The Best Laid Plans
Dec 5, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Sometimes it seems (knock on wood) that the week there is a detailed description of someone’s wonderful food is the one when that vendor gets a flat tire. Call it the curse of the market news, but things like vehicle or power breakdowns, snowstorms or road closures, and sick children, vendors or livestock don’t always cooperate with the news deadline. Thanks for your patience when our list isn’t perfect, and we send the best of luck and our gratitude to our vendors for taking the many challenges of... Read More
In Where it’s Warm
Nov 28, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Last week it was such a pleasure to see Toni Corrado buying provisions at the market for her new kitchen. If you haven’t met Toni, she comes to the market a lot, often with sidewalk chalk to share with kids, and always with a friendly greeting. Toni spent late summer and fall living in the park after giving up on Toronto’s terribly overburdened shelter system, but finally has a place to call home, something no one should have to be without in this country. The rink is flooded in preparation to open for... Read More
Small World
Nov 21, 2019
Hello Market Friends: After many years of weekly market news, we’ve got subscribers in Montreal, Vancouver, Corsica, New York, Stirling, and other national and international destinations, as well as right down the street. Greetings, Earthlings! We’re all in this together. The market is still first and foremost a local one, but we do have some foods from afar, too, brought by vendors with direct connections to their source: Angelos Kapelaris reports a good olive harvest! He’s still in Greece, and the best guess of when... Read More
Ready or Not!
Nov 14, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Depending how you feel about it, we have jumped into winter, or winter has jumped onto us! Last week John (Ionel) and Irina from Bees Universe had to miss the market because they were racing to get their hives ready for the cold, but Irina took a moment to send photos and a note: “It’s a place with only trees and wild where we have these bees, and with the snow, it’s gorgeous!” We’ll be glad to see them with eggs and honey this time. Helga Schulze called to say that Bob at Pine River Organic... Read More
The Market turns 17!
Nov 7, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Happy Birthday to us! This week marks the anniversary of the market at Dufferin Grove. Can you believe we’ve been at it for 17 years? It’s time to celebrate, so inspired baker Leslie Lindsay is making cake for all! We had grand fantasies of a balmy day on the rink, but since checking the forecast, we’ve been figuring out how many vendors you can fit in a Volkswagen. Fortunately the rinkhouse holds more than a Beetle, but there will be vendors both indoors and out. I can’t possibly list all the... Read More
Come Indoors for Lots of Treats!
Oct 31, 2019
Hello Market Friends, and Happy Hallowe’en: If you read the news via email or facebook last night, there have been a few last-minute changes! They are noted at the bottom of the news. When it comes to market-day weather, you win some, you lose some, and when it’s the latter, you keep your fingers crossed that people will be hungry, loyal and eager enough for good market food that they’ll still come. And since it’s Hallowe’en, we’re offering a wee reward of market bucks to anyone who shows up in costume! To... Read More
Wild Food, but not Wild Weather
Oct 24, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Okay, we will admit that we didn’t have the easiest transition to the rink market in last Thursday’s weather, but this time is going to be better. We hope you are hungry, because we have a tasty array of fall fare coming in! Seth from Forbes Wild Foods is bringing fresh Chanterelles, and also Paw Paw. These are the most tropical fruit that grows in Canada, so sought-after that you may be asked to return the seeds! Be patient: under-ripe pawpaws will give you that unpleasant ‘cotton mouth’ feeling... Read More
First Market on the Rink!
Oct 17, 2019
Hello Market Friends: We stretched it as long as we could, but it’s high time we shifted the market up to the rinkpad, where the hockey lights will come in very handy at sunset. There is plenty of great eating ahead, and we will do the annual jigsaw puzzle to fit everyone in. Please tell any lost souls you run into that we are just on the other side of the building; we don’t want anyone to think the market has vanished! Marvellous Edibles is bringing apples, grapes and fresh chickens (along with many other marvellous things.)... Read More
Bountiful Harvests for the Last Path Market
Oct 10, 2019
Hello Market Friends: There’s time for one more big, beautiful and bustling market on the summer path before we bid a very fond farewell to this setup and to several of our vendors who are finishing up for 2019. It has been a lovely path season. Warm thanks to all! Join us in celebrating the farmers’ bountiful harvests. Here’s the news: ‘Well, it’s that time of year again when we have to say “See you next year!” as we wrap up vending at Dufferin Grove to concentrate on field harvests before our men... Read More
October Showers bring May Flowers
Oct 3, 2019
Hello Market Friends: Why are we thinking about spring just as fall arrives? Because this week, Carolinian Canada and the World Wildlife Fund are teaming up to give away locally sourced native species plants at the market, to benefit pollinators in our neighbourhoods. Whether you are a gardening newbie or an old pro, you can do your bit for biodiversity! There will be lots of tips to ensure your native planting thrives. First come, first served, for as long as they last. Before we get to the food news, a huge thank you to Kevin Hamilton of... Read More