News from the Green Room
May 9, 2021
Hello Market Friends: In the photo above you’ll see most, but not all, of our cracker-jack team. Some members weren’t present, and the brilliant sunshine caused me to crop a couple more out of our group photo, taken at our weekly mini-meeting before the pickers, packers, runners, delivery team and captains all swing into focused action. Love this crew! On Thursdays we are surrounded by a skill-testing maze of greens: three kinds of red lettuce, three of green, several types and sizes of salad mix, spinach, bok choy, green sprouts, green... Read More
Food and Community
May 2, 2021
photo by Seth Goering Dear Market Friends: First, the Spring Food Headlines: We’ve got fiddleheads from Forbes and Summergreen, wild leeks in abundance from Green Florin, a few more tender bunches of early asparagus from Reye’s, and an incredible selection of tender spring greens from Marvellous Edibles and Plan B! GO SPRING! Now, on to the Food for Thought section of our news: Forgive me; I have told this story before, but it’s one from my all-star collection of favourite market moments. 8 years ago, Rafael and Anna launched their business... Read More
What a Difference a Drop Makes
Apr 25, 2021
Hello Market Friends: Reactions to last week’s sudden return to winter were mixed, indeed. Farmers like Jessie Sosnicki were happy to get a free nitrogen boost for their fields from the snowfall, but for fruit growers like Nacho and Mimi from Reyes’ Farms, there were anxious days of waiting to determine how much damage had been done to the apricots and early nectarines that were in full bloom when the temperature plunged. The photo up top shows Mimi picking blossoms to check for green growth at the base three days after the cold snap. So far,... Read More
The Early Birds get the Ferns
Apr 18, 2021
Photo by Seth Goering Hello Market Friends: We’ve got some swift and savvy shoppers! I was going to feature the first fiddleheads this week, but by the time I sat down to write the newsletter they were sold out! Not to worry, the supply should be more plentiful next week, and we do have WILD LEEKS! Despite a little cool stretch, spring is unstoppable, and the action on the farms is accelerating. Visit the Web Shop Here’s a little of Ayse’s news about what’s going on up at Marvellous Edibles: “We finally finished potting our mini tomato,... Read More
Time for Regeneration
Apr 11, 2021
Hello Market Friends: Let’s face it: Toronto is not the prettiest place between the first frost and the last. It is a wonderful treat for the eyes to observe the spread of colour as gardens and street-side trees begin to grow again. It’s also a time for fresh flavours as the first spring foods arrive at the market. A few people were puzzled by the long green stalks they received in their orders last week, and wrote to ask, ‘Where’s my garlic?’ We replaced the confusing photo on the shop site (woops!) but it’s time to include more information... Read More
The 2021 Forecast
Apr 4, 2021
Hello Market Friends: A year has passed since the market moved operations to the Parish Hall at St. Anne’s Anglican Church. I had to pause for a moment after writing that. What a journey. I’m not going to write a post about what has passed, though. Spring is a time to look forward and we’re due for an update. In case you haven’t heard, the massive renovation project in the northwest corner of Dufferin Grove has begun. For the market, this means that there is no reasonable option to return to the park this year, even if Covid restrictions... Read More
Abuzz with Excitement
Mar 28, 2021
Hello Market Friends: For beekeepers, the first warm days of spring can be an anxious time, as they check hives for winter damage. I have been working with John and Irina Alecu of Bees Universe for 15 years (give or take a few) and I have never seen John so pleased with what he found as he was last week. Their hives are absolutely loaded with healthy honeybees! He says it’s the best start to spring he has had in all his years of beekeeping in southern Ontario. The worrying isn’t over yet. Now we have to hope that there are no deep freezes... Read More
The Equinox Edition
Mar 21, 2021
Witch hazels blooming on Havelock Street: a sure sign of spring Hello Market Friends: It’s Official! You can strip the scratchy wool vest and long johns off your spring dreams and let them out into the sunshine! The Vernal Equinox occurred at 5:36 am on Saturday March 20th in Toronto. Happy Nowruz to everyone who is celebrating Persian New Year! The popularity of home gardening has increased so much that we are very fortunate to have such a good selection of organic seeds available through the market. Instead of waiting weeks to get them from... Read More
Spring Forward! Daylight Savings News
Mar 14, 2021
Hello Market Friends: On my frequent trips to admire the big patch of snowdrops on Delaware this week, I was delighted to see many tiny bees enjoying them as well. The annual miracle has begun! The solid stretch of sunny and plus zero days and cold nights ahead is just what maple syrup makers have been hoping for. Big run underway! Here is Blythe in Spade and Spoon’s sugar bush: You can really feel the strength of the sun these days. My mother and aunts used to fill their clothes lines with linens at this time of year because the powerful... Read More
MiddleMarch News
Mar 7, 2021
Contented sheep at All Sorts Acres Farm. Photos by Jennifer Osborne Hello Market Friends: I think we got the lion’s part of March over with last week, and we are looking forward to more lamb-friendly weather ahead. Fortunately, the barn at All Sorts Acres is a cozy place for mamas and their little ones, who are arriving frequently now. Look at all these lambs! Pinky and Bob, the biggest of the AllSorts dogs, keep a watchful eye on their flock. A Note About Quality We know there have been a number of quality issues with produce lately. This... Read More