Jerusalem artichoke, arugula, red beets, candycane beets, gold beets, white beets, orange carrots, purple carrots, paris atlas ball carrots, celery root, bagged green kale, bagged purple kale, yellow onions, shallots, parsnips, parsley root, UNROASTED PEANUTS, watermelon radish, raddicchio, rutabaga, salad mix, spinach, turnips, butternut squash! Love, Everdale”

Did I hear a mention of LOCAL ORGANIC PEANUTS? Wow, very cool.

If you didn’t get an advance order in with DeFloured, not to worry. Krista and Chris are bringing extra goodies along this week. If you haven’t tried their mince tarts, you don’t know what you are missing. Don’t even get me started on the salted-caramel-chocolate ones….

Marvellous Edibles has an incredible array of baking and special holiday items, too. It’s so amazing having farmers at the market who are also chefs, bakers and charcuterie makers!

Blythe from Spade & Spoon has assembled lovely gift packages, Urban Harvest has wonderful little delights; in fact, almost everyone has prepared something extra special. We really hope you can come.

Thank you all for your support of the market this year. With renovations of unknown scope on the horizon, 2018 may be quite an adventure. We’ll be counting on you to stick by us.
See you at the last market of 2017!
Anne Freeman

This week’s vendors:

Ali Harris: rotis, fritters, fish sandwiches, beverages
All Sorts Acre: lamb, sheep’s milk, yarn, felting kits, crafts, Shepherd’s Pie
Bees Universe: honey, beeswax candles, eggs, bee products–MAY BE ABSENT-weather dependent
Chocosol: chocolate, coffee, drinks
Country Meadows: olives, oil, eggs, cheeses
Culture City: fermented foods, condiments
DeFloured: gluten-free baking
Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
Everdale: fresh organic produce
Forbes Wild Foods: nuts, mushrooms & other wild foods
Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas
Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
Monforte Dairy: cheeses of many kinds
Shared Harvest: fresh organic vegetables, herbs
Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
Ted Thorpe: fresh produce
Urban Harvest: body care, seeds
Windswept Cider: local hard ciders and perry

 

It’s great to hear the reactions of people when they discover the market. Here are first impressions from Jack Harding, a chef and new market fan: “I went on Thursday last week, and was so overwhelmed (in the best way possible). So many farmers, fresh veggies, great ingredients, meats, mushrooms, chocolates, breads, and anything else you could crave. I put together a collection of roasted root vegetables that are all in season, paired with the beautiful cheeses I bought and fresh bread….It included roasted sun chokes, leeks, red onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and they were so flavourful!” Exactly, Jack, and welcome!

Here’s this week’s list of delicious produce from Wolf Chrapko of Everdale Farm: “Arugula, jerusalem artichokes, red beets, chioggia beets, gold beets, white beets, orange carrots, purple carrots, paris atlas carrots, celeriac, green kale, purple kale, red storage onion, yellow storage onion, shallots, parsnips, parsley root, red radish, watermelon radish, rutabaga, salad mix, spinach, turnips, black futsu winter squash, butternut winter squash, musque de provence fairytale pumpkins. Yee haw!”

Another impressive list: All Sorts Acre will have lovely handcrafts, natural colours of yarn, needle felting kits, dryer balls, a very limited number of beautiful soft sheepskins, lamb, sheep’s milk, and Shepherd’s Pies.

Apologies to those who were disappointed not to find Angelos back last week as we expected. Blame the airline! His flight was delayed and he couldn’t get ready in time to make it. Better luck this time–we certainly hope! Country Meadows will have lots to stock up on, including cheeses, olives, oil, eggs and more.

Marvellous Edibles is getting ready for the festive season with stollen, charcuterie, and other special products in addition to their usual array of meats, vegetables, and preserves.

Shared Harvest, Pine River, and Bees Universe will be absent this week, which means we have just enough room to fit everyone else inside. Whew! Sometimes things work out.

Don’t forget to bring your Loyal Eaters Card and participate in our weekly mini-draw.

Another reminder: we’ll have a lovely solstice market on the 21st, but we will NOT be open on December 28th.

See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

This week’s vendors:
Ali Harris: rotis, fish sandwiches, fritters, drinks
All Sorts Acre: sheep’s milk, yarn, lamb
Chocosol: chocolate, coffee, drinks
Country Meadows: olives, oil, cheeses, eggs
Culture City: fermented foods, condiments
DeFloured: gluten-free baking
Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
Everdale: fresh organic produce
Forbes Wild Foods: nuts, mushrooms & other wild foods
Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas
Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
Monforte Dairy: cheeses of many kinds
Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
Ted Thorpe: fresh produce
Urban Harvest: body care, seeds

P.S. Looking for winter pursuits? Here’s a novel idea (sorry, couldn’t resist):

Environmental Book Club
Date: Friday January 26, 2:30-4:30pm
Location: The Tollkeeper’s Cottage, 750 Davenport Rd (NW corner Davenport Rd and Bathurst St)
RSVP: Please email greenneighbours@gn21.ca for a pdf of the reading material.
January readings focus on farmer, poet and cultural critic Wendell Berry.
Admission: Free. Everyone welcome.

There’s frost on the kale patch, but there will be plenty of good veg (including greens) at the market.

We’re also looking forward to a special visit from the Sosnicki Organic Produce gang: “Ben, Sadie and I are coming to town tomorrow to say hi and spread cheer with perogies and cabbage rolls! Come by, say hi and grab a pack or two for the holidays! So excited to see everyone and to have the food to share again!! ”

We’re glad that Sadie Sosnicki is playing hooky from kindergarten to come along. It seems like such a short time ago that we were celebrating her birth, but she’s soon to be big sister to three little farm boys!

This week’s tasty treats from Everdale  include a few wonderful vegetable varieties. Impress your friends or your kids by cooking up some paris atlas carrots, and maybe a black futzu winter squash or a fairytale pumpkin!

Here’s the list: Jerusalem artichokes, arugula, red beets, chioggia beets, gold beets, white beets, bok choi, cabbage, orange carrot, purple carrot, paris atlas carrots, celeriac, baby chard, cilantro, green kale, purple baby kale, leeks, red storage onion, yellow storage onion, shallots, parsnip, parsley root, rutabaga, salad mix, spinach, turnips, black futzu winter squash, butternut winter squash, musque de provence fairytale pumpkins.

Jennifer Osborn of All Sorts Acre has about the funnest excuse ever for missing the market. She’s going to Ice Cream School! She’ll be back next time with many lovely potential gifts to choose from, including yarn and felted items, but you’ll have to wait a while for the ice cream.

Andrew McIlmoyle from Waymac also has to miss the market. He says there has been ‘too much weather interference’ for mushroom production.

I am sorry to share a sad message from Tamas and Sandra Dombi of Kind Organics:

Dear farmers’ market friends & customers,
It is with mixed feelings that Sandra and I write this email to you. Following two months of dialogue about our future, prompted by some recent health challenges along with some traumatic staffing issues, we have decided that it is time for Sandra and I to take a year off from our hectic 7-day a week 9-year farming marathon and heal. This decision has not been made lightly, and we recognize the far reaching effect that this will have.

At this time we are working on finding a buyer for Kind Organics so that it may continue to operate without us. We deeply appreciate your kindness and willingness to invest in a little farm to help us grow. And grow we did! THANK YOU from the deepness of our hearts.

These past 9 years of farming have been challenging but also truly wonderful and it has been an honour and a privilege to grow your food. We have truly enjoyed working with plants, with nature and with our loving and loyal customers! If you think of someone who might be interested in continuing with Kind Organics please pass on our info.
Much Love,
Tamas and Sandra Dombi
416-992-1444, kindorganics@gmail.com

Note that Kind Organics will continue to come to Dufferin for the foreseeable future.

Marvellous Edibles will have fresh pastured Berkshire pork along with their impressive selection of other foods.

Shopping for holiday treats? Have a look at beeswax candles and skin cream from Bees Universe, seeds and tinctures from Urban Harvest, chutneys and other preserves from Spade & Spoon, ChocoSol chocolate, dried mushroom blends or maple treats from Forbes Wild Foods, teas and herb blends from Kind Organics, and more!
See you at the market,
Anne Freeman

This week’s vendors:
Ali Harris: rotis, fish sandwiches, fritters, drinks
Bees Universe: honey, eggs, bee products
Chocosol: chocolate, coffee, drinks
Culture City: fermented foods, condiments
DeFloured: gluten-free baking
Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
Everdale: fresh organic produce
Forbes Wild Foods: nuts, mushrooms & other wild foods
Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas
Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
Monforte Dairy: cheeses of many kinds
Pine River: organic vegetables, dried fruit & nuts
Shared Harvest: fresh organic vegetables, herbs
Sosnicki Organic Produce: organic produce and prepared foods
Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
Ted Thorpe: fresh produce
Urban Harvest: body care, seeds

• Don’t forget to bring your Loyal Eaters Card! If you haven’t got one yet it’s not too late.
• We’re open every Thursday from 3 to 7pm year-round, except for December 28th (the one between Christmas and New Year’s).
• The construction that has blocked most of our little access street all season is almost finished. There’s legal Thursday afternoon  parking at the north end of the park, across from the high school.