HELP US KEEP THE MARKET GOING

 

Yes indeed folks – because of your kindness and generosity, we are more than halfway towards our $10,000 goal! However, we do still need your help, so please continue with any amount you are able to contribute.

Our Board of Directors thanks you as well for your support – and I am therefore including this letter from our treasurer, Judith, to provide you with further information as well.

From our board:

“Dear friends of Dufferin Grove market. First of all, let us say an enormous thank you to all of you who answered our call for help last week! The huge groundswell of kindness and generosity from the market community has been overwhelming.

In one week, we have collected almost $6500 in donations, already over halfway to our goal. It is inspiring to know how much you appreciate and believe in all the market stands for. Thank you so much.

We also know that many of you have questions as to how we found ourselves in the position of asking for help. The answer is not simple or straightforward, but here are some factors that have contributed. Like all non-profit organizations, the market has always operated on a very tight budget, and there have been other times when the kindness of friends has made the difference between breaking even and not. COVID didn’t help, but the market kept going through two very difficult years, providing a place where farmers could sell the food they produce, and customers could continue to buy the best, freshest food there is.

The online market was a great success, but it must be said that it couldn’t have succeeded without the generous support and assistance we received from St. Anne’s church.

This year we are trying to provide a live, in-the-park market for all of us who love that experience, and an online market with home delivery for those who prefer or need that service. And this has proved more expensive than we anticipated. Delivery costs are higher than expected. Insurance costs are higher, just to name a couple. 

Also, the market believes that every person deserves not a minimum or basic living wage, but a decent living wage. In Toronto that means our payroll costs are going to be higher than average. We are also committed to keeping costs down as low as possible for our vendors, because we know that farming is a difficult and precarious way to make a living.

We could have covered some of our excess costs by raising table fees, or the fees we charge for administering the online market, but we are trying very hard to avoid that.

All these factors, together with money owing to us from CRA and grant money that is withheld until late in the year, combined to make 2022 a very difficult year.

Fundraising will continue to be an ongoing endeavour moving forward, as it is with most non-profit organizations. We have lots of ideas for ways to raise money while creating fun for everyone. Stay tuned here for more information!

Thank you again for the tremendous outpouring of support and affection you have shown to your market in the past week. We are truly grateful! And if you haven’t donated yet, it isn’t too late.

Donate Now

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors, DGFM”

*For any further questions please contact our new Chairperson, Sonia Vaillant: sonia@dufferingrovemarket.ca

Ok, and now on to food and market stuff – yay! 

So I think I’ll start with “CORNucopia”! (Because how could I not?) Not only is it a fun word to say, but with so much amazing corn among us, what a delicious time of year this is!

And last week, if you missed out on Greenhouse Eatery’s roasted corn, (which completely sold out), they’ll be doing another  giant corn roast this coming week! And thanks to their generosity, all of the proceeds will go as a donation to the market – thanks Audrey!!

But if you prefer to buy fresh corn, and cook it later, we’ve got you covered! Both Sosnicki Organics and Kooner Farms have plenty to go around. Featured in this pic, is farmer, Ben Sosnicki, holding a fresh-picked cob from his farm – but don’t worry, he promises to bring more!

Or maybe you prefer your corn popped – not a problem! Nature’s Way has you covered – hot and fresh, popped right in the park! Or, take a pre-popped bag that’s ready to go.

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But I must also mention the delicious onions from Aldergrove! Gotta love those summer onions! And Fraser (and crew), have just the right variety to nicely compliment any stir-fry, or whatever else you desire to make.

And speaking of onions, anyone care for a good ole fashioned flashback? Haha! So I’m thinking of a 2018 newsletter I wrote asking, “What vegetable do you think, best describes you?” Well if you recall, (for myself), I chose onion – gotta love those layers! And if you actually do recall that newsletter, bless you!

And lastly, I just couldn’t resist this pic, of Sammy, from Summergreen, having “fun with fungus”! But I do also loove oyster mushrooms – so tasty in a saute! (Photo taken by Aanastasia, who kindly volunteered some of her time to the market last week – thank you Aanastasia! 🙂

Alright, so now that I’ve got you getting your shopping list ready for next Thursday, amazing! But I’d also like to share with you, some community happenings as well.

 

First, is an informal community supper, being organized by a dear friend of the community, and former staff of the market, Heidrun. In her note, she states:

 

”For keeping community spirit alive let’s meet for a picnic Friday, 6pm at Dan’s Tables beside the big bake oven. Bring – or not – some finger food which you could share with your neighbours.

Remember everything is still closed, so cutlery, knives, plates, or cups … are NOT available.

See you there and then!

-Heidrun / heidrungk@directbox.com”

 

And for those of you wanting to “tune up” your home reno and plastering skills, this cob workshop may be for you. The cob house, for those unfamiliar, is the little structure (featured), just near the playground area. Some of you may have noticed the workshop also happening last week (during the market.) Maysan, the organizer, states:

 

“The cob wall surface (lime plaster) needs patching every year – so that the cob below (mud and straw) stays structurally sound. To revive this skill in the neighbourhood, long time friend of the park/cob Michelle Webb, will lead a workshop at 3:30pm on August 4 at Dufferin Park. All neighbourhood people are welcome. 

We will have gloves on site. Wear comfy clothing that covers arms and legs if you want to give plastering a try.”

Looks like fun, huh?

 

Thanks again folks, and see you Thursday!

With bells on,

-Nicole

 

VENDORS (in-person) _ August 4, 2022

Farmers, Dairy & Meats:

• Reyes Farms
• Greenhouse Eatery
• Aldergrove Farm
• All Sorts Acres
• Sosnicki Organics
• Kooner Farms
• Nith Valley 
• Nature’s Way
• Plan B Organics
• Essa Seedlings
• Summergreen
• Bees Universe
• Monforte Dairy 
• First Fish
• Rogers Ranch

Prepared Foods:

• La Mexicana
• Tapioca Toronto 
• Magic Oven
• Earth + City
• TC Tibetan Momos

Bakery, Preserves, & Specialty Items:

• Robinson Bakery 
• Lev Bakery
• Forbes Wild Foods
• ChocoSol
• Jiggy Popz

 

Wine, Cider & Brewery:

• Heartwood Cider

Help Us Keep the Market Going

Your market is in serious financial difficulty.  Ongoing pressures from COVID, delays and challenges with the Canada Revenue Agency, and unforeseen financial pressures have led to a short-term cash flow challenge.  And we are reaching out to you who love the market for help.

Support the Market

 

What a hot couple of days it’s been! But not even heat warnings and threats of rain deterred our lovely vendors and customers from yet another beautiful market Thursday 🙂

Stone fruits are back in full force, meaning we’ve got tons of plums, nectarines and peaches which are the perfect refreshing snack for such hot weather! Make sure you check out Reyes Farms for all your fruity needs!

This week Kooner Farms will be bringing the first batch of FRESH CORN ON THE COB to the market, and will also be available for online deliveries for anyone who can’t make it on Thursday! The variety is called “Peaches and Cream” which is the two toned corn that is known for its sweet taste…hence that tantalizing name!

Speaking of corn – exciting news! Sosnicki Organics will also be “gracing us” this week, with certified organic sweet corn – first of the season!

Nith Valley has had some truly stunning cherry tomatoes that taste even better than they look, which is even more impressive seeing as they look like red gold! However if you prefer a larger tomato they also have you covered with their Beefsteak or Heirloom Bundles!

Lev Bakery has also added some more of their products in the form of full sourdough loaves and delicious Hamburger Buns, which are a perfect addition to any summer barbecue 🙂

Nith Valley Cherry Tomatoes

Spade and Spoon is back this week! I know many people, myself included, have been missing them the past two weeks! Don’t miss out on their amazing preserves and jams to help spice up your already spicy summer!

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And for those of you looking for some easy listening, you may want to give this article a try: https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-serviceberry/. The article is called the “Economy of Abundance”, which seems pretty relevant for the times we are in I think.

And if you’re not familiar with the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer , here’s what a dear friend of the market, (Erin George), had to say: “Robin’s voice is like being read a bedtime story (a revolutionary Indigenous bedtime sorry!” And I cannot disagree – thanks for passing this on Erin!

Some of you may even recall, when previous manager, “The Marvelous Anne Freeman“, included a Serviceberry article back in 2021. For me, it’s like a magical journey for my ears – but hey, to each their own! I hope you enjoy!

Thank you everyone for coming out and supporting us whether it’s in person or ordering delivery, it really means the world to all of us.

I hope everyone stays cool in this crazy heat wave we’re in and i’ll see you on Thursday:)

Izak

 

VENDORS (in-person) _ July 28, 2022

Farmers, Dairy & Meats:

• Reyes Farms
• Greenhouse Eatery
• Aldergrove Farm
• All Sorts Acres
• Sosnicki Organics
• Kooner Farms
• Nith Valley 
• Nature’s Way
• Plan B Organics
• Kind Organics
• Summergreen
• Bees Universe
• Monforte Dairy 
• First Fish
• Rogers Ranch

Prepared Foods:

• La Mexicana
• Tapioca Toronto 
• Magic Oven
• Earth + City

Bakery, Preserves, & Specialty Items:

• Robinson Bakery 
• Lev Bakery
• Forbes Wild Foods
• ChocoSol
• Spade & Spoon
• Green Florin
• Fresh Pops

Wine, Cider & Brewery:

• Windswept Cider
• Frogpond Winery

Special Events/Guests:

• Community Fridges

(*for a list of online vendors, please visit the web shop at www.dufferingrovemarket.ca)

Hmm.. That phrase can mean many things, no? And honestly, I’m not sure that I even know  what it actually means to be mindful – so I think I’ll first take a stab at the “gratitude” part. So last week, (if you read), my dear colleague, Izak, generously sang my praises, and gave me a real confidence booster – how could I not be grateful for that? Thanks Izak! xo

Now as for the term “mindful”, I suppose I use it in reference to the type of gratitude I try to extend to the park we are using, (that being Dufferin Grove of course.) This lovely park has been hosting us, and our dear market for almost two decades now. And with us having been away from the park since 2019, it’s really nice to be so graciously welcomed back!

For me it’s an absolute joy being in a park that I love, doing a job that I love, and not to mention, being around my favourite tree-dwelling mammals – squirrels! (Hence the photo.) But some of you already knew that about me – and may have seen me throw them a little treat every now and then. Yes, guilty – I do love those critters!

But going back to mindful gratitude, perhaps I’m calling it that, because we may not always think of saying thank you, to animals that live in a park – or just saying thank you to a park itself, including the trees in it, along with the nourishing soil in that park.

But yes, the squirrels, robins, cardinals, butterflies (and other insects), living in this park, have all been quite accommodating to us as we impose ourselves, each week. Increasing our foot (and vehicular) traffic within the park, noise levels, and even sadly, waste. So if you now feel encouraged to hug a tree, and say “Thank you, Dufferin Grove”, then by all means!

And along the theme of gratitude, lastly, I wanted to also thank all the new folks that are reading our newsletter for the very first time – amazing! But this wouldn’t have happened without the help of our wonderful, brand new volunteer, Quinton! Quinton is a young high school student, eager to give back to his community, by helping out at the market. So thank you to all of you who engaged with him, and signed up to receive this publication each week – and there were quite a few of you, (wow! 🙂

Now before I go on to vendor and product information, I also wanted to share with you a list of events that are happening in the park, being hosted by the City of Toronto – all free of charge!

Or click here for more information: www.toronto.ca/dufferingrove

And as featured (below in photo), all of the events are family friendly! Featured are some City staff with community members, Natalie, Kai, and Emily, “getting crafty”!

And now for food stuff – yay!

So some of you have been enjoying the delicious popcorn of Nature’s Way, along with their wonderful selection of veggies. Well among those veggies, are these (featured) sweet black bell peppers, whose seed comes from the Ukraine. Holly and Ed tell me that they are very pleased with this crop, as not only is it delicious, but it allows them to support Ukrainian farmers. I didn’t get to try one last week, but this week, I definitely plan to!

And in “new vendor news”, we will now have a meat vendor! Rogers Ranch will be joining us this week, with a fine selection of “grass-fed, grass-finished” beef – www.rogersranch.farm. Some of you may have seen Dave (Rogers), at the Trinity Bellwoods Market – and if not, do feel free to give him a warm welcome to Dufferin.

Last week, you may have noticed that Kind Organics is also now among our vendors. Sandra (and company) will happily provide you with a healthy selection of salad mixes and micro greens, (on the weeks that Essa Seedlings is away.) Essa is back this week, fyi.

Also back this week is Knuckledown Farms, with a fresh and fabulous selection of amazing greens – gooo Jenny!

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Also, as you saw the feature photo of tomatoes, we’ve got em! Stop

by Aldergrove’s table and Fraser (and the gang) will set you up!

And for some “grab and go” options that weren’t there last week, but will be there this week, we’ve got momos for you, from TC Tibetan Momos. And to compliment that, how about Heartwood Cider and their refreshingly delicious cider beverages? Yum!

Looking for something even smaller in size, but still big in flavour? Well Jiggy Popz is sure to please! A great choice on these hot summer days.

And a couple things to be aware of. First, sadly, All Sorts Acres will not be at market this week. Worried about where you get your lamb fixins? Well no need for that! Nathan of Nith Valley will be bringing FRESH lamb to market this week – so (if that’s your thing), don’t miss out!

Also, please be aware that for Country Meadows, this will be their last week at Dufferin, “for now”. So get your fill of their olives and olive oil, while you still can. Angelos will be a bit short staffed with his partner away, but we hope to have him return in September.

And lastly, I know we have been a bit back and forth about Plan B, and their status at market (specifically, how long) – well it turns out, they have decided to stay for the entire season! So feel free to stop by and say hi to Rodrigo, if you missed him before. He now promises to stay put! Haha

Ok thanks for reading folks, and thanks for supporting the market!

-Nicole

And here is your List of (in-person) Vendors for July 21st, 2022:

Farmers, Dairy & Meats:

• Reyes Farms
• Greenhouse Eatery
• Aldergrove Farm
• Kooner Farms
• Nith Valley
• Nature’s Way
• Plan B Organics
• Essa Seedlings
• Summergreen
• Bees Universe
• Monforte Dairy
• Country Meadow
• First Fish
• Rogers Ranch
• Knuckle Down Farm

Prepared Foods:

• La Mexicana
• Tapioca Toronto
• TC Tibetan Momos
• Magic Oven
• Earth + City

Bakery, Preserves, & Specialty Items:

• Robinson Bakery
• Lev Bakery
• Forbes Wild Foods
• ChocoSol
• Jiggy Popz

Wine, Cider & Brewery:

• Heartwood Cider

Special Events/Guests:

• Community Fridges

(*for a list of online vendors, please visit the web shop at www.dufferingrovemarket.ca)

After a few weeks of that intense humidity and heat we were blessed with arguably the most beautiful day so far this summer, and neither us or the vendors took that for granted as we had one of the most successful days of the year!

I’d like to give an extra special shout-out to Nicole, our new market manager, as she has taken on so much since taking over and has, simply put, been killing it! Some of the most valuable things a market manager (or person) can have is compassion, kindness and a supreme willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done and I can say from first hand experience that Nicole not only has these traits in spades but spreads that energy as often as she can; many times in the form of cartwheels, as I’m sure many of you have been privy to!

Anne and Nicole From the start of the Market Season 🙂

We are also welcoming Nature’s Way back to the in person market, so if you missed out on their delicious cucumbers and freshly popped popcorn make sure you come by and see them next week to get your fix! Their Sweet and Salty mix is to die for!

All the different kinds of popcorn available from Nature’s Way!

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Sadly Ying Ying Soy has been swamped lately and will no longer be on the online market until later in the summer, but we will make sure you know when they are back!!

There is also a special massage therapy workshop happening, held by Anarres Natural Health, here is a link to their site 🙂

https://www.anarreshealth.ca/catalog

Essa Seedling’s Greenhouse

Essa Seedlings will also now be bi-weekly, however is always on the Online Store so we can still get those sprouts delivered to you!

Whether it was indulging in the amazing veggies, fresh baked bread, or freshly made food I hope you all got to enjoy some of the weather and atmosphere.
See you next Thursday 🙂
Izak

Reyes Farms Team Hard at Work

Also a quick reminder that Repair Cafe will be at the market this Thursday! So if you need something fixed, now is the time!

LIST of VENDORS _ July 14, 2022 

Farmers, Dairy & Meats: ● Reyes Farms 

• Greenhouse Eatery 
• Aldergrove Farm 
• All Sorts Acres 
• Kooner Farms 
• Nature’s Way 
• Summergreen 
• Sosnicki Organics
• Nith Valley 
• Bees Universe 
• Monforte Dairy 
• Country Meadow 
• First Fish 

Prepared Foods:

• La Mexicana 
• Tapioca Toronto 
• Magic Oven 
• Earth + City

Bakery, Preserves, & Specialty:

• Robinson Bakery
• Lev Bakery 
• Forbes Wild Foods 
• Green Florin 
• Bruized 
• ChocoSol 

Wine, Cider & Brewery:

● N/A 🙁

Special Events/Guests:

● Repair Cafe
● Anarres Health
● Community Fridges

Yup – it’s hot! And I say “yippee”! But if you’re less of a fan of the hot, hazy days of summer, then just think of the beautiful and delicious bounty that summer provides – yum!

And with July being well under way, cherries are a great place to start. If you were at Thursday’s market, hopefully you got some from Reyes Farms – first of the season! But if you missed out, they’ll have lots more this week – be sure to get some!

And for those of you with (school-aged) little ones, if they’re stressing you about the heat, Jiggy Popz has a perfectly delicious solution! They’re back at the market this coming week, and if you didn’t get a chance to try out their new strawberry chia flavour, now’s your chance!

Strawberry Chia Popsicle from Jiggy Popz

More refreshment ideas you say? Well Earth & City also has a great ways to hydrate you, with their refreshing selection of smoothies and lemonades. Be sure to check out what flavours they’ve got on display.

Seasonal Earth and City Lemonade – Get some freshly made from their table!

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“But what about the greens?”, you ask? I hear you! To which I say “give peas a chance!” Forgive me, just couldn’t resist. But honestly, July is a great month for peas – and whether your preference is sugar snaps, snow peas, or the sweet shelling peas, (my personal fave), we’ve got you covered! Nith Valley, Sosnicki Organics, Aldergrove Farm, or Reyes Farms, can all help you get more “peas-ful”. Last one – promise! Haha

 

Another “green fave” of July is basil! So now may be the time to brush up on your pesto-making skills, (if that’s your thing.) And if not, basil is a great addition to pastas and sauces. This week Plan B had giant bushels of it, which they’ll be bringing back next week too!

And yes, you read that right – Plan B will be at the market next week. So even though we mentioned previously, that last week would be their final market of the summer, they’ve decided to stay on for another week or two – yay! Feel free to visit Rodrigo and the gang, to get some of this “super-basil”!

And for those of you too hot and bothered to cook on Thursday night, no problem! TC Tibetan Momos returns to the market this week, with their delicious momos and more.

Greenhouse Eatery continues to serve Caribbean cuisine – grilling up delicious jerk chicken served with veggies and rice. But if you’re feeling like Indian cuisine instead, we’ve got you covered! Magic Oven’s amazing pakoras and samosas, are sure to please. Tapioca Toronto’s Brazilian crepes are another delicious choice – also gluten-free. More? Haha – well the Mexican tamales of La Mex are another quick and tasty option. So there you have it. Too hot to cook? Come and support the market!

 

Manny and Gladys of La Mexicana 🙂

Ok, I’ll stop telling you what to do – but honestly, thanks for reading folks, and for sticking with us. Hopefully everyone is happily welcoming July, and enjoying their long weekend. See you at the market.

And in case you didn’t know, we can deliver to you, if you can’t make it to the market! We will continue to accept delivery orders on dufferingrovemarket.ca from Saturday noon until Tuesday noon, for dropoff late afternoon or early evening on Thursday.

Happy eating,

Nicole

LIST of VENDORS (in-person)_July 7, 2022

Farmers, Dairy & Meats:

• Sosnicki Organics
• Plan B Organics
• Reyes Farms
• Greenhouse Eatery
• Aldergrove Farm
• All Sorts Acres
• Kooner Farms
• Summergreen
• Essa Seedlings
• Nith Valley
• Bees Universe
• Monforte Dairy
• Country Meadow
• First Fish

Prepared Foods:

• La Mexicana
• Tapioca Toronto
• TC Tibetan Momos
• Magic Oven
• Earth + City
• Jiggy Popz

Bakery, Preserves, & Specialty Items:

• Robinson Bakery
• Lev Bakery
• Forbes Wild Foods
• ChocoSol

Wine, Cider & Brewery:

• Heartwood Cidery

Special Events/Guests:

• Art Hive