Dear market friends,

This is a rather long e-mail, since there's so much coming to the market this week.

First: to the person who lost a cheque at Greenfields last week, Greenfields have it. There was no address on it, for them to contact the person.

From market manager Anne Freeman:

"This week, the market vendors and staff involved will gather for an after-the-market dinner, partly for fun, and partly to review some market issues. We only get the chance to do this a couple of times a year, but it's an important opportunity to sit down together. It takes communication and co-operation to make a market like ours work, and a little good shared food never hurt with that.

Please welcome a newcomer this week: Eva Kristof has been growing things since she was a kid, but we were just introduced to her by Mark of Greenfields Farm about ten miles down the road. Eva and her parents have about ten acres of a 40 acre farm under cultivation near Rockwood. This year, she planted 30,000 gladiolas by hand (is your back aching yet?). She also grows sunflowers, which the bees love, and the deer run through. Because she grows without chemicals or sprays, she explained that the flowers are not always perfect, but she brings the best to market. The grasshoppers nibble some, and the birds get to keep some, and some are saved for next year's seed.

Early warning for fans--Tyler Haut will only be at the market this week and next with his sushi, salads and sweets before he goes on to other adventures. It has been a real pleasure to try Tyler's food this summer. Best wishes from the market!

Maria of Oh Soy will be in Poland for the next month, returning to the market in late September.

Last week, I came home with a small package of fresh pea shoots from Supersprouts on their first day at the market. They were terrific. My kids and I sat down and ate them so fast that I will be sure to get lots more this time.

Laura Sabourin will be bringing: pears (Clapps and French Bartlett); red seedless grapes; white seedless grapes; blackberries; freestone peaches and purple plums. Laura has explained that in this later part of the season, it's close to impossible to have peaches without some chemical intervention, so the peaches available now are low spray."

From Mary Lou of Beretta's:

"I am holiday August 25th. No one else is available to do the market that week. People can buy for 2 weeks at this market, or place an order for delivery. Sorry I did not know this earlier."

From Mark of Greenfields:

"Another beautiful week here on the farm, lots of fresh summer produce available. Can't get enough of our juicy and sweet Watermelons, don't worry they're back again this week and looking great. Our own Carrots will be back this week. As well as Collard greens, Red and Rainbow Chard, Green and Red Cabbage, Three varieties of fresh Beets, Tomatoes ( Field, Baby Romas, Grape and the first of our Heirloom, German Striped are very nice). Fresh herbs coming this week are Pesto Basil, Cilantro, Dill and both Curly and Italian Parsley. This week brings two newcomers which are Eggplants and Freshly picked stalks of Edamame (soy bean) which are very easy to prepare and really tasty. A nice selection of fruit will be available including B.C Apples ( crisp and tart), Valencia Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons and Ready to eat Bananas."

From Jessie Sosnicki:

"I'll be joining Ben at market along with my sister, Amber tomorrow. Amber and I have some great stuff picked and graded out for everyone to enjoy tomorrow! Lots of tomatoes, round slicing, roma/plum type and some awesome red and yellow cherry types! (Heirloom varieties are looking amazing in the fields and will be ready soon - Brandywine, Green Sausage, Tigarella, Orange Banana's - tomatoes are not just 'tomatoes' any more!)

Lots of beautiful potatoes in different sizes! (Dug fresh when we need them!), LOTS of fresh broccoli, and a few cases of fresh Romaine and red leaf lettuce as well! Sweet Spanish Onions, huge Slicing Cucs, Cabbage and Sweet Corn! The corn is coming to an end, but as a treat we have ours as well as a few bags from our neighbours the Schibli family! Their son grew quite a lot this year as a trial for wholesale, but the weeds took over badly and he was just going to harvest some for their cows and disk the rest! We stepped in and got to harvest some before it is gone! This corn is pure yellow and sooo sweet!"

From Alvaro of Plan B Organics:

"This week for the market we should have lots of goodies, but, most importantly, we'll have no heritage tomatoes! I'll have lots of my own tomatoes soon, including our delicious sun sugars. I'll be bringing chards, cukes, zukes, carrots, beets, purslane, kale some other herbs plus eggplants, hot peppers and some red and greens too. Shiitakes will make it amongst other things. Ben also tells me his corn is just about done, so we'll have some great sweet corn."

From Fun Guy Farm:

"we have fresh organic Shiitake mushrooms, fresh organic Oyster mushrooms, dried organic Reishi mushrooms; fresh organic Reishi/honey concoction; organic mushroom pesto including traditional shiitake and oyster mushroom pesto as well as vegan mushroom pesto; organic Kombucha including a finished drink as well as Kombucha cultures; books on Kombucha and Reishi as well as books on Shiitake cultivation."

Park heroes for us this week are Jessie and Ben Sosnicki. Georgie Donais ran out of straw for the last bit of the cob courtyard and Jessie got five bags ready and Ben went out of his way during his city deliveries on Wednesday to bring us the straw. That means the cob courtyard is now fully built and ready for plastering.

We'll be taking all the farmers and vendors for a cob tour after the market, before the market dinner. (Most of the market vendors don't even know there's more to the park than the area immediately around the rink house. They come and set up, sell, and then rush home to do the chores. Maybe they'll be surprised this Thursday when we show them the rest.)

See you at the market!

Market web page:www.dufferinpark.ca/market

Park phone number: 416 392-0913.