Dear market friends,

Spring is getting closer but it's not here yet, eh? However the tulips are coming up. If you want to know how busy the park has been despite the gray cool weather, you can read the Editor page on our web site: http://www.dufferinpark.ca/editor/editor.html.

And since it's "first Thursday," that means craftspeople will be at the market too this week, selling very colourful and beautiful things that will stand in for spring flowers, for now (see the photo at the bottom of thes e-mail). PLUS you'll get that fresh spring-cleaning feeling at the rinkhouse -- now that the rink season is over, we've been able to do lots of cleaning and sorting, also hosing down that impossible-to-clean rubber floor. Park staff Liz Rucker told us -- as she was cleaning the zamboni cafe oven today -- that oven-cleaning really gives her that Passover feeling, and makes her think of her father scrubbing and scrubbing every year before the holiday, to get rid of every bit of grease.

So at the fresh, clean, colourful, mainly-organic farmers' market: all the regular vendors will be there with their good food.

From Lorenz of Greenfields: "As we are extremely busy in the greenhouse right now, just a quick summary of our specials for the week:
Great looking CAULIFLOWER for only $ 1.00, Broccoli $ 1.50, lots of local Apples, Spring Mix and various root crops. Local table carrots are done but we still have plenty of local juice carrots available at $ 10.00 for a 25# bag. US table carrots are available in 2lb bags for $ 2.00. We will have lots of greens (chard, kale, spinach, collards etc.) this week and don't expect to run out !"

From Dufferin Grove Park bread ovens: more changes this week. A new kind of sourdough rye, plus the fig/anise sourdough, plus the challah, plus the seed breads, rosemany, and grain breads -- all a little different as Jesse Archibald introduces more of his particular baking talents. Also apple cinnamon buns and an experimental hemp bread, using market vendor Melvin's hemp flour.

And on top of that, we'll be selling Jessie Sosnicki's perogies exactly the way she taught us to make them. If you combine them with some of Plan B's excellent onions, your supper is all set.

Phil Matthewson expects to be there tomorrow, barring any more car trouble. Our market manager Anne Freeman sent this e-mail after talking to Phil about the tricky legalities of selling farm eggs: "You might find his "lease-a-chicken" concept interesting as a way around the rules. Wouldn't you like to say that you've signed a lease on a couple of banty hens(sort of a farm team) and the farmer is strictly delivering your eggs?"

Was she joking, or was he? We'll see tomorrow. Anne also wants to remind people to put in their Easter orders this Thursday, since next Thursday will be the pre-Easter market.

Craftspeople coming this week:
New Organic cotton baby wear,
Gregory Love(a market patron from the neighbourhood) will be bringing his silkscreened T-shirts.
Joanna is also coming with body colours, stones, and other crafts
Dadié Herbals (certified organic): Joane Jackson sells Cosmetics, Fragrances, Haircare Products, Personal Health Products and Skin Care Products.
To find out a bit more, go to the farmers' market web page: http://www.dufferinpark.ca/market/market.html and click on "craft market."

And here is Joane Jackson's beautiful soap photo:

see you at the market!

P.s. we'll have the ten-minute zamboni film playing in the zamboni garage this Thursday, in case you didn't see it on CBC Newsworld.