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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for February 04, 2010

Hello Market Friends:

2010 has been declared the international year of biodiversity, and however small your garden (or flower pot), you can enjoy choosing heirloom, rare and unusual varieties to grow in honour of that when you shop at Colette and Pablo's table. We're happy to have Urban Harvest back this week, defying Wiarton Willy with a message that spring is on the way! Speaking of Wiarton, the three Akiwenzie boys were invited there on Groundhog Day to sing Oh Canada in Ojibway, so they got to see the little guy run for cover.

Greenfields report: "Always an exciting time at the Guelph Conference running into old friends and making new ones. A big plus was getting in touch with our friends who will be supplying some LOCAL greenhouse Salad Mix for this week. We will also have some LOCAL greenhouse Spinach!! A full selection of fruits and veggies to help keep the home fires burning as well. See ya there," Mark
Greenfields deal of the week: Wear a Maple Leafs anything and get a high five!!

Sosnickis news: "Tubs of our fresh sauerkraut coming to Dufferin! $3 this year! It will always come frozen, as we do one large batch at the hall, maybe two if it sells well. It is raw, and retains all it's vit.C and enzymes this way. My grandpa had his in barrels outside all winter and would chip out what he needed. We'll also have our Whole Wheat perogies and regular ones too! Still lots of our own storage crops: potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, cabbage & celeriac. Young heirloom tomato seedlings thriving around here waiting for their home in our 'covered fields'! Package has arrived from Pro-Cert, so now begins field plans!! Once again practicing a good rotation to maintain soil fertility!" Jessie and Ben

With a great supply of carrots from all our growers this year, we've talked Alli Harris into making fresh-squeezed juice at the market. Try the straight carrot, or the carrot-beet-ginger, and you'll feel a little healthier right on the spot. Yum!

Imagine my surprise to find a "California locavores" advisory to embrace root vegetables in winter....Maybe we should send them some of our unbeatable Ontario ones! Here's an easy recipe from the Sacramento Green Guide:

Roasted Roots (by Julie Cross)
1 bunch carrots, Nantes if you can get them
6 small parsnips
1 sweet potato
4 beets
3 small onions
mushrooms to taste
olive oil
salt
dried thyme

Peel vegetables and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut any tough stem ends from mushrooms and half or quarter depending on size. Spread vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan and toss with just enough olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and dried thyme. Bake at 350 degrees for a half-hour, then add mushrooms. Bake another 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and slightly caramelized.

Got a little more room in the oven? Omnivores will find great cuts to roast from Deer Valley(venison), Best Baa (lamb) and Berettas (beef and chicken).

See you at the market!

Anne Freeman

P.S. Returning to biodiversity for a moment, this month, written support is needed to help stop the release of Monsanto's genetically modified (herbicide-proof) alfalfa in the US, a disaster in the making for Canadian farmers as well, because wind pollination would contaminate fields everywhere. This is a genie that could never be put back in the bottle. We'll have some information at the market, or visit cban.ca for details. This is a time-sensitive matter; comments need to be submitted before February 16th.

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