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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for October 17, 2013

Hello Market Friends:

Sometimes there's a little bit of hubbub behind the scenes before 'show time'. For our first week on the rink (two weeks ago), we had a broken gate, a record number of vendors to fit in, a few late arrivals and forgotten tents, some electrical issues, confused customers wandering on the path, and other assorted glitches. Then last week, we hit our stride. Everybody knew their spots, Ava and Matt and the other wonderful park staff made sure that all equipment was where it ought to be, and even when word came that Peter from Best Baa had a van breakdown en route, all was fine, as Ming from Ying Ying Soy gallantly picked up all the cheese and yogurt and got it to market on time. What a team. You'd think the market just 'happened'. This week we might have a few puddles to contend with, but hey, nothing the average pair of rubber boots can't handle.

I certainly hope you have finished up the leftovers, because we have a huge selection of the freshest produce coming in. Ted Thorpe says the warm weather we've had means that piles of his fall crops are maturing all at once, so it is time to eat those greens! A couple of my current favourites: tatsoi sauteed with garlic, sesame oil and a little ginger, and kale with caramelized onions and bacon, raisins or red peppers. And speaking of peppers, here's the Sosnickis' list:

"We'll have Golden Beets, Purple Beets, beautiful Carrots with tops. Some Tomatoes: a few Romas from the field and Heirlooms from the 'covered field', Celery, Celeriac, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Cabbage, Chard, Kale and PEPPERS! No frost yet and OODLES of red and other colours. NOW is the time to enjoy peppers! Roasted are my favourite!! I seeded these guys in February and have been raising them up to get them to the market for the few weeks I can harvest. Seems like I waited forever for them to ripen! Seasonal in Ontario for a short period of time so get them before frost does!!" Jess, Ben & Sadie

Feast of Fields can't bear to say goodbye yet; they will be heading in with apples, pears and grapes.

This is your last chance to sharpen up! Denzil from Exact Edge will wrap up his 2013 season with us this week. Bring all those knives and tools! It's also the last week for savoury fritters, dumplings and soups from My Little Dumplings.

From the Akiwenzies: "Sorry we won’t be down on Thursday. The wind was really blowing on Tuesday and that is when we needed the nets to be in the water."

Knuckle Down Farm news: "I've got beautiful bulbs of fennel this week along with the fall standards. Squash, carrots, baby beets, watermelon radishes and tender savoy cabbage." Jenny

Here's a little food for thought from the Washington Post:

"...it’s not that farmers market prices are too high but that the supermarket prices with which they compete are too low. The costs to society of industrial agriculture — pollution; animals’ ill health, masked by antibiotics in concentrated feedlots; insupportably low farm wages; and the carbon generated by transporting food to the East Coast from California and South America — are not registered in the prices at Shoppers."

Come on over for some of our good, clean, fair food.

See you at the market!

Anne Freeman

Events of Note:

From Ava Lightbody of the park staff: Stick around right after the market at 7 p.m. for a film screening inside the rinkhouse changeroom (right across from the washrooms). We will be screening internationally acclaimed documentary "Gold Fever" as part of an international screening day! It's about a Canadian gold mine in Guatemala and the Mayan community whose land it's on. For more info, visit www.goldfevermovie.com. No charge - any donations go to the community's struggle. Film is 84 minutes.

Chasing Ice: Free Screening

• Date: Sunday, October 20, 2013
• Time: 4pm-6pm
• Location: Revue Cinema
• Cost: Free! RSVP at http://chasingicefilm.eventbrite.ca

Join Green 13, Cheri Di Novo, MPP and Peggy Nash, MP Parkdale - High Park for a free screening of this award-winning documentary. Chasing Ice shows the work of environmental photographer James Balog as he tracks the drastic changes to our glaciers, demonstrating tangible evidence of climate change. Visit http://www.green13toronto.org/event/chasing-ice-free-screening for more information.

"Real Dirt"

• October 21, 2013 - 6:30 to 8:00
• Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (George Brown College), Room 112 - 300 Adelaide St. East

Join us to celebrate the launch of local organic farmer Harry Stoddart’s controversial first book, Real Dirt (Iguana Books)!

Real Dirt exposes the truth about farming strategies used in Canada and around the world by explaining the “whys” and “hows” of GMOs, resistance-building doses of antibiotics, pesticides, and confinement animal housing. Stoddart outlines the environmental costs and benefits of all forms of agriculture, including a pointed critique of the organic production of many annual crops. He tackles food industry problems, delving into the science and economic issues surrounding sustainable farming. Ultimately, he educates and then challenges consumers to choose a sustainable future for food production.

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