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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for April 09, 2009

Hello Market Friends:

Hurray! Spring has made it back to town in time for another lovely market day, a great start to the long weekend.

Thanks to everyone who took a moment to write last week, filling us in on reasons for missing out on the winter market. Demanding work schedules are the main culprit, but happily, our correspondents are itching to get back. It's a challenge, keeping a strong enough winter market to work for the farmers and the community, so please don't take it for granted. We'd like to encourage more of you to write to market@dufferinpark.ca, and tell us what works and what doesn't for you.

We're also interested to know, if you're not making it to Dufferin, are you getting local food in another way?

This week's news:

We'll have a visit from one of our founding farmers, Ute Zell. She will bring a selection of cuts of wild boar, likely our last opportunity to get this exceptional specialty, as Ute's farming is heading in a whole new direction. She's only able to attend the first half of the market, so if you will be coming later and are eager to get some, I encourage you to give Ute a call (905-659-7442) or write to me--either way, before noon on Thursday--and we'll do our best to assist you if we can.

From another of our founders, Greenfields Organic Farm: Lots of great produce for your Easter weekend on our table this week. Local goodies available are Green Cabbage, Rainbow Carrots, Carrots (limited), White & Shiitake Mushrooms, Yellow Onions, Potatoes, Rutabaga and Greenfields-grown Celeriac and Sunchokes. The wonderful Potatoes we have been selling are from our good friend Marcus Koenig & family. He runs/owns Klondyke Farm in Dashwood, ON which is near Grand Bend on Lake Huron. Along with his excellent Potatoes he grows field crops, hay, some veggies and raises grass-fed beef. Just thought you might like to know. Lots of great Greens and Fruit as well. Enjoy your long weekend. Mark

The growing update from the Sosnickis, not back yet but returning soon: Despite the few snowflakes falling through the greenhouse roof, we continue to plant lettuce transplants directly into the soil. In a few weeks we hope to begin cutting our own heads of lettuce and many other early greens. They can't size up fast enough! Ben has been very particular about his 'covered field', running strings for row straightness and using the handles of the hoes and shovels to make little holes for the hundreds of plants I'm putting in each day! Our middle house is a total sea of gorgeous green with the strong scent of fish fertilizer in the air....We are also still taking COMPOST ORDERS. Log onto www.sosnickiorganicproduce.blogspot.com Jess & Ben.

Deer Valley will be absent this week.

From the Akiwenzies, who hope to attend this time: "We did a blog, akiwenziesfish.blogspot.com, to help let our customers to know if we are able to make it to market. It will hopefully give them a glimpse into the weather and the challenges of fishing through the season."

While you're browsing on our producers' sites, here's another one you might enjoy: www.organic.ca. It's a work in progress as far as local food finding, but there are lots of interesting posts on things close to home, and also farther away (like why organic bananas really are a good idea, or the pesticide industry's alarm regarding the Obamas' organic garden plans!)

If you're planning your own organic garden, the excellent seed choices from Urban Harvest and the first plants from Country Meadows Gardens will give you a nice bit of spring fever.

See you at the market!

Anne

P.S. No Friday night supper this week due to the long weekend.

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