Starting The Month Off Right! ????

Yes indeed! Great food and great people, in an equally great space! Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market has all three covered – what better way to spend the first of the month?

(Every Thursday, 3-7pm, in the Dufferin Grove Clubhouse – 875 Dufferin St.)

And speaking of great food, how about those gorgeous chestnut mushrooms (featured), from Noki Farms? They’re just packed with flavour and nutritional value! The same can also be said about their yummy microgreens. I’m hooked on the pea shoots myself, but owner, Nykole Crevits, has lots more to choose from. And lastly, I just couldn’t resist bringing notice to the caring and gingerly way in which she wraps each customer purchase. Thanks for the extra love Nykole! If you’ve never “experienced” this yourself, take a moment to “visit” Nykole this week – so worth it! ????

Some info about “chestnuts”:

“Chestnut mushrooms really stand their ground when it comes to texture! Their caps are firm and meaty, almost like a roasted chestnut – no surprise there – and they boast long, crispy stems. We love that you get the “crunch” without the “squeak” with these mushrooms. Their flavour is mildly earthy, comparable to shiitake, with a pronounced nutty taste.”  (Taken from the Noki Farms website.) 

And look who else was enjoying their first visit to the market’s new space! Yes, our city councillor, Alejandra Bravo, popped in for a market visit last week! Perhaps councillor Bravo was also intrigued by Noki Farms’ chestnuts. All the same, it was great having her smiling face and ongoing support at the market. 

Councillor Alejandra Bravo with vendor, Nykole Crevits, of Noki Farms.

Thoughtful shoppers like longtime market-goer, Claudia, (right), were “caught” pondering over the marvellous winter bounty from Plan B Organics. Plan B’s green beans were a huge hit! ???? (Hopefully they’ll be bringing some more.) 

And just a little note of “thanks”, to each of you, from our pop-up vendor last week, Bitter Better. Owners, Tammy and Chris, were absolutely delighted with the reception they got from market shoppers last week! (A message they sent me after last week’s market):

“Nicole, I loved the vibe of the market! You and everyone else were so nice and friendly to us. We would love to come back if possible!” Yes to that! ????

So as a result, Bitter Better will be at Dufferin Grove for all of February, (except for the 15th.) So you’ll have all-month (practically), to familiarize even more, with Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat products, including Norwegian Spruce Tree Extract. I was (almost immediately) hooked on their selection of teas – just amazing, (and great samples!)

Ok, thanks everyone – for helping our market community grow!

Chris, of Bitter Better, enjoying their first market at Dufferin Grove. 

LIST OF VENDORS for February 1st:

• Nith Valley Organics
• Plan B Organics
• Noki Farms
• Johnson Family Bakery
• Forbes Wild Foods
• Hammerhead Fish
• Rogers Ranch
• Estelle’s Caribbean Cuisine
• Magic Oven
• Kalmplex Snax
• Bitter Better!

And speaking of “starting off the month right”, isn’t it great that we can still get local (leafy) greens? In February? Thank you, Nith Valley Organics! Nathan has been bringing us his amazing greens all winter long, and will have more for us this week as well! (In addition to a wide selection of chicken, lamb and eggs – all certified-organic.)

Ok, so there’s lots for you to be excited about in February, 2024! Not only is it a leap year, but fittingly (for us), February 29th, also falls on a Thursday. So the month ends, with a market day as well! Need more? Well I looked it up, and learned that this month, we also have five Thursdays! ????????‍♂️ Already “marking” your calendars, so you can be at Dufferin Grove for each one? Well done! Haha, ok, I’ll stop there. No more “February fun facts” (until next year. 🙂 

But one last thing I’ll mention about this month, (and beyond), is how nice it is, that we’re getting more and more daylight. Yes, it’s no longer pitch-dark at 5pm – hooray for later sunsets! ☀️

Thanks everyone, looking forward to starting the month with you.. ????

-Nicole

*in the Clubhouse at Dufferin Grove Park – every Thursday. 3-7pm