Shameless Self-Promotion

Hello Market Friends:

I might as well come right out with it. We know many of you shop for presents at this time of year, and we want you to look for them at the market. How’s that for direct marketing? No Black Friday deals, no BoGo specials, and no minimum orders, just lovely things to give 

(or receive) which support the work of good-hearted local producers. Does that sound good to you?

Matt reminded me last week that we weren’t planning to offer as many Holiday Market Boxes this year as we did last, but I couldn’t be stopped. Our vendors make so many things that are perfect for celebrations and presents that it’s really fun to show them off! 

Of course Matt relented and got to work assembling lists of items for each box, and last Thursday Leslie helped transform a corner of the market depot into a temporary photo studio so we could take pictures of all the variations. 

We had a great debate about names: I wanted to call one box The Omnivore’s Delight, but that was vetoed. Matt thought we should be sensible and use clear names like Market Box: Vegan or  Market Mix: Large, but if we started taking the sensible path, who knows where that would lead? Then Leslie woke up early Saturday morning with a new concept: the word Dufferin should really be included in every name. With all due appreciation of Leslie’s loyalty, our names were becoming unwieldy: Hey! Anybody wanna buy a Local Organic Vegan and Gluten-free Super Tasty Dufferin Grove Market Assorted Selections Box?

Whatever they are called, all of our boxes feature terrific market products and offer great value.

You can order ahead for pickup or delivery on December 9th, 16th or 23rd. Please take a look at them as well as the many special items the farmers and vendors have added for the season!

You can also delight your favourite market-goers with gift certificates to buy whatever they choose, or give a one-time or monthly gift of support to the market. If you make your contribution on St. Anne’s Church’s Canada Helps page, you will receive a receipt for tax purposes. Be sure to choose the Community Fund, and add a note that the donation is to help with the costs of housing the market. 

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Recently, I have had many exchanges with Mary and Bobby of Kawartha Broom Co. Bobby is so full of ideas about what to make that I doubt he will be getting much sleep over the next month!  

Our depot staff was happy to pose with some of Kawartha’s new items. Here’s Izak ready for action with a Great Canadian Hockey Stick Broom! If you know a hockey player who might like to retire the stick that scored the winning goal (or the one that broke after a thousand attempts), bring the stick to the market depot asap, and Bobby will turn it into a one-of-a-kind broom.

And here’s Jay beaming behind one of Kawartha’s Rustic Broomcorn Wreaths, which are so gorgeous you will have a hard time deciding whether to hang them indoors or out.

Last week I mentioned another person who is extra-busy at this time of year, Jennifer Osborne from All Sorts Acres, but she has SO many interesting things on her list that I have to encourage you to take a good look at her page, too. Not every farmers’ market offers hand cut Quill pens and Walnut ink, for example, and here’s Bansari posing with one of the big bunches of Holiday Greens from the farm:

Erick from Hola Alegrias has introduced a new kind of granola: Dark Chocolate Almond. It is not overly sweet, and the flavour of toasted almonds comes through beautifully. You could call it ‘Granola for Grownups’.

The time has come: once a year Ayse from Marvellous Edibles bakes her very special Stollen and Fruitcake, using traditional recipes that need no modernization. 

Stollen

Cheyenne from Sundance Harvest continues to have amazing greens for us grown right in the city from her urban farm!

Reye’s Farms has LOTS of varieties of apples along with cider, sweet potatoes and Bosc Pears, and they have brought out their jars of Peach and Pear Preserves, too.

Peach Preserves -1L

Earth + City is featuring many special flavours of Macaroons, and their super-tasty Cranberry-Rosemary Crackers are back!

Cranberry Rosemary Crackers

This list could go on and on. More special products next week!

All the best from Anne & the Market Crew