Gratitude News

Hello Market Friends:

This week, we send our thanks and very best wishes to Reverend Gary van der Meer of St. Anne’s, who is moving to a new position in Ottawa. Gary has been a great market and community supporter, and will be much missed!

I also want to tell you about four women who hold up a big piece of the market sky. But let’s begin with the news about what’s to eat, because our vendors have been very busy creating tasty new things for us!

Calling all Vegans! Rafael of Tapioca Toronto has an excellent announcement: “We have just added frozen vegan cheese buns to our products, made with potato, squash, tapioca flour and vegan cheese from Wandering Deli.”

More Momos! Lhundup and Tsewang now have a momo choice for every day of the week. Check out their assortment.

Mini Bread (Tomato & Basil)
from Alma Bakery, $3.50

If you’re shopping for one, or feel like variety, Alma Bakery has new Mini Breads in Tomato-Basil, Herb and Garlic, and Multi-Seed, perfect with hummus or olives.

Matilda has returned, in the buff. If you don’t know what the heck we’re talking about, head to Monforte Dairy’s cheese list!

Next, I hate to break it to you, but several of our farmers are running out of provisions.

Stock up on poultry and baking this week, because after this market, Marvellous Edibles (Jens and Ayse) will take a six week break.

Sosnicki Organics will be at market this week and next, but Jessie predicts they won’t have much left after that.

Sundance Harvest will return in April.

Don’t panic! We still have fresh sprouts from Essa, mushrooms from Summergreen, kale and sweet potatoes from Nature’s Way, potatoes (including three kinds of fingerlings) from  Canadian Organic Seed Company, and lots of apples and pears from Reyes Farms.

As well, our good friends at Plan B Organic Farms will be helping us out once again. Beginning next week, they will provide us with a choice list of certified organic produce to add to our fresh selection.

Ted Thorpe is getting a jump on spring and has all sizes of worm castings available to give your houseplants, lawn and garden a rich treat.

Now, as promised, I want to tell you about four very special women. Oddly, I don’t think they have ever met, but together they have made many things possible.

For those who don’t already know her, allow me to introduce Ellen Manney, who has hosted and attended a multitude of meetings, written countless letters, and provided wisdom and humour on call for many years. Ellen is perpetually curious, knows how to defuse a tense moment with a laugh, and is not afraid to call ‘bullshit’! She cares deeply about organic farmers, clean food, community, and social justice–what more could we ask for?

Mary Lou Harrison, Director of Partnerships and Administration at St. Anne’s, has one of the most ‘can-do’ personalities I have ever encountered. When we reached out for help in the early weeks of the pandemic, I knew that Mary Lou was rooting for our team from the moment she mentioned “contactless church step pick-up”. She has been a staunch supporter of the market during our time at the Parish Hall, steadily solving problems and spreading good cheer. Even when she appeared with a cast on her broken ankle last week, you could see the smile behind her mask.

In 2002, Mary Wigle brought bread pudding to the potluck meeting between community members, park staff, and farmers that launched the market. In recent years, Mary has quietly contributed to the community via the market, making it possible for us to undertake projects and offer special events, and giving us the financial buffer we have needed at critical moments. In fact, we wouldn’t have had the nerve to leap into setting up the online market without her support. Even while struggling with health challenges, Mary continues to care about the future of the market, and we are tremendously grateful for her generosity.

When we started to operate online, Mary pitched in to help with deliveries. Unfortunately, her Great Dane puppy interfered with the best laid plans!

Even though our first months online were a big success, we had a lot to learn about running a much more complex operation, and it took time to find efficiencies that would make the undertaking sustainable. Alissa Hamilton is a long-time regular who decided she would rather invest in the market than a solar bond. When asked how we could thank her, Alissa’s reply included that we all know ‘there’s no such thing as free kale’!

Recently, Alissa forwarded a link to an article about Serviceberries and the concept of Gift Economies. It seems fitting to include in conclusion to this little tribute to some of our wonderful ‘Market Angels’.

Take Alissa’s advice and listen to the author read the article aloud for a treat: https://emergencemagazine.org/story/the-serviceberry/

With heartfelt gratitude,

Anne & the Market Team

P.S. This sweet little lost boot is waiting for its owner in a sheltered spot, hanging from the mailbox at 276 Gladstone (St. Anne’s Church Office).