The Benefits of Lamb Therapy

Hello Market Friends:

I don’t know about you, but I have a new-found appreciation for my neighbours’ Hallowe’en displays. Last year was terribly gloomy and full of real fear, and I am looking forward to seeing more kids out having fun again, even a cautious, Covid-safe version of fun.

Our friends from Clay and Paper Theatre weren’t sure until very recently if they would put on Night of Dread once again, but they have re-invented the event to go with the times. A full announcement is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Matt and Peter have been working on a Spooky market page to inspire you, and next week, we hope to have more items not only for Hallowe’en, but for the rich and colourful traditions of Dia de los Muertes. Take a walk on the wild side, and try something new!

Homemade costumes and decorations are always my favourites, and edible ones get bonus points! Maybe Julie Swanson needs a couple of fresh bitter melons?

Kawartha Broom Company is away, but Bobby is working overtime to bring us a great selection of brooms for witches, warlocks, domestic gods and goddesses, and scary neat freaks for next week.

I had the very good fortune of visiting two of our market farms recently, on a day when it felt like summer would last forever. Tucked up against the Niagara Escarpment, Marvellous Edibles has a little micro-climate, and this year has been among their best ever for production. That’s their big field full of kale, chard, leeks and cabbages up top. If you didn’t know that a cabbage is a thing of beauty, look again.

Even if it turns chilly, your next salad is safely under cover, and another hoophouse nearby contains these bottle gourds:

Later in the day, we stopped at Buschbeck Farms for a tour complete with Lamb Therapy. This lovely little one was a quadruplet who needed extra TLC, and Rowan (one of our Canada Summer Jobs staffers this past summer) was quite happy to offer some.

The atmosphere on the farm is very peaceful, and the Buschbecks’ respect and care for their sheep is evident in all they do.

We have a few farms away this week, but our selection is huge just the same!

We would like to hear from you if your schedule makes it difficult to pick up orders within the times we currently offer. We’ll do our best to help you out!

Wishing you a healthy, hearty week.

Anne

P.S. Coming soon:

Clay & Paper Theatre presents the 22nd annual NIGHT OF DREAD, a parade of fearful pageantry, revels and mockery on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, staged from Christie Pits Park (Crawford St) to Dovercourt Park*, from 6:30 to 7:30pm. At this much loved, family-friendly, community event, Torontonians are invited to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and ritual. This year, people will be able to enjoy the procession from the comfort of their front lawns, porches and sidewalks in this parade-in-place, performer-only event.

In lieu of the traditional Night of Dread bonfire and other revels in the park, this year Clay and Paper Theatre will collect people’s fears during the parade with their Fear Catcher. Later, the Fire Master will name, mock and burn everyone’s fears for them in a ritual burning, which will be filmed and shared online at a later date. During the parade Clay and Paper Theatre encourages all audience members to raise a dreadful racket with pots and pans, drums and noismaking.

Note: This year’s parade will begin at the top of Christie Pits Park along Crawford Street and move south to the alley north of Bloor St, cross over east to Shaw Street, travel north along Shaw St. to Hallam St., continue west until Westmoreland Ave, turn south on Westmoreland, and then continue parading around Dovercourt Park by way of Fernbeck  Ave, Bartlett Ave and Southview Ave, ending in Dovercourt Park itself.