Monthly Archives: April 2018

What a week! Many an anxious farmer has been watching the weather and the power supply, hoping that seedlings won’t freeze, that there will be water for animals, and that fields won’t flood too badly, among other things. The picture up top is the Sosnickis’ fully planted greenhouse. Spot the leak! We’re hoping all the fallen trees are cleared from the roads so the farmers and vendors can get to market, and that for customers, the chance of a little precipitation will seem like a minor detail compared to what we’ve all had to deal with. There will be lots of tales to trade at the market this time.

Let’s get away from it all with a bit of armchair travel, courtesy of our good friend Pia Perez, who headed to Peru this winter and discovered remarkable food and farming there.

“I have shared some photos here of a type of very colourful Peruvian potato ‘Papa Lisa’ or ‘Olluco’ ~~~ and there were SOOOO many kinds! Every colour you could ever think of and then some more! Also pictured, is the view from the peak of the island Amantani on Lake Titicaca – check out their expert terraces! These folks have been farming, and tending to the land pre-Inca, and there isn’t an inch (or vertical slope!) left uncared for. It was really incredible to see this kind of ingenuity, and agricultural brilliance first hand – very inspiring and beautiful communities over there. Finally, a picture of my adorable llama friend in Cusco!

Thanks Pia! Imagine if we valued our farmland in Ontario so highly? Oh, don’t get me started, this is supposed to be a fun getaway!

We’ll have a full house at the market this week, including a first-time visitor. Sandrine Verhove, a French pastry chef and owner of House of Good, will bring a selection of her organic pastries for us to try. Your feedback is very welcome!

We’ll have another visit from Small Spade, so lovely greens, Bees Universe returns (with the knife sharpener!), and Spade & Spoon, too. Culture City will be in the garage. DeFloured will squeeze into the rinkhouse so everyone will be cozy…but hoping to bust outdoors soon! Lots of people have been asking when we move out, and it won’t likely be early this year. We start spilling out onto the pavement as soon as it gets warm, but we usually wait for the yellow blossoms to fall from the maple trees before moving down to the path, sometime in May. It will come.

The happy winners of this year’s Loyal Eaters goodie bags were Ellen Manney and Miro Wagner. Thank you to everyone who participated in our winter loyalty program!
See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

Vendors this week:

• Ali Harris: rotis, beverages, fritters, smoothies
  
• Bees Universe: honey, candles, eggs, bee products, knife-sharpening
  
• ChocoSol: chocolate and chocolate beverages, coffee
• Country Meadows: olives, oil, eggs, cheese
  
• Culture City: fermented condiments and preserves, tempeh
  
• DeFloured: savoury and sweet gluten-free baking
  
• Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
  
• Forbes Wild Foods: maple syrup, dried mushrooms and other wild foods
• House of Good: organic French pastries 
• Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas, microgreens
• Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
  
• Monforte Dairy: cheeses from many milks
  
• Pine River Organic Farm: organic produce
• Plan B: local and imported organic produce
  
• Small Spade Farm: winter-hardy greens, quail eggs (bi-weekly)
  
• Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
  
• Urban Harvest: seeds, garden amendments, body care

Real estate agents like to mention the market as one of the neighbourhood’s assets, and developers tag us on instagram. Should we be rubbing our hands with glee at the prospect of wealthier customers?

With time-strapped lifestyles come conveniences like big box stores and delivery services to bring groceries ordered online. Farmers’ markets get put into the same category as tourist attractions: something to go to once in a while for a recreational outing: a treat, not a habit. The result at some markets has been more and more ’boutique’ products. We’ve tried to resist that at Dufferin Grove. Although prioritizing support for local, small-scale producers doesn’t mean we’ve got bargain-basement deals, we do care about affordability and want the market to be as accessible as it can be.

Hanging around just about every Thursday, something I have noticed is that the people who keep the market afloat by spending their money at it regularly don’t necessarily have a lot of it. They tend to have coats that are useful in all weather, but those coats may be as well-worn as their favourite shopping bags.

Lately, our attendance has been lower than we’d like. We need a solid customer base if we’re going to continue as a year-round market. We feel concerned about the ways the neighbourhood is changing. We hope new residents and old alike can find time to enjoy coming and learning about where our food comes from and how it was produced, getting to know farmers and neighbours, and supporting fair, sustainable, food production close to home.

Enough musing, here’s some news!

Wolf  Chrapko of Everdale writes: “I will be bringing the following items with me: One Australian Cattle Dog, spinach, arugula, baby kale, salad mix, turnips, salsify, parsnips, peanuts, rutabaga, and carrots!

Very exciting news: Our team of farmers and apprentices has arrived!  We are really looking forward to an exciting season of learning and growth (in and out of the soil!).  Up top is a glamour shot of the new recruits bottle feeding some baby lambs.”

Hey fans, ChocoSol is back every week now! Because who can stock up and save chocolate for two weeks?

Bob Felhazi of Pine River can hardly believe the swings in the weather. He’s covering and uncovering crops as fast as he can. He hopes to send another load from his greenhouse soon, but not yet.  And Mark Skinner of Windswept Cider says, “It looked like spring had sprung but then it went away. I’m hopeful I can get out on the tractor next week. It’s not looking good considering the rain that is in the forecast. I will stay patient and be ready!?” We’ll see Mark the fourth market of the month.

Meanwhile, make the most of April showers by thinking about what you want to grow this spring! Urban Harvest has lots of wonderful choices. Personally, I am looking forward to the dahlia tubers as well as the quick-growing herb and flower seeds.

We will be holding the draw for this year’s Loyal Eaters at 5:00! Two lucky winners will receive a bag of goodies from market vendors. Perfect attendees get a double chance to win!

See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

Vendors this week:

Ali Harris: rotis, fritters, beverages
Bees Universe: honey, eggs, bee products, knife sharpening
ChocoSol: chocolate, coffee, beverages
Country Meadows: olives, oil, eggs, cheeses
DeFloured: gluten-free baking
Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
Everdale: organic produce
Forbes Wild Foods: nuts, maple syrup, mushrooms & other wild foods
Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas
Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
Monforte Dairy: many varieties of cheese
Plan B: organic produce
Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
Urban Harvest: seeds, body care, soil amendments
Vasile Florin: nuts, dried fruits and sunflower oil

On farms like All Sorts Acre, there are new arrivals, and we are happy to welcome back two vendors this week. ChocoSol will also begin attending every week again.

Think gardening! However tiny the space you have may be, you can enjoy the pleasure of planting seeds and reaping an Urban Harvest. Colette and her friendly helpers can provide lots of advice about the conditions needed by different plants, be they herbs, flowers or vegetables. You’ll find Urban Harvest in the rinkhouse.  

Head to the garage for tasty harvests from Pine River Organic Farm! Bob Felhazi called as he was bracing for a spring storm out of the east–a wind direction that’s never good, according to him. Nevertheless, he was preparing to cut spinach, kale, salad mix and arugula from his greenhouses to bring to Dufferin. Pals Larysa and Vasile will be selling it for him.

We are so lucky to have growers with hoophouses and greenhouses so we don’t have to wait for the taste of spring; we’ll also have delicious salad ingredients from Kind Organics, Marvellous Edibles, Plan B and Small Spade Farm,. Make it a green and healthy week!

Don’t forget the cheese, too! Monforte Dairy will have a great selection. 

Our Loyal Eaters program is finished now, so if you haven’t shown us your ten-or-more-stamps card and claimed your reward, please do so this week! We’re going to have the draw for grand prizes next time!!

See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

Vendors this week:

• Ali Harris: rotis, beverages, fritters, smoothies
  
• Bees Universe: honey, candles, eggs, bee products, knife-sharpening
  
• ChocoSol: chocolate and chocolate beverages, coffee
• Country Meadows: olives, oil, eggs, cheese
  
• Culture City: fermented condiments and preserves, tempeh
  
• DeFloured: savoury and sweet gluten-free baking
  
• Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
  
• Forbes Wild Foods: maple syrup, dried mushrooms and other wild foods
• Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas, microgreens
  
• Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
  
• Monforte Dairy: cheeses from many milks
  
• Pine River Organic Farm: organic produce
• Plan B: local and imported organic produce
  
• Small Spade Farm: winter-hardy greens, quail eggs (bi-weekly)
  
• Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
  
• Urban Harvest: seeds, garden amendments, body care
• Vasile Florin: dried fruits, nuts, and sunflower oil from Moldova