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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for May 29, 2014

Hello Market Friends:

The vendors come marching two by two hurrah, hurrah! (Are you singing along yet?) This week, as our lovely outdoor setup expands, we'll be joined by two more vendors, and we'll see more spring crops as well.

We are delighted to introduce you to the team from Everdale Organic Farm, though the face behind the food will be a familiar one to all our longtime customers. Mark Skinner, formerly of Greenfields, is now the farm manager at Everdale, and it's great to be working with him again. There will be asparagus, arugula, spinach, radishes, and rhubarb on the Everdale tables.

Have you read all those gloomy statistics about the high average age of farmers in Ontario? Well, we love our farmers of all ages, but we're bucking the trend at Dufferin. Our roster includes more and more major up and coming talent as well as seasoned veterans. At an event a few years back, I was seated at a table of older conventional growers, who told me with bitter pride that not one of their children would be a farmer. Our 'next wave' organic farmers often have to find routes less traveled, as it's so terribly difficult to get a start in farming here, but I hope we can give them reason for optimism, especially when I meet their beautiful crop of children. Let's invest in a future with good, clean local food and a fair deal for farmers, shall we?

Our second vendor addition this week is a returnee from last year (cue sound track, that's The Clash playing 'London Calling'...), Jacob Saphra of Brixton Grill:

"Brixton Grill is excited to be back at Dufferin Grove this summer to satisfy all your vegan barbecue cravings! Our Tex-Mex Bean Burgers and Tofu Burgers are back again, plus this week we have Seitan Buffalo Wings with a cool ranch dip, Peanut Satay Tempeh sandwiches with Garlic Mushrooms, and a Grilled Asparagus Salad. We have plenty of good condiments to add, including homemade garlic mayo and rum bbq sauce!"

In other excellent news, Best Baa is bringing their ice cream cart to make a warm afternoon even sweeter.

This is one of a few months in the year with a 5th Thursday, so we've got a bonus visit from Tawse Winery before continuing with our regular weekly rotation. I am torn...the wines I got from them two weeks ago were so good I want to get them again, but I want to try others, too....There are worse decisions to face in life, I'll admit.

A reminder that Friday Night Suppers begin this week (at 6) and there is a clothing swap at the park on the weekend (more details on-site).

See you at the market!

Anne Freeman

Here are the vendors we expect:

• Akiwenzies Fish(fresh, frozen and smoked Georgia Bay fish),
• Ali Harris (rotis and fritters, hemp pesto and seeds),
• Bees Universe (honey and bee products),
• Beretta Farms (organic and naturally raised meats),
• Best Baa (cheeses, yogurt, sheep's milk, ice cream),
• Brixton Grill (vegan barbeque),
• Chocosol (coffee and chocolate, tortillas),
• Country Meadows (eggs, cheese, olives, oil, herb and vegetable seedlings),
• DeFloured (gluten-free baking),
• Dufferin Park Bakers (wood-fired oven breads, soups,and snacks),
• Earth and City (raw foods and smoothies)
• Everdale Organic Farm (organic vegetables)
• Field Sparrow Farm (pastured meats),
• Forbes Wild Foods (wild leeks, fiddleheads, dried mushrooms, nuts, syrup, preserves)
• Kind Organics (sprouts, kombucha, kefir, teas, greens, chocolate),
• Pine River Organic Farm (organic vegetables)
• Plan B Organic Farm (home-grown, local and imported organic produce),
• Spade & Spoon (organic preserves from home-grown produce, rhubarb),
• Tapioca Gourmet (gluten-free pancakes with savoury or sweet fillings),
• Urban Harvest (seeds, plants, body care, soil amendments),
• VQA Wineries (a rotating roster of local organic wineries), Tawse Winery this week)
• Waymac Farms (shiitake and oyster mushrooms),
• Wildlife Gardening (native plants),
• Ying Ying Soy (tofus and miso).

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