Dear market friends,

Wednesday night was the harvest moon, so bright all night long, and this morning it was chilly. The weather's supposed to get warmer again in the daytime but it looks like there may be a bit of frost by the end of the weekend. So there will soon be restrictions on the overflowing bounty we've been seeing at the market this last month. But for now -- let the feast continue.

From market manager Anne Freeman:

"Maria of Oh!Soy will be away from the market this week, but back next. John Ferrari hasn't got enough blueberries to come this week, but has found another spot which he hopes will yield enough to bring down next week. Sosnicki's were spotted with lots of corn on the cob at Riverdale, so I've got my fingers crossed that there will be plenty for us, too!"

From Laura Sabourin:

"we've been picking apples all day, Mac's Ida red and Courtlands. Some will be for sale for fresh consumption , others along with some Spies and Golden Delicious will be heading off to be made into Cert. Organic Cider. We'll be bringing 2 litre jugs to the market Thursday.

In addition we'll also be picking some super sweet red wine grapes and cold pressing for table juice. The juice will be packed as usual in plastic jugs - this is great to freeze for the long cold winter ahead.

There may also be a few box of my Mom's heritage raspberries. Hopefully I will also bring along a couple master of seeded red and white grapes. And mmmmaybe a master of late peaches - from our friends the Schmit's."

From Lorenz of Greenfields:

"The weather is holding up in a perfect way. Everything is nice and dry for harvest, a bit too dry indeed for fall crops that still need to grow, we have the irrigation going these days - a first for late September ! This week look for tender baby Spinach, lots of amazing Eggplants, green and red Peppers, Leeks, the first of the red Kale, more Mixed Lettuce, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, the last of the Watermelons and lots of Winter Squash. Everything from Pie Pumpkins to Butternut. Carving Pumpkins are going for sale at the road side stand next week. Our showy purple Cauliflower is still going strong for another week or so, Zucs and Cucs are still going strong. Red and Green Cabbage look and taste great. Also new this week are Collards and Radicchio, the latter will be rare this fall as deer have eaten most of it. In fact deer have been a serious problem this year and venison is sure to be part of our Thanksgiving dinner."

Johanna, the Red Barn Troll, has written a column at least as vivid as last week's, and with even more illustrations: http://greenfieldsfarm.ca/news/

Ted Thorpe's lettuce will be there in quantity, Plan B's rich red peppers and their salad mix, Mojdeh and her salads, and Mojdeh's niece with her sweet Persian-style yoghurt -- and all the rest.

Last but not least, from Winnie Czulinski ("Winnie, Lady of the Dulcimer"), who plays so beautifully at the entrance to the market:

"Thought you might be interested to know the media-publicity wheels have begun to turn for my new book "Drone On! The High History of Celtic Music," and I'm scheduled to be interviewed (for about 4 minutes) tomorrow, Wed. the 29th, on City-TV's "Breakfast Television" program, some time between 7 am and 9 am.

They've asked me to bring my dulcimer, and though there may be only seconds to demonstrate it, that should be enough time to show why it really is like a "stringed bagpipe," and an entirely appropriate "prop" for a book about Celtic music that just drones on...!"

See you at the market!