Market Times - September 19, 2011

 

WEFC News

Wheels for WEFC:

It's starting to cool down and the fall harvest has arrived. Our Sorauren Farmers' Market has been a busy place - with so much abundance - local & sustainable fruits, veggies, meats, cheese, breads, and other great eats! Plus fabulous music, activities and community info (see the market section further down for details on this weeks market).

We've been canning, teaching, and learning about preserving as our community cannery grows. Thanks to Parkdale Neighbourhood Church and FoodShare for the use of their kitchens! Lets get rolling on our kitchen now!

We are so close!  Through bond sales, grants, fundraisers, donations and more we will be starting the renovations for our new store/food hub this fall.  Thank you to everyone that has supported the drive – what an amazing community!

We still need to raise the funds to cover the cost of our kitchen where we will prepare food daily, preserve the local harvest work with our producer members, and hold workshops and trainings.  Our Ride for Real Food bike-a-thon on September 25th could do the trick.  Pledge one of our intrepid riders - Each rider is trying to raise at least $500 and every dollar counts!

You can also sign up at ClimateSpark as a community reviewer, and help us get points for this new social venture fund.

WEFC can be found participating and presenting at a number of events this fall. This week we will part of City To Country tours on Thursday September 22nd - register today to go on one of the many tours! We'll be participating in :

• Rebuilding the Middle – Distribution: Even though good food is grown locally, that doesn’t mean it always gets to us.  Join West End Food Coop’s Ayal Dinner and Ontario Natural Food Coop’s Hannah Renglich in visiting Toronto’s most hopping food hubs.  Visit the Ontario Food Terminal, Ontario Natural Food Coop, Foodshare’s Good Food Box warehouse, West End Food Coop’s community cannery and the Dufferin Grove market and bring your close-toed shoes!

You can also find us and other amazing folks at these events:

• Greenest Cities' Earth, Food, and Culture Festival - September 24
• Eat In Ontario - September 30
• West End Food Co-op Annual General Meeting October 18th
• YIMBY Festival - October 22
• Bring Food Home - October 27 to 29

This week at the Market

Come out for another fun and good food filled market! This week we will be joined by the Afri-can Food Basket - They grow food in and near the city and do great work in many Toronto communities and succesful youth programs too!

Under the Market Canopy this week

• 5:00pm - Wheelbarrow Farm’s Band - The Sandy Pockets - playing tunes that farm animals and market goers will love!
• 3:00pm – Moyo Rainos Mutamba - Enjoy Mutamba’s sweet Mbira and traditional music from Zimbabwe

Community Groups at this week's Market:

• PARC and Silver Brush - PARC is a partner of WEFC's that do great work in Parkdale around housing, food, health and more. Silver Brush is a social enterprise painting business is working with WEFC on our new food hub and store!
• Pledge a cylcist for the WEFC bike-a-thon

We are so fortunate to have had such wonderful musicians all summer sharing their talents with us at the market! If you want to play music at the market or know someone you’d like to see play contact Corry and let her know!

Help us save our farmers' markets!
Sign the petition to stop the current threat of huge fee increases for markets held in parks and other city property. Go to the Toronto Farmers’ Market Network website to learn more and to sign.

At the Cannery

This Wednesday we'll be doing something with Tomatoes. Register at www.westendfood.coop/cannery.

Remember you can support our ability to do and teach preserving with our community partners for those who wouldn’t otherwise afford to do so at Small Change Fund.

Community Events and News

For more events and information check these out:

Ecological Farmers of Ontario Events & Courses
Everdale Events & Workshops
FarmStart Current Events & Workshops
Food Forward Calendar of Toronto Good Food Events
Foodlink Waterloo Events
Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events
The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar
FoodShare Toronto Upcoming

Get Involved with the Co-op

There are many opportunities for volunteers at the WEFC -- you can sign up to join the volunteer pool, and tell us what you'd like to do.  To support your co-op financially you can donate online now.

THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET

Ali's Bakery - Breads, loaves, pastries, sweet and savoury  treats

Deer Valley Farm - Grass fed venison, poultry, & fresh mushrooms

Greengate Farm - Naturally raised beef & pork + frozen prepared  meals

Monforte Dairy - sheep, goat, & cows milk cheeses, ice cream, summer sausage

Klucha Farm - Tree fruit, vegetables, and preserves

Bizjak Farms - Tree fruit & berries

Fresh City Farms - Greens and veggies grown in the city!

The Fresh Veggies - Vegetables, asian greens, etc.

The Cutting Veg - Vegetables, herbs, flowers, salad greens

Kind Organics - sprouts, micro-greens, gourmet salad blends...

Matchbox Garden - Seeds, seedlings, seasonal veggies

Field Sparrow Farms - grass-fed naturally raised beef, veggies

Wheelbarrow Farm - Berkshire pork, veggies, sausages

City Seed Farm - just picked veggies and greens, brought to market by bicycle!

Oso Leo & Two Century Farm - apples and cider, berries, and other fruit

The Bus Kitchen -  Sweet & savoury treats made on a bus on site! Full of local and organic goodness

Defloured - gluten free gallettes, tarts, pot pies, cookies, and treats