The Farmers, the Bakers, the Kawartha Broom Maker
Aug 1, 2021
Hello Market Friends: It seems like anyone who can get away is out of town these days. I was lucky to be invited to a cottage near Haliburton recently, and I squeezed in a couple of visits to vendors who live close to our route, so for those of you still here and reading, please join me on a little armchair jaunt! On the way north, we stopped at our newest market farm, Ta Neter. After all our correspondence, it was really good to meet Shabaka and get a sense of the place. Three of their children were helping him in the vegetable garden when... Read More
Reasons for Optimism
Jul 25, 2021
Hello Market Friends: It’s hard not to get discouraged by events these days, but we’ve got some news to help you stay on the sunny side. The Generosity of Farmers Last Thursday, Indy Kooner arrived with 11 absolutely heaping bushels of chard. For free. He added a hefty basket of beets to that and instructed us to share it all however we wanted to. Then Ted Thorpe rolled up with crates of extra green and yellow zucchini to sell or donate. We sold some beets and zucchini, but we also got a chance to spread the love! The bounty went out to... Read More
High Fives for High Summer!
Jul 18, 2021
Hello Market Friends: As well as small businesses, farmers’ markets have had a long list of rules to follow throughout the last 16 months. This week, we found out that while masks are still compulsory for market staff and vendors dropping off their wares, customers at outdoor markets no longer have to wear them. Whew! If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, that’s fine, and everyone is asked to continue respecting social distancing. We look forward to seeing your smiling faces! You may not be able to see our smiles yet, but here are some... Read More
The Gain and Pain of Rain
Jul 11, 2021
First things first: I have the great pleasure of introducing a farm new to Dufferin this week! Ta Neter, which means “Divine Land”, is the beautiful homestead of Shabaka, Utcha and their five children, where they keep bees, raise Maremma Dogs, Bengal Cats, and Babydoll Sheep, make soaps and medicinal products from their Botanical Garden, as well as growing a great selection of vegetables, which they will bring to the market. I’m sure you will show them a warm Dufferin welcome! Red Leaf Lettuce From Ta Neter Farm, 3.5$ Basil From Ta Neter... Read More
Drum Roll Please…
Jul 4, 2021
Matt here. Is it July already?! Where to begin… Do you have lots of reusable bags? A cart? A bike trailer, perhaps? Our farmers are ready to feed you, so how much can you carry? We have a wonderfully exciting stock of June and July delights. Strawberries, sea asparagus, cherry tomatoes, garlic scapes, carrots, and (drum roll please) cherries are all waiting for you. Reyes Farms has multiple sizes of sweet and also sour cherries. Duck Eggs (12) From Bees Universe, 10$ Oaxaca Coffee Beans From ChocoSol, 14.5$ Our newer vendors are... Read More
Great Scapes!
Jun 20, 2021
Hello Market Friends: The longest day of the year is upon us, and the sun’s miraculous energy, combined with water and soil, is transforming the seeds our farmers sow into the array of plants which feeds us. I hope you can find a quiet moment to ponder this process, which is far too wonderful to take for granted. We have an excellent market coming up, and don’t forget it’s the last until July 8th! In case you haven’t heard, we are taking July 1st off, so stock up this time! One of our loyal fans, Valerie Bolduc, sent this sweet message: “It’s... Read More
Lucky in Love
Jun 13, 2021
Last Thursday Judith Thompson delivered a pile of young garlic from her allotment plot and Don Kerr brought a cooler bag filled to the brim with fresh dill harvested from his rooftop garden. Why? Just because they wanted to share their abundance with other market-goers. We also collected donations of bottle deposits, appreciative notes, lots of jars to return to vendors, and contributions to St. Anne’s with our name in the notes to help with the cost of providing space for our depot. This is an anything but ordinary community supported... Read More
Hip Hip Hooray for Strawberry Days!
Jun 6, 2021
Hello Market Friends: At noon on Saturday, our site briefly froze. I wondered if it was all our strawberry-hungry fans trying to order at the same time, but fortunately it was back in action after just a few messages from panic-stricken customers had arrived. I hope everyone will get a taste of these June jewels. Our growers’ berries are exceptionally delicious because they are organically grown. As Jessie Sosnicki says, theirs are ‘proudly sprayed with absolutely nothing’, Reye’s Farms June strawberries are organically grown (in transition... Read More
We Approve of June
May 30, 2021
Hello Market Friends: When someone at the market depot does something exceptional, they earn a cartwheel from Nicole Jacobs. With all the spectacular produce our growers are bringing in, I am worried that she will get worn out this week! Visit the Web Shop We’ve got lettuces so lovely they could inspire a sonnet, a spread of healthy farm-grown seedlings just begging you to find a spot to plant them, and enough good things for dinner that you might have to eat supper as well. Here’s a tongue twister for you: Quick, which of Sosnickis 6 crops... Read More
Birds’ Eye View News
May 23, 2021
Hello Market Friends: Hope you are enjoying the long weekend! We are really excited to welcome a new vendor this week, Audrey Macdonald, the remarkable woman behind The Greenhouse Eatery. Audrey farms on TRCA land at The McVean Farm in Brampton, and uses what she grows as the basis of her ‘Farm to Fork’ menu. When we move back to the park (some as-yet-TBD day), she will cook on the spot using her grill and spiffy little trailer, which is fully outfitted as a commercial kitchen! Please show Audrey a warm Dufferin welcome by trying her... Read More